LABOR DAY 2026

 

Mass Reading and Reflection for Monday September 7th, 2026: Jesus and the Man with the Wethered Hand

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 5:1–8)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 5)

“Lead me in your justice, Lord.”

Alleluia: (John 10:27)

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.”

Gospel: (Luke 6:6–11)

Reflection

Today's Gospel presents a stark contrast between two hearts.

On one side stands the man with the withered hand, aware of his weakness and open to Jesus' command. On the other stand the Pharisees, whose hands work perfectly but whose hearts have become rigid and closed. Jesus heals the physical disability of one man while exposing the spiritual disability of others.

The deeper issue is not simply the Sabbath. It is love.

The Pharisees know the law but fail to understand its purpose. They are so concerned with protecting religious regulations that they can stand in the presence of suffering without compassion. Christ reveals that every divine command ultimately serves the flourishing of life. God never gives a law to prevent mercy. Rather, mercy fulfills the law.

Notice that Jesus calls the man forward publicly: “Come up and stand before us.” The Lord often does the same with our wounds.

The withered hand can represent those parts of our lives that have lost their strength: a damaged relationship, a persistent sin, a fear, a disappointment, a deep wound, or a period of spiritual dryness. We would often prefer to keep such weaknesses hidden. Yet Christ calls them into the light, not to shame us, but to heal us.

Then comes the surprising command:

“Stretch out your hand.”

The very thing the man is unable to do properly is what Jesus asks him to do. This is often how grace works. God invites us to cooperate with Him precisely where we feel incapable.

The miracle occurs not before obedience, but through obedience.

The man stretches out his hand in faith, and Christ supplies what is lacking. His action is an act of trust: he responds to the word of Jesus even before he sees the result. And when he responds, what was withered is restored.

St. Paul's message in the first reading beautifully complements the Gospel. Christians are not called merely to avoid evil; we are called to become a “fresh batch,” transformed by Christ's sacrifice.

The old yeast of pride, resentment, hypocrisy, bitterness, selfishness, and compromise must be removed so that the life of Christ can permeate every aspect of our being.

There is a connection between the withered hand in the Gospel and the old yeast in Paul's letter. Both point to something within us that needs to be restored or removed.

Sometimes our spiritual lives become withered because we have allowed sin, resentment, fear, or disappointment to remain too long. Sometimes we become like the Pharisees, not because we have abandoned religion, but because we have allowed religion to become separated from love.

We can know the rules and still fail to know the heart of God.

We can defend the law and forget mercy.

We can appear righteous on the outside while something within us has become rigid and lifeless.

Jesus challenges us to examine our hearts.

Do I choose life or destruction?
Mercy or indifference?
Love or legalism?
Healing or condemnation?

The Christian life is not measured merely by how perfectly we preserve external appearances. It is measured by how completely we allow God's love to transform us.

Today, Jesus stands before us and says:

“Stretch out your hand.”

Bring Him the part of our life that has become withered. Bring Him the relationship that has lost its strength. Bring Him the wound we have hidden. Bring Him the sin we have struggled to overcome. Bring Him the fear that has kept us from moving forward.

Do not be afraid to stretch out what is broken before Christ.

He does not call us forward to humiliate us. He calls us forward to restore us.

And when Jesus Christ restores us, He does not restore us merely for ourselves. He sends us back into the world so that our restored lives may become instruments of mercy, compassion, and healing for others.

May we therefore listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd:

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.”

May we hear His voice, trust His word, stretch out our hands in faith, and allow Him to remove the old yeast within us so that we may live as a new creation in Christ.

Amen.

Mass Reading and Reflection for Sunday September 6th, 2026

First Reading: (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 95)

"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." 

Second Reading: (Romans 13:8-10)

Alleluia: (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Gospel: (Matthew 18:15-20)

Reflection

The common thread running through all the readings on this beautiful Sunday is responsibility for the salvation and eternal good of others as much as ourselves. Our modern Christian spirituality often focuses on “my relationship with God,” but Scripture presents a much deeper vision. We are not isolated individuals making our way to Heaven without concern for anyone else. We belong to one another. Our lives affect others, our choices affect others, and Christian love calls us to care not only for our own salvation but also for the good of those whom God places around us.

