Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Luke 4: 38-44
Healing and the kingdom of God

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus leaving the synagogue and entering the house of Simon Peter. There, he finds Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a high fever. Without hesitation, Jesus bends over her, takes her by the hand, and restores her. Immediately, she rises to serve.

This simple scene reveals the heart of Jesus’ mission. He is always ready to serve. Even when tired, even after preaching, he responds to the cry of human need. The love of Jesus never stops at the door of a house; it enters into the most ordinary places of life, into our kitchens, our families, our daily struggles.

Notice also how the miracle takes place in private. No crowds, no applause—just the quiet compassion of Jesus. How often we may act generously in public but forget charity at home! Yet Jesus shows us that love begins in the smallest circles—our families, our communities, our daily relationships.

And then, Peter’s mother-in-law teaches us something important: when healed, she immediately begins to serve. Her healing was not for herself alone; it was a gift to be shared. Health, strength, even life itself, are not possessions for comfort but gifts to be offered for others.

Finally, Jesus withdraws early in the morning to pray. His strength to serve comes from his union with the Father. Prayer is not an escape from human need but the wellspring that allows us to meet it.

Here we also hear Jesus speak for the first time of the kingdom of God. It is already here in his healing, his teaching, his love. It is among us whenever we let God’s will be done. And it will reach fullness when all creation lives in that love.

So let us pray: Lord, heal us, so that we too may rise and serve in your kingdom.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025