The readings for Mass today are about people who are suffering. In the first reading today, Job is pouring out his misery and suffering to God, when he said:
“Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? … I have been assigned months of misery … and troubled nights have been allotted to me … I shall not see happiness again.
The story of human suffering continues well into the gospel reading today, when we hear of Simon’s mother-in-law who lay sick with a fever, and how the townspeople brought their sick and those possessed by demons to Jesus. The compassion of the townspeople themselves was very profound. They hated watching their loved ones suffer, so they brought them to Jesus, hoping for a cure.
Jesus, in his infinite compassion, healed them. He saw the suffering that they were going through, and had such compassion for each one of them. Jesus healed each individual person, one at a time. What a beautiful thing that must have been, to have witnessed Jesus walking among the crowd, healing all of these people, one by one. Can you imagine it? To have witnessed his compassion, gentle touch, and felt the deep sense of peace and love that radiated from him, would have been a very profound experience.
Today, those who are seriously ill, facing a major surgery, are elderly, or in danger of death, may receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, through the hands of our priests. This sacrament is based on today’s gospel passage, (Mark 1: 29-39) and it is also based on the gospel of Luke (4:40). A wonderful article on the communal aspect of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick was printed by St. Anthony’s Messenger, which said:
“In the prayer of faith, it is the whole community, the People of God, who pray for God’s help for the sick person. And if one member suffers, all share in those sufferings. This community aspect is why parishes now often hold communal celebrations of the sacrament. Sometimes it is combined with a Mass for healing. (There are also prayer services for healing that do not involve the sacrament.)
The laying-on of hands recalls Jesus’ manner of healing: “They brought the sick with various diseases to him; and he laid hands on every one of them and healed them” (Luke 4:40). The gesture indicates that this particular person is the object of the Church’s prayer of faith. It is a sign of blessing and an invocation for the coming of the Spirit.”
It is also worth noting in today’s gospel that it mentioned three times, that Jesus drove demons out of people. Three times this was mentioned in the gospel, and yet, many modern people deny the existence of demons, or that the devil is real. Modern people often think that the demons mostly tempt people to commit sin, but they are real spirits that torment people too. Jesus did not heal these people of their temptations, he drove real demons out of the people and “did not permit them to speak because they knew him”. How much more clear could it be that the demons are real?
Isn’t it awesome how Jesus felt compassion for all aspects of the human suffering that the townspeople in today’s gospel was going through though? Their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sufferings genuinely mattered to him.
After Jesus healed their sick, he went off to a deserted place to pray. When his disciples found him, he told them that he needed to go on to the nearby villages to preach too, for this was the purpose he had come for.
Prayer gave Jesus clarity, in everything he did. Perhaps it was an emotional event for him too, to heal all the sick people in that town that night. It may have caused him to consider others who were in need of his healing presence as well, so he sought the answers to these questions in prayer with his Father.
The scriptures today have some very powerful lessons for us all. Jesus loves us, and cares about what we are going through, whether it is an illness or an internal suffering that no one else seems to understand. But, Jesus does. His compassion is a very personal thing. He understands what we are going through in ways that other people can not, as illustrated in today’s gospel when he drove the hidden demons out of people, and healed them.
Are you experiencing any kind of suffering in your life right now? Or, is one of your loved ones suffering from an illness, or because of a mental or emotional problem? Jesus has compassion for your suffering. He understands what you and your loved ones are going through, and he does not judge you, or your family members. He only wants to heal you, and your family. Draw near to him through prayer and the sacraments, and he will bring you much healing and peace.
If you and your family are in good health and spirits, then you are fortunate. Thank God for His blessings upon you. But, if your life should one day become like Job’s in today’s first reading for Mass, then you should still rely on God, and Christ’s healing presence in your life.