The readings of this Sunday place before us a very important question: As Christians, what is our responsibility toward the spiritual lives of those around us? Should we simply mind our own business and focus only on ourselves? Or does God expect something more from us?

In the first reading, God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel and says, “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.” God explains that if the watchman sees danger and fails to warn the people, he will be held accountable. But if he gives warning and the people refuse to listen, then he has fulfilled his duty.

To understand this message, we must understand who a watchman was. In ancient times, even today in some countries around the world, a watchman stood on the city walls. While everyone else slept or went about their work, the watchman remained vigilant. His eyes were fixed on the horizon. If he saw an approaching enemy,or a thief, he sounded the alarm. His responsibility was not to create the danger, nor was it to fight the enemy alone. He could not control how the people responded. His responsibility was simply to see the danger and sound the warning.

Today, God says to each one of us, in a certain sense: “I have made you a watchman.”

Not a judge.

Not an accuser.

Not a critic.

A watchman.

The difference is important. A judge condemns. A watchman warns. An accuser seeks to expose and destroy. A watchman seeks to protect and save. A watchman does not rejoice in the failure of another person. He sees danger and speaks because he cares.

Many times, we witness a friend, a family member, a colleague, or even a fellow Christian walking down a dangerous path. We see habits that are destroying them. We see choices that lead them away from God. We see attitudes that are damaging their lives and wounding their souls. Yet we remain silent.

Why?

Because silence is comfortable.

We do not want conflict. We do not want to lose friendships. We do not want to be misunderstood. We do not want people to accuse us of judging them. So we tell ourselves, “It is none of my business.”

But today’s first reading challenges that attitude. God tells Ezekiel that silence in the face of danger is not always an act of love. Sometimes the deepest failure is not hatred but indifference. The watchman who sees danger and deliberately refuses to warn the people may be valuing his own comfort over their safety.

Love sometimes comforts, but love sometimes confronts. Love is not merely saying what another person wants to hear. Genuine love seeks the good of the other person, even when doing so requires an uncomfortable conversation.

But this does not mean that we become self-appointed inspectors of everybody else’s sins. It does not mean that we walk around criticizing people, exposing their faults, or believing that we are spiritually superior to everyone else. The Gospel shows us the proper way to correct another person.

Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

Notice what Jesus does not say.

He does not say to announce it on social media.

He does not say to discuss it with ten other people first.

He does not say to spread the matter through gossip.

He does not say to embarrass the person publicly.

He says to go privately.

Why privately? Because the goal is not humiliation. The goal is reconciliation. The purpose of correction is not to prove that we are right, but to restore a relationship and, if possible, to help save a brother or sister from continuing down a harmful path.

Jesus says, “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

You have gained your brother.

Not won an argument.

Not scored a point.

Not established your superiority.

You have gained your brother.

That is the heart of Christian correction. It is an act of charity. The purpose is not victory over another person. The purpose is reconciliation and restoration.

This is why the way we correct others is just as important as the fact that we correct them. Unfortunately, many people reject correction because of the way it is delivered. Sometimes we speak the truth without charity. We approach others as though we are perfect and they are sinners. We come as prosecutors instead of fellow pilgrims.

But none of us is without sin.

All of us need mercy.

All of us need forgiveness.

All of us need God’s grace.

If we remember this, we will approach others with humility. We will not speak from a position of superiority, but from genuine concern. We will be able to say, “My brother, my sister, I speak because I care about you.”

We will speak gently. We will speak respectfully. We will speak lovingly. We will speak as fellow sinners who are all in need of the same mercy of God.

This is where the second reading becomes the key to understanding everything we have heard today. St. Paul tells us that all the commandments are summed up in one command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” He concludes by saying, “Love does no evil to the neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Love is the key.

Many people wrongly oppose love and correction, as though they were enemies. They think that if you truly love someone, you must never challenge them, never confront them, and never tell them that they are making a mistake. But Scripture teaches the opposite.

Correction without love becomes harsh judgment.

Truth without charity can become cruelty.

Religion without love can become self-righteousness.

But love without concern for the good of the other can become sentimental indifference.

Authentic Christian charity holds truth and love together.

