FEVER

Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 4:38-44

I am nursing a fever as I write this reflection. I know how the Simon’s mother-in-law felt before Jesus healed her. When you are sick you cannot do your routine. It can be irritating. When you are sick you cannot do what you want to do. It can be disappointing. When you are sick, the best thing to do is to listen to your body’s protest and just rest. The more you delay doing this, the more you get sick. The more you get sick, the more you get irritated and disappointed. Healing begins when you submit your self and let nature heal itself. I confess, quite often I am hardheaded and continue working even as I nurse a fever.

Jesus standing over Simon’s mother-in-law is a rather dramatic symbol of Simon’s mother-in-law submitting herself to Jesus. Jesus, who is not only the Healer but the very Healing Himself, has power over everything that afflicts our human nature. When He stands over us, we lie at His feet. Lying at the feet of Jesus is surrendering our selves to Jesus. This is the beginning of healing.

The Gospel today says that Jesus healed not only by standing over the sick. He touched them. He laid His hands on them and cured them.

No one can be healed without being touched. Doctors have to check on their patients. Patients must allow their doctors to touch them if they want to get healed. It is unthinkable that the first thing a sick man tells his doctor is “Do not touch me”. While cancer cells do sometimes metastasize when touched, healing does not also happen without the miracle of human touch. The touch of Jesus is miracle in itself.

To surrender our selves to Jesus means to allow Jesus to touch us. Submitting our selves to Him should give Him the freedom to do whatever He wishes to accomplish in us. But beware! Jesus may touch us where it hurts most. Will we be willing to be touched by Him no matter the pain? Do we really want to get healed by His touch no matter the hurt?

While fever of the body is an easy illness to cure, fever of the soul may be more difficult to nurse. But both can be healed. We really know how. But are we truly willing?