September 4, 2013

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Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 433

Reading 1COL 1:1-8

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:
grace to you and peace from God our Father.

St. Paul addresses the Colossians.

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when we pray for you,
for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and the love that you have for all the holy ones
because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.

St. Paul thanks God for the faithful Colossians and the favors they have done for the Apostles.

Of this you have already heard
through the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you.
Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing,
so also among you,
from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth,
as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave,
who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf
and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

He reiterates to them the Gospel which they have previously learned from Epaphras, a fellow worker in Christ's Church.

Responsorial PsalmPS 52:10, 11

R. (10) I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
I, like a green olive tree
in the house of God,
Trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever.
R. I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
I will thank you always for what you have done,
and proclaim the goodness of your name
before your faithful ones.
R. I trust in the mercy of God for ever.

God's mercy is beyond compare.  We must always remember that God sent His only begotten Son to take flesh and die upon the Cross for our sins.  This was done by His own will. We didn't do anything to deserve this.  Nor could we do anything to deserve it.  

GospelLK 4:38-44

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.

Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,

and they interceded with him about her.

He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.

She got up immediately and waited on them.

St. Peter's mother-in-law did what mother's do.  Serve.  How often does a household freeze up when the mother is ill.  Nothing can be done, because the household revolves around the mother of the house.  Therefore, Jesus rebuked the illness in order that the mother could do what she was born to do.  Serve:

Luke 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

That is why our mothers are the greatest in the Kingdom of God and ever shall it be thus.  Because of their great love for their husbands and children, they are not afraid nor ashamed to serve. No wonder that God exalted Mary as He did.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.

He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.

And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”

But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak

because they knew that he was the Christ.

And Christ began to heal all the sick in the land.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.

The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,

they tried to prevent him from leaving them.

But he said to them, “To the other towns also

I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,

because for this purpose I have been sent.”

And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

And then Jesus took some time to pray and to travel to other parts of the Kingdom of God and proclaim the good news of salvation.