If we correct someone merely to show that we are right, that is not Christian love. If we speak the truth simply to hurt, embarrass, or condemn another person, that is not Christian love. But if we genuinely care about someone’s good, if we see them moving toward something that can destroy them, and if we speak with humility and charity because we desire their good, then correction can become an act of mercy.

One of the spiritual works of mercy is to admonish the sinner. Why? Because souls matter. Eternal life matters. We must never become indifferent to the salvation and spiritual welfare of others.

At the same time, there is another lesson hidden in today’s readings. We are not only watchmen for others. We are also watchmen for ourselves.

Many of us are excellent at identifying the faults of others while being blind to our own. We quickly see another person’s pride but fail to see our own pride. We recognize another person’s anger but excuse our own anger. We notice another person’s weakness while ignoring the weaknesses within ourselves.

The true watchman first examines his own heart.

He asks: “Where am I failing God? Where do I need conversion? Where have I hardened my heart? What danger am I ignoring in my own spiritual life?”

The Responsorial Psalm repeatedly tells us: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

That message is directed not only toward others. It is directed personally to each one of us.

Before correcting another person, let me first allow God to correct me.

Before examining another person’s conscience, let me examine my own.

Before calling another person to conversion, let me ask whether I myself am willing to be converted.

This is important because the deepest problem is often not a lack of information. Many times, we know what is right. The problem is that we resist the grace of God. The people of Israel witnessed the works of God in the wilderness, yet they still rebelled and hardened their hearts. They heard, they saw, and they experienced, but they did not always surrender.

The same danger exists for us. We can hear the Word of God every Sunday. We can know the commandments. We can understand what God is asking of us. Yet we can still harden our hearts because true conversion requires surrender.

Sometimes God corrects us through Scripture.

Sometimes He corrects us through our conscience.

Sometimes He corrects us through prayer.

Sometimes He corrects us through suffering.

Sometimes He even corrects us through another person.

The question is: When God speaks to us, do we listen? Or do we immediately become defensive?

Do I receive correction with humility, or with anger?

Do we mistake defensiveness for strength?

Do we assume that everyone who corrects us is attacking us?

The person who wants to grow spiritually must remain humble enough to recognize that God can speak through others. This does not mean that every criticism we receive is correct. But it does mean that we should have the humility to examine ourselves honestly and ask whether there is something God wants us to see.

The Gospel’s teaching about reconciliation also points to the deeper meaning of the Church. Jesus does not leave sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation as purely private matters. He gives a process that involves the community and the Church. This reminds us that sin does not affect only the individual. Sin wounds relationships. It wounds families. It wounds communities. Above all, it wounds the Body of Christ.

Therefore, healing is both personal and communal. We are called not simply to avoid conflict, but to redeem conflict through truth, charity, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

Perhaps the most striking line in the Gospel is the final promise of Jesus: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Christ is present when His people gather in His name. But we should also remember the context in which Jesus speaks these words. He has been speaking about sin, correction, reconciliation, forgiveness, and the life of the community.

Christ is present when believers sincerely struggle to restore communion.

The Church becomes most Christlike not when every conflict is avoided, but when conflict is redeemed through truth and charity. Sometimes peace is not the absence of difficult conversations. Sometimes true peace comes after people have had the courage to speak honestly, listen humbly, forgive sincerely, and be reconciled.

So today’s readings call us to a mature form of Christian love.

A love that refuses to ignore evil.

A love that refuses to condemn.

A love that courageously speaks the truth.

A love that speaks that truth gently.

A love that seeks not victory, but reconciliation.

A love that wants not embarrassment, but salvation.

A love that is willing to risk discomfort for the eternal good of another person.

We should therefore ask ourselves: Is there someone I have failed to help because I am afraid of an uncomfortable conversation? Have I mistaken silence for charity? Is there a time when I should have spoken with love but remained silent simply because I wanted to protect my own comfort? On the other hand, have I ever tried to correct someone without first examining my own heart? Do I receive correction with humility, or do I immediately become defensive? Is my love merely emotional, or does it actively seek the true and eternal good of others?

The readings today teach us that genuine Christian love is not passive. It watches, warns, reconciles, forgives, and perseveres.

