Problem: Life is a drudgery, full of troubled nights, no happiness.
Solution: The healing power of Jesus.
Of course, I am oversimplifying the problem of the first reading from the Book of Job and the solution of the ministry of Jesus.
But if your life is more unhappy than you desire, full of trouble, then it is important to learn from Jesus and to follow him more closely.
Even if we are not distressed right now, that will change. As one of the desert monks once said, «Expect trials until your last breath.»
Today we see that the power of Jesus is connected to his prayer. He lives within a rhythm of healing, preaching and prayer.
Does my life have a rhythm? Not simply a routine, but a rhythm. And do I give importance to prayer in my life beyond this brief moment of public worship?
In our Gospel today, the first person who demonstrates that she follows Jesus in the way he desires is the mother-in-law of Peter. She is the one who gets up and serves after she is healed. We don’t know her name, we only know that she has a connection, through marriage, with Peter. And yet her example of service has power throughout the ages.
We don’t have to wait for the season of Lent to begin in ten days. We can begin right now, developing a rhythm of prayer and service, which will be healing to ourselves and others, and will help us walk in the same footsteps and power of Jesus.