Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
A good friend of mine is one of the kindest, gentlest and holy souls I know. It is fascinating how many people come to me and talk about how this man has healed their lives and given them hope. Often I remind the people that I hear their feelings of gratitude, and ask them to consider sharing these deep heartfelt feelings directly with this person. Many of them realize this and then endeavor to tell this man. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians’ many people, had been telling Paul about the faithfulness of the people in Colossae. As he writes the Colossian’s, he expresses gratitude for the ways their faithfulness to the Word is bearing great fruit. Are there ways of sharing our gratitude that might bear great fruit?
In the gospel, it was likely that gratitude moved the crowds to try and prevent Jesus from going to the next town. After all, Jesus had spent time with each person and laid hands on them. Much of Jesus’ healing ministry addressed the people’s spiritual evils. This healing drove out demons, allowing the people to be free to fully accept the Lord’s love. Are there demons or sins in our lives that keep us from fully allowing Jesus to heal us? How might your life be changed?
Sometimes it difficult to change, especially if we have integrated the demon into our lives and see it as a crutch we cannot live without. What would it take to truly turn this kind demon over to the Lord? Perhaps we may need someone to rebuke us, or maybe we need to hit rock bottom. Or maybe if we understood the real fruits that this healing would bring, we might be motivated to change. Fruits like becoming closer to the Lord and the reward of serving the Lord, in a way that proclaims the Good News in both Word and deed.
"Loving and merciful God, You call us to commit our entire lives to You. You offer us healing so that our whole being might be transformed, such that our very lives would proclaim and glorify You Who was, Who is, and Who is to come. Amen!
- Michael Montgomery