The watchman of Ezekiel, the commandment of love in Romans, the call to reconciliation in the Gospel, and the warning of the Psalm all converge on one great truth: we are responsible for how we respond to the grace and truth God gives us, and we are called to care deeply for the good of those around us.

We are watchmen for our families.

We are watchmen for our friends.

We are watchmen within our communities.

But before all of this, we must also become watchmen over our own souls.

May God give us the wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent. May He give us the courage to speak when love requires us to speak. May He give us the humility to receive correction when it is offered to us. May He protect us from judgment, pride, gossip, and self-righteousness. May He make us faithful watchmen for those entrusted to our care and faithful watchmen over our own souls.

And may every act of correction, every word of truth, every effort at reconciliation, and every warning we give be guided by genuine charity, because love remains the fulfillment of the law.

Love is willing to risk discomfort for the sake of another’s salvation. That is precisely what Christ did on the Cross, and that is what He now asks of His disciples.

Amen.

Saturday September 5th, 2026, Mass Readings and Reflection: The Sabbah

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 4:6b–15)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 145)

Response: The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Alleluia: John 14:6

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: (Luke 6:1–5)

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

Reflections:

Today's readings are befitting for a Saturday, a Sabbath. In the Gospel, the Pharisees saw a violation of a rule. Jesus saw hungry people.

That is the heart of today's Gospel.

The disciples were not being rebellious. They were hungry. Yet the religious leaders became so focused on enforcing regulations that they lost sight of the human beings standing in front of them. Jesus reminds them that God's law was never meant to crush people. It was given to lead people to God, to love, and to life.

This Gospel forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: Do I care more about being right, or about doing what is loving?

In our daily lives, we can easily become like the Pharisees. Those of us in the workforce, we tend to judge a coworker without knowing the struggle they are carrying. We become frustrated with a family member who is not meeting our expectations. We focus on procedures, schedules, rules, and technicalities while overlooking someone's suffering. 

Jesus teaches us to see the person before the problem.

This does not mean that rules do not matter. Rules are important. Laws are important. Procedures are important. But when we become so attached to the letter of the rule that we lose compassion for the person in front of us, we have missed the purpose of the law.

The law must serve the good of the person. It must lead us toward love, mercy, healing, and ultimately toward God.

This is especially true in my own field of work. It is easy to become consumed by tasks, documentation, medications, protocols, schedules, admissions, discharges, and the endless demands of the day. All these things are important, and they must be done properly. But every patient is more than a diagnosis, a room number, a chart, or a workload.

Behind every task is a person.

Behind every diagnosis is a human being.

Behind every difficult patient may be fear, pain, loneliness, or a struggle we cannot see.

Christ always noticed the person first.

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath” means that Jesus alone has the authority to reveal the true purpose of God's law. The purpose of God's law is not to burden us but to lead us into love, mercy, healing, and salvation.

The First Reading gives us another important lesson. Saint Paul asks: “What do you possess that you have not received?”

Everything we have is ultimately a gift.

Our intelligence is a gift. Our talents are gifts. Our opportunities are gifts. Our education, strength, position, and abilities are gifts we have received. Therefore, there is no room for pride that looks down on others.

Paul reminds us not to boast as if we created ourselves.

Humility begins when we recognize that what we have received is meant not only for our own glory but also for the service of others.

Perhaps that is the connection between today's readings: a humble person sees people differently.

When we are proud, we judge.

When we are proud, we focus on being right.

When we are proud, we can become like the Pharisees, protecting our position while forgetting the person.

But when we remember that everything, we have is a gift, we become more patient, more merciful, and more understanding.

Today, let's ask ourselves:

Who are we judging too quickly?

Are we focused more on rules than compassion?

Do we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God?

Is there someone who simply needs understanding from me today?

May the Lord give us humble hearts. May we never become so concerned with being right that we forget to be loving. May we see people the way Jesus saw them, not as problems to fix, rules to enforce, or burdens to carry, but as souls to love.

Amen.

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Mass Readings and Reflection for Friday September 4th, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 4:1–5)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 37:3–4, 5–6, 27–28, 39–40)

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Alleluia: (John 8:12)

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”

Gospel: (Luke 5:33–39)

Reflection:

From the Gospel, Jesus is not asking us merely to adjust our lives. He is asking us to become new. The new wine skin. 

