Gospel Mk 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Homily
Many years ago when I was a young student, I remember being perplexed when a professor said to us that anytime a person or institution considers himself or itself as the establishment, that person or institution is tempted to remain enjoying his or its success and slowly but surely loses zeal. They forget that continued success demands fidelity to those things which brought success in the first place; the visioning, the hard work, the creativity.
In the Gospel that the church gives us for our meditation this weekend, we see the disciples falling into the temptation described above, and we see Jesus correcting him with his attitude.
We are told that Jesus had become very popular. He had healed many who were sick and “the whole town was gathered at the door”. The following morning Jesus gets up very early, goes off to pray [meditating and visioning]. The disciples wish to remain in the town where the campaign appears to be successful. “Everyone is looking for you” they tell Jesus. Jesus’ reply “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there
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also. For this purpose have I come”, shows that Jesus has not forgotten why he has come. He cannot rest on his laurels, the Kingdom of God must be proclaimed not only in one town but all over the country.
This is in fact the mark of the disciples of Jesus. Just as the Master was forever restless, always searching out new ways and new places to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, so too disciples of Jesus must not be complacent. This has in fact been the experience of the church. There have always been men and women who have understood that the Gospel needed to be preached in new areas of life and in new places.
St. Francis gave up the wealth of his family to live as a brother among the poor, Mon. Romero gave up the security of his Episcopal palace to work for justice among the dispossessed in El Salvador, and Mother Teresa gave up the comfort of her secure convent to bring the good news of God’s love, in very practical ways, to those dying on the streets. Even in the secular world we saw Nelson Mandela shifting from the struggle for equality in which he was relatively successful, to work for reconciliation with those who had oppressed him and his people.
As we thank God for these exemplars in the faith and for others like them in our parishes and institutions, the question then for all of us is this: Have we become complacent or are we still restless doing whatever we can to ensure that the Kingdom, which is peace justice and love, comes into being, in our homes, workplaces, places of recreation, and in our nation?
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God You illumine and inspire us but we are so often afraid of what the work for the kingdom will involve. May Your grace help us to overcome our fears and fill us with the spirit of audacity and creativity so that as true disciples we may continue the work of proclaiming by word and action Your kingdom of Justice peace and love. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Your son Jesus. Amen
