Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

News and Notes:

The gospel passage this weekend shows us the Lord’s response to human suffering.   Jesus goes to the home of Peter and Andrew and heals Peter’s mother-in-law of her raging fever, and then cures many other people who gathered at the door, including those possessed by demons.  At the end of this story Jesus, untiring in his care for the sick, goes on to nearby villages to preach in their synagogues and drive out demons that were holding people hostage.  The message of this gospel account is clear and convincing: God neither causes suffering nor remains indifferent to the pain it inflicts on us.  God is always at work in our lives, sometimes imperceptibly, to bring us comfort and relief from our suffering.

On February 11, we observe World Day of the Sick, instituted by Pope John Paul II to coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young girl who witnessed the apparitions of the Immaculate Conception in the grotto at Lourdes, believed in the healing power of the Eucharist: “The Eucharist bathes the tormented soul in light and love. Then the soul appreciates these words, ‘Come all you who are sick, I will restore your health.’”

Blessings to all of you in the week ahead!