February 4, 2024 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Welcome Father Eckhard Today’s Readings: Jb 7:1-4, 6-7 | 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 | Mk 1:29-39

The Gospel of Mark 1:29-39, presents a powerful account of Jesus’ healing and preaching ministry. In this passage, we witness Jesus healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and then the many others who were brought to him. After this, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray, and when his disciples find him, he tells them that it is time to move on to the neighboring towns to preach, for that is the purpose for which he has come. This passage reveals the compassion, power, and mission of Jesus Christ, inviting us to reflect on our own response to his call in our lives.

We find three key aspects in this passage:

The Healing Ministry of Jesus: The passage begins with Jesus entering the house of Simon and Andrew. There, he is told about Simon’s mother-in-law who is sick with a fever. Jesus takes her by the hand, helps her up, and the fever leaves her. This healing is a powerful demonstration of Jesus’ compassion and his desire to bring wholeness and restoration to those who are suffering. The Importance of Prayer: After the healing, we see Jesus going to a deserted place to pray. This moment of solitude and communion with the Father is a reminder to us of the essential role of prayer in Jesus’ own life and ministry. It is in prayer that Jesus finds the strength and guidance to fulfill his mission. The Mission of Preaching: When the disciples find Jesus, he tells them that they must go to the neighboring towns so that he may preach there also, for that is what he came to do. This emphasizes the central mission of Jesus – to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. It also challenges us to consider how we are called to participate in this mission in our own lives and communities.

We are being invited to contemplate the healing ministry, the importance of prayer, and the mission of preaching. It calls us to respond to Jesus’ invitation to participate in his mission of bringing healing, hope, and the Good News to all those we encounter in our lives. Let us take inspiration from Jesus’ example and be open to the ways in which he is calling us to be his instruments of love and transformation in the world.

Source: https://catholicsermons.com/sunday-homilies/ Image: Meister des Hitda-Evangeliars, Christ Healing Peter’s Mother-in-Law

News

• 4 February - We will have our first social gathering of the the year today and warmly invite you to participate! Kindly bring along something to share. Also, we count on you to help us set-up and clean up after.
• 4 February - There will be no children’s church this Sunday. This will rather come off on the first Sunday of Lent, February 18th. Kindly take note of this.