The Gospel is not incremental improvement.

It is resurrection.

Our old patterns cannot contain the pressure of grace.

If we try to live the Gospel while clinging to old habits, old fears, old identities, old sins, and old self-reliance, something must give.

Grace does not come merely to decorate the old self. It comes to transform it.

The bridegroom is present; joy is a sign of true discipleship.

Christianity begins with an encounter: the presence of Christ.

It is rooted in love, not fear; in communion, not mere obligation. Even fasting finds its proper meaning in relationship with the bridegroom.

Fasting has its place-but only after we have first learned to feast on Christ.

Jesus reveals the proper order: first, receive the gift of His presence; then, let love shape sacrifice.

The Gospel demands flexibility, a heart that can stretch.

Rigidity is not holiness.

Holiness is capacity, the capacity to receive more of God, to surrender more deeply, and to expand as grace transforms us.

The question is not whether Christ can fit into our existing lives.

The question is whether we are willing to let Christ make our lives new.

Amen 

Mass Readings and Reflection for Thursday September 3rd 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 3:18–23)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 24)-To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

Gospel: (Luke 5:1–11)

Reflection:

In today's Gospel reading, we read about Saint Peter being called by Jesus ti be fisher of men and this reading falls on the feast day of St. Gregory, one of the successors of Saint Peter. How wonderful.

Like Saint Gregory and all those who have succeeded Peter throughout the history of the Church, the successors of Saint Peter have been called to guide the Church. In today’s Gospel, Peter is overwhelmed by the enormous catch of fish. The nets are full. The boats are filled.

But we might ask: were all those fish good fish?

Probably not.

Anyone who has seen a large fishing net knows that a great catch contains all kinds of fish. Some may be worth keeping, while others may have to be thrown away. It is the same when we buy a bushel of apples or tomatoes. When we go through them, we may find a few that are spoiled.

The Church, with its enormous number of members throughout the world, is also made up of all kinds of people.

There are saints.

And there are sinners.

We have had saints such as Saint Gregory the Great. Sadly, we have also had sinners.

Can we live with that reality?

The Church is not a community made up only of perfect people. If people could enter the Church only after becoming completely perfect, there would be no Church at all.

We are all still on the journey.

The Gospel gives us a helpful image in the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The servant wants to remove the weeds immediately, but the master tells him to wait until the harvest, when everything will be separated.

There is wisdom in waiting.

Even what appears imperfect has the opportunity to be transformed. At the harvest, everything will be made right. But for now, we are not yet in heaven.

We live in a world of broken people.

And we live in a Church made up of broken people.

From the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel, we have been sent out to cast the net and gather people into the Kingdom of God. Those who are gathered are not perfect. Hopefully, through the grace of God, they will be purified and become what they are meant to be-good fish, good sheep, and good wheat.

That is why it is important to have a historical perspective as Christians.

The Church has not always appeared perfect in its human history. There have been crusades, inquisitions, scandals, and many other painful moments. Some of these things can be deeply upsetting.

But we must not forget that the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church.

It is still the Church that Jesus Christ built upon his apostles.

God has never abandoned his Church.

When Jesus called Saint Peter to be his disciple, he knew what he was doing. Peter became the first Pope, and throughout the centuries the Church has continued under the guidance of Peter’s successors. Was Peter perfect? Not at all. 

For now, the Church remains a community of saints and sinners.

Therefore, let us not become discouraged because there are some bad fish in the net.

Let us not become discouraged by difficult personalities, even those we may encounter in church. They are still God’s children. They are still on the journey, just as we are.

What do we expect the Church to be?

It is not a society of perfect people.

It is a community of people, many of whombbroken, trying each day to live in a manner pleasing to God.

Therefore, we should never give up on our parishes.

We should never give up on the universal Church.

And we should never give up on ourselves.

We are not perfect either.

But by God’s grace, we can grow.

When we are baptized, we are not instantly transformed into people who will never sin again. Original sin is washed away, but we still struggle with weakness and sin. Even after we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are restored to a state of grace, we must continue the journey of conversion.

We are all called to grow.

So let us not judge ourselves too harshly.

