Wed., Jan. 11, 2012
Kevin J. Banet
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Sermon summary: There is more than just one kind of healing. Today our celebrant was a young visiting priest, most likely born in Poland. The Gospel was about how Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
The homilist, whose devotion was evident from the measured way he said the prayers at Mass, told the story of how he visited a sick man in the hospital. The priest offered to hear the man’s confession, and at first the man refused. But after a while, the sick man consented, and after the confession, he told the priest that this was the first time he had been to confession since he was married.
The man explained how all these years he knew that his wife was praying for him. The priest didn’t mention it, but my guess is that he prayed for him, too. And now those prayers came to fruition.
It’s amazing how the quiet, persevering prayer for years and years for a loved one can go a long way. The priest told us that when someone is sick, it is good to take care of their physical needs, but more importantly, to take care of them spiritually. God is the “healer of body and soul.”
