Gospel: Luke 4:38-44
The Gospel today narrates four different events: the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law, the cure of many sick people at night, after Saturday, the prayer of Jesus in a deserted place and His insistence on the mission.
Jesus honored His disciples by dwelling among them, and so making them the more zealous. Let us therefore receive Jesus. For when He has visited us, we carry Him in our heart and mind; He will then extinguish the flames of our will, and will make us whole, so that we minister unto Him, that is, do things well-pleasing to Him.
Now see how Christ abides in the house of a poor man, suffering poverty of His own will for our sake, that we might learn to visit the poor, and despise not the destitute and needy. He goes to Peter’s house and cures his mother-in-law. The cure causes her to render service immediately. Having recovered her health and dignity, she places herself at the service of the people. Jesus not only cures, but He cures in such a way that the person places herself at the service of life.
At night, when the first stars appear in the sky, after Saturday is over, Jesus accepts and cures the sick and those possessed whom the people bring to Him. Although as God He was able to drive away diseases by His word, He nevertheless touches them, shewing that His flesh was powerful to apply remedies, since it was the flesh of God.
May He also touch us, no rather may we touch Him, that He may deliver us from the infirmities of our souls as well as the assaults of the evil spirit and pride! For it follows, and devils also came out.
He went also into the desert, as Mark says, and prayed; not that he needed prayer, but as an example to us of good works. He goes to a deserted place to be able to stay alone with God our Father. Through prayer, He maintains His consciousness of His mission. It is the mission received from the Father which directs Him when He has to make a decision. “I have been sent for this!”. And here in this text this consciousness springs up as the fruit of His prayer.