Let us not judge one another.

And let us not judge the Church that Christ himself gave us.

Instead, let us believe that God is with us.

Let us trust that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church.

Let us remember that we are all on a journey toward the perfection of the Kingdom of God.

The message of today’s Gospel is ultimately one of hope.

Jesus called Peter, not because Peter was perfect, but because he was willing to trust him. Peter recognized his own sinfulness and fell before Jesus, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Yet Jesus did not reject him.

Instead, Jesus said:

“Do not be afraid.”

That is the message for us as well.

Do not be afraid of our weaknesses.

Do not give up because we are not yet perfect.

Do not abandon the Church because its members are imperfect.

Trust in God’s grace.

Continue to grow.

Continue to follow Christ.

Like Peter and the first disciples, we are called to leave behind whatever keeps us from following the Lord and to trust him enough to put out into the deep.

The Church is still filled with saints and sinners.

We are still broken people on a journey.

But God has not abandoned us.

The Holy Spirit is still at work.

And by the grace of God, we continue moving forward until the day when we reach the fullness of the Kingdom and become what God has called us to be.

Amen 🙏 

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Mass Readings and Reflection for Wednesday September 2nd, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 3:1–9)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 33)

Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel: (Luke 4:38–44)

Reflection:

Today’s account of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law reminds us all that God can heal us of any illness we might suffer. When we are ill, or have problems, to whom do we take our troubles?

The disciples brought their troubles to Jesus because they discovered that he was ready and able to deal with every difficulty, affliction, and sickness they encountered. When Simon Peter brought Jesus to his mother-in-law, Jesus heard their request and healed her.

Even today, Jesus hears our prayers as well. 

No one who sincerely came to Jesus seeking help was disappointed. His many healings and exorcisms demonstrated the power and authority of his word and revealed the good news of the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus rebuked the fever, it immediately left Simon’s mother-in-law. When he rebuked the demons, they departed. The demons recognized who Jesus truly was: the Christ, the Son of God. They knew that he possessed the power to destroy the kingdom of evil and release those held in bondage.

Jesus came to set us free from sin, ill health and evil.

The question for each of us is therefore simple: Do we seek freedom in Christ? Do we trust in his power to set us free?

The Gospel also reveals the extraordinary compassion of Jesus. When he and the disciples sought a quiet place to regroup, rest, and refresh themselves, they instead found a crowd waiting for them. Yet Jesus did not resent their presence. He welcomed them.

Jesus put human need ahead of everything else.

His compassion revealed the depth of God’s love and concern for those truly in need of help, healing, and comfort. Jesus gave people the word of God, and he healed them physically and spiritually.

We must remember that we can never exhaust God’s generosity and kindness. We can come to him anywhere and at any time. In the middle of the night, in moments of fear, weakness, sickness, loneliness, or trouble, we can turn to him.

He is always ready to hear us.

There is no time when we cannot come before God. He is ever ready to give to those who earnestly seek him. Therefore, we should allow Jesus, the Lord, the healer, and the forgiving God into our personal lives, our families, and our friendships.

We are called to approach him with expectant faith.

God’s healing power does not only restore health. It also restores us to an active life of service. Simon’s mother-in-law was healed, and she immediately got up and began to serve.

There is a connection between receiving God’s grace and becoming a blessing to others.

When we help someone, God works not only through us but also in us. There is no trouble that God does not want to help us with, and there is no bondage from which he cannot set us free.

Again, the question returns:

Who do we take our troubles to?

Do we go to Jesus with expectant faith, trusting that he will help us?

If we have not done so, then turn to him. When we are in great need, what do we have to lose by placing our trust in Christ?

God works in mysterious ways.

The message of the Gospel is therefore not only to seek Jesus when we need healing. It is also to become instruments of his compassion for others. 

Jesus heals.

Jesus frees.

Jesus listens.

Jesus serves.

And through our own acts of love, compassion, and presence, we too can bring something of Christ’s healing into the lives of others.

The challenge, then, is to trust Jesus with our troubles.

Bring your needs to Christ with expectant faith.

Trust in his power to heal and set you free.

We plant.

We water.

We serve.

But ultimately, God gives the growth.

May God heal us of any infirmity now and forever. 

Amen