Pope Francis reflects on Jesus’ ministry of healing during the Angelus on Sunday, the first to be held in St. Peter’s Square, while the measures for the removal of covetous steps are slowly being facilitated.
By Christopher Wells
The healing of St. Peter’s mother-in-law is characteristic of Jesus’ miracles of healing, says Pope Francis during his weekly Angelus speech. In the Holy Gospel of Mark we read that Jesus came near her, took her hand and raised her from the bed where she was suffering from fever.
The episode also shows the outcome of the healing: the person being healed immediately resumes their normal life, immediately thinks of others and not of themselves. The pope says: ‘It’s important, it’s a sign of true’ health ‘. ”
Jesus’ special love for those who suffer
That same evening, after the Sabbath rest, the inhabitants of the village came to Jesus and brought the sick and possessed. “From the beginning” of the Gospel, “Jesus shows his love for those who suffer physically and spiritually,” says Pope Francis, explaining: “It is the love of the Father that Jesus embodies and manifests in his work. and word. ”
The pope notes that the disciples are ‘eyewitnesses’ of the miracles of the Lord. However, Jesus does not expect them to be mere ‘spectators’, but invites them to share in His mission. “He gives them the power to heal the sick and cast out demons.”
An Integral Part of the Mission of the Church
It shows that caring for the sick is not an ‘optional activity’ for the Church, but an integral part of its mission; Like Jesus, the Church is called “to bring the tenderness of God to suffering mankind.” Pope Francis points to the upcoming ‘World Day of the Sick’ on 11 February.
The Church’s commitment to caring for the sick, “this essential mission of the Church”, is especially relevant today, says the pope as the world experiences the pandemic. Once again he goes on, ‘the words of Job’, from the contemporary liturgy, to ‘our human condition, so lofty and at the same time so fragile’.
To respond with suffering to love
Jesus, says Pope Francis, does not give an explanation that answers the question of suffering. Instead, He responds “with a presence of love that bows down, takes those who suffer, and lifts them up, just as He did with Peter’s mother-in-law.” Pope Francis continues: “The Son of God does not reveal dominion “from above to below” or from a distance; but in nearness, in gentleness, in compassion. “
Rooted in the relationship with the Father
Finally, Pope Francis notes that the daily readings remind us that Jesus’ compassion for suffering is rooted “in his intimate relationship with the Father”: In the Gospel, Jesus rises “very early before dawn” and goes to a forsaken place to pray. The pope says in prayer that Jesus ‘drew the power to perform, preach, and heal his ministry.’
Updated 14:30.