Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-In-Law”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1645

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Colossians 1:1-8
 
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:
grace to you and peace from God our Father.
 
We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when we pray for you,
for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and the love that you have for all the holy ones
because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.
Of this you have already heard
through the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you.
Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing,
so also among you,
from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth,
as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave,
who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf
and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
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Commentary on Col 1:1-8
 
This selection begins St. Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae; it is a church the apostle did not found and apparently had never visited. In these verses he begins by commending them on their faith in Christ Jesus and congratulates them on living the Gospel values. He assures them that knowledge and faith in Christ is growing in the world, and they are among those faithful having genuine teaching about the Lord. Later in this letter he clarifies some articles of faith that are causing anxiety.
 
CCC: Col 1:3-6 2632; Col 1:3 2636
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 52:10, 11
 
R. (10) I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
 
I, like a green olive tree
in the house of God,
Trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever.
R. I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
 
I will thank you always for what you have done,
and proclaim the goodness of your name
before your faithful ones.
R. I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
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Commentary on Ps 52:10, 11
 
The latter strophes of Psalm 52 (an individual lament against evil) used here give thanks to God and proclaim the singer’s faithfulness. The author sees himself flourishing like a tree as he contrasts the faithful with the wicked (see also Jeremiah 11:16). The singer resolves to praise the Lord always and spread the news of God’s goodness.
 
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Gospel: Luke 4:38-44
 
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
 
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
 
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
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Commentary on Lk 4:38-44
 
This Gospel passage continues the healing mission of Christ in Capernaum. He first heals Simon’s mother-in-law (at this point in St. Luke’s Gospel Simon has not yet been called). He then proceeds to heal all who are brought to him. The demons he cast out were aware of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (as was the demon in Luke 4:31-37).
When Jesus tries to leave, the people try to keep him with them. Contrast this response with the people of Nazareth, his hometown, earlier. The Lord then proceeds to teach throughout the region, proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
 
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Reflection:
 
We pause to consider this question; the Gospel the Lord proclaims is “the good news of the Kingdom of God.” What exactly does that mean, “The Kingdom of God”?  The Catechism of Catholic Church says this:
 
“The Kingdom of God lies ahead of us. It is brought near in the Word incarnate, it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel, and it has come in Christ's death and Resurrection. The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst. The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father:”[4]
 
While this works for us because we have heard the entire story (we know what happened in the upper room and we rejoice in the Eucharist), clearly Jesus presumed the Good News of the Kingdom of God would be understood by the people with whom he communicated.  What must they have thought?  Was the Lord speaking of the end time – the final judgment when all will come before him?  Certainly, those people of his time would not have found comfort in that news.  With a few exceptions, they could not know that Jesus was the gate of salvation for all mankind.
 
Jesus was saying that God’s Heavenly Kingdom (the Lord’s Kingdom in Heaven) was being opened.  This was the Good News! The gates that had been barred by sin since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden and fell were flung wide by the Son of God. It is he alone who had the keys to that Kingdom. To use an analogy, it was like the re-opening of the crown in the Statue of Liberty, closed since the tragedy of September 11.  People thronged to be able to ascend once more to the head of that national shrine.  Of course, the Good News of the Kingdom of God causes that analogy to pale in comparison.
 
We come at last to the answer to our question; what was the good news of the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed?  It was, as he quoted from Isaiah when he was in Nazareth (Luke 4:18) “he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.” While we could go through each of these groups and identify ourselves with them, the point becomes clear.  The good news is our great hope that the Lord has freed us from death and offers us eternal life in the Holy Spirit with God the Father.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-In-Law” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1645.
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church #2816.