Healing Others

5th Sun in Ordinary Time

Gospel of Mark 1:29-39

This week’s readings talks about Jesus going around and curing people who had been infected with various illnesses, and even those who have been afflicted by evil spirits and the devil. This displays the compassion that Jesus has for the people.

In my life, there have been times where I have been one of the “people” needing curing, and other times when I have been called to be like Jesus by being compassionate to others. When I was lost, confused, angry, sad, or filled with other negative emotions, there were people around who genuinely cared for me, helped me through my difficult times, and showed me that there was hope for me that I couldn’t see when I was filled with negative emotions. Other times, I have helped others when they felt alone, sadness and anger, counselled them and emphatize with them.

To me, this week’s Gospel can be summarised as “healing others”. This is echoed in the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation, which sing about how Jesus renews and heals us by taking away our afflictions, be it physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual. And while we may not have Jesus’ amazing powers, we can certainly follow his example in doing our very best to help us in whatever way we can.