Fifth Sunday in ordinary time 2021 (B)
Homily
INTRO: SIMON’S MOTHER IN LAW HAD A FEVER!
I was told that when as a child I developed such a high fever that my mom miraculously would bring the fever down by putting COLD CLOTHS on me. I have heard of this practice often…. and so I know that fevers can be reduced with the appropriate measures so that life can resume for the individual.
Unfortunately during this year of COVID-19 so many several thousands here in the USA have had fevers and their lives have not resumed. Nothing could be done for many of them as was done for me in my youth with a simple cold cloth. In reality the world goes on but there are still many families enduring these sad losses today. As a church we will not forget this, ever.
I like this GOSPEL story because it lets us all know that healing is possible;
-people came from all over
-they brought to Jesus the sick and those possessed
-let us go to all the villages
You have to believe that Jesus DOES NOT IGNORE you and your families, EVER while you and you families endure some crisis!!
Our religion celebrates his name JESUS, which always means GOD IS WITH US. It doesn’t translate as God is ignoring us! We celebrate that God does have a bigger picture of our present world situation. Trust and believe.
In our Catholic Schools, the primary reason to have them, is
-to help parents of children to keep reinforcing the power of God in these youths,
-to help partner with parents to raise up healthy children for service to others, implicit in the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law in today’s Gospel from Mark ……..she got up to then serve, or in other words ……to resume her life as she was brought up to do: SERVE OTHERS
And lastly the reason we have Catholic schools is
-To support parents of children that God will never ignore them.
I truly was excited as a youth who was able to attend a Catholic school to learn more and more about religion and this wonderful guy, named Jesus and what He did for others.
Some may say I was a NERD when I was in school, but when I was introduced to the library in our school, I always made a bee line for the section that was titled RELIGIOUS BOOKS. My curiosity about religion and Jesus came not only from my mom and dad, but also from the terrific teachers in each of my elementary school grades and how they taught religion. But,I was thirsty for more knowledge of Jesus and sought out that information in those kinds of books!
And so, in those early days I knew I wanted everyone to be as excited as I was about Jesus and who he is and what our Catholic religion is all about. Being a priest could do that!
CONCLUSION
So, yes, today and always, we have fevers and sicknesses, and crisis’s, but even with this we are taught in our schools to rise above this fact, bolstered in the great fact we have been redeemed, loved, encouraged to know Jesus that GOD IS WITH US, stick by him, and resume life to serve others.