By: FR. Jose “Joesum” Sumampong, Jr.
February 7, 2021
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Job 7: 1-4, 6-7 / Psalm 147: 1-6
I Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-23 / Mark 1: 29-39
TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER
Word: We continue today to meditate on “the day in Capernaum”, that first day in the public life of Jesus. During that day we see him teaching, liberating man from the evil spirits, healing the sick, and praying—a summary of the entire mission and work of Christ and of his disciples.
On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John (Mk 1:29). After teaching in a way that filled all the people with wonder, after freeing a man from the power of an evil spirit, Jesus leaves the synagogue, a public place, and enters a private house, the home of the two brothers Simon and Andrew.
The next verse tells us about the disciples: Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her (Mk 1:30). Simon, Andrew, John and James have just recently followed Jesus, but already they begin to take all their troubles to him.
Paul Tournier tells how one of life’s greatest discoveries came to him. He was struck by the extreme simplicity of an old man’s prayer. He used to visit this old man who was then a pastor. He never let him go without praying with him. Paul Tournier goes on, “When I talk got back home I talked it over with my wife, and together we asked God to give us also the close relationship with Jesus as the old pastor had. Since then Jesus has been the center of my devotion and my travelling companion. He takes pleasure in what I do, and concerns himself with it. He is a friend with whom I can discuss everything that happens in my life. He shares my joy and my pain, my hopes and fears. He is there when a patient speaks to me from his heart, listening to him with me and better than I can. And when the patient is gone I can talk to him about it.”
William Barclay writes, “Therein there lies the every essence of the Christian life. As the hymn has it, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’”
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up (Mk 1:31a). Theology tells us that each Sacrament is a “gesture of Christ”. Like at holy communion, we may take Jesus, in the form of the bread, in our hand, but in reality it is Jesus who is taking our hands.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them (Mk 1:31b). No sooner is she healed that Peter’s mother-in-law begins to attend to their needs. She is using now the recovery of her health for renewed service. Maybe we have heard of the saying “Saved to Serve”.
Now for the third time, in this episode (Mk 1:23-39), that we have seen Jesus healing people: He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons… (Mk 1:34). Whenever there is trouble Jesus is ready to use his power. Who is really not afraid of certain sicknesses, the name of which we do not even dare to mention? That is why Jesus is willing to respond to this universal claim of our human need for healing.
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Order: Like the people in today’s gospel, we may flock to Jesus because we recognize in him a man who can do things. There are many who can talk and expound and lecture and preach; but here is Jesus who deals not only in words but, more importantly, in actions. It has been said that “if a man can make better mousetrap that his neighbors, the public will beat a path to his house even if he lives in the middle of a wood.”
Barclay has written: “Simply to read the record of the things that happened at Capernaum is to see that Jesus was left with no time alone. Now Jesus knew well that he could not live without God; that if he was going to be forever giving out, he must be at least sometimes taking in; that if he was going to spend himself for others, he must ever and again summon spiritual reinforcements to his aid. He knew that he could not live without prayer.”
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed (Mk 1:35). If prayer was necessary for Jesus, how much more must it be necessary for us?
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Realities: As the pastor was taking up the census in his parish, he asked of one family the routine question, “Do you have some kind of family prayer at any time?”
“Oh, Father,” answered the head of the house. ”we just don’t have time for it.”
The priest asked, “Suppose you knew that one of your children would take sick if you did not pray together, would you have some kind of family prayer?”
“Oh, I guess we would,” answered the father of the family.
“Suppose you knew that on the day when you failed to say a family prayer, one of your children would be injured in an accident. Would you pray together?”
Again came the answer, “We certainly would.”
Suppose,” went on the priest, “that every day you failed to say a prayer together, the law would fine you five dollars. Would you neglect to pray?”
“I am sure we would pray, Father. But what’s the idea of all these questions?”
“Just this,” explained the priest. “Your problem is not time. You could find time. The problem is that you don’t think family prayer is important, as important as paying a fine or keeping your children healthy. The blessing of God won through prayer is more important than anything else and all things else you can think of.” (Tonne , MAKING TIME FOR PRAYER)
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Direction: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gift of prayer. Help us to use it frequently in our lives. Let your ears be attentive to the words of our lips and the desires of our hearts. Open our minds and our hearts to be open to your plans for us and strengthen our wills to accept the answer you give to our prayers. Above all, let us come to know you and him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ— for in this lies eternal life. (Joint Prayer for Openness in Prayer, People’s Prayer Book, no. 717)