Wednesday 4 September 2024

Today is Wednesday the 4th of September in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time.

The community of Taizé sing C’est toi, ma lampe, Seigneur.
“O Lord, you are my lamp. My God, enlighten my darkness.”

(Lyrics currently unavailable)

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 4:38-44

After leaving the synagogue [Jesus] entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

We tend to think of Jesus always saying ‘Yes’ to people who need or want him. Not here though. There surely would have been more work to be done in Capernaum. The crowds were looking for him and they wanted him to stay. Yet Jesus says, ‘No’ . . .

His ‘No’ to Capernaum is because of a more pressing ‘Yes’ to a wider mission. Jesus knows who he is. He knows when to say ‘Yes’ and when to say ‘No’ . . . What does this Jesus want to say to you? . . .

This passage is full of activity, and then the silence of the morning with Jesus at prayer, discerning his next move. As you listen again, can you catch the different kinds of responses and feelings around him? . . .

Learning how to say “No”! Spend a little time with this Jesus in prayer, discerning where he needs to put his energies . . .

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.