Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 4, 2024
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.
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.
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.
So, when reading this passage, I remember how, over the years, I’ve longed to maintain balance in my life and how understanding what this balancing is, is challenging. When my kids were young, my career and life were young, I constantly struggled to achieve my perception of balance—each segment of my life required more time and attention than 24 hours, seven days a week allowed. For many months, maybe years, the very thought of balance created anxiety, regret, and longing.
Finally, I realized that for me, achieving a lofty ideal of balance should not be the goal, but seeking an inner balance was! It was at the point when I was running our small business, volunteering in the community, and coaching my three daughters in sports. The challenge of juggling all these efforts wore me down. I started looking at my daily work as impossible and draining. Fortunately, I had people who encouraged me to invest a half hour a day in reflection and prayer.
This investment in time seemed counter-productive initially and affected my ability to be present at the moment, fighting the constant distraction of “things I had to get done.” But today, we see that even Jesus needed time for prayer and reflection—why shouldn’t we?
Today’s gospel provides the challenge for me to focus on balancing. Jesus knew he
required prayer, contemplation, and investment in himself to serve others best. Some may
observe this as selfishness because his gifts, words, and works were important to those around him. Jesus sought private prayer to gain energy and strength.
I ask you to consider what balancing means for you today and each day in your relationship with
God and the challenges of a busy life. Give yourself some grace and allow forgiveness to create
balance, even for a moment. Jesus knew he needed to invest in himself—that it was critical to those around him and to us today.
Prayer
Lord, in healing Simon’s mother-in-law, you restored his family. We need you to restore health to us and to our family and friends. Please guide us to do all we can to bring healing and comfort to our minds, bodies, and those we love. Remove our anxiety and give us that peace and hope that surpasses human understanding. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Rose of Viterbo was a prophetic young girl who inspired her homeland to stand with the Vatican in a dispute with an emperor.
Frederick II was emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th century. He came into conflict with the pope, who excommunicated him. In response, Frederick began attacking the papal states. In 1240, he conquered the region of Viterbo, Italy.
Rose was born in Viterbo and lived there with her poor parents during this conflict. When she was 8 years old, Rose fell ill, and during her sickness, she received a vision from Mary, who told her that she was to give her life to pursuing holiness just as St. Francis did. Mary told the girl that she was to take the habit of the Franciscans, but that she was not to live in a convent—she should stay at home and set an example by her words and deeds.
After she recovered, Rose took on the rough cloak of a penitent and continued to ponder this vision. When she was 12, she began preaching in the streets against Frederick’s occupation, in an effort to incite the city to overthrow the regime. Rumors spread that she worked miracles as she spoke, and soon a crowd began to gather around her house.
The attention made Rose’s father nervous, and he forbade her from leaving the house under threat of a beating. “If Jesus could be beaten for me, I can be beaten for him,” she replied. “I do what he has told me to do, and I must not disobey him.” When their parish priest insisted that she be free to preach, he relented.
For two more years, she continued to speak in public about the occupation. As her popularity grew, authorities called for her execution, but the city’s magistate sent her and her family into exile instead.
When Frederick died in 1250, the Vatican’s forces won the day and Rose and her parents moved back to Viterbo. Rose sought entrance into the local convent, but was denied because she did not have a dowry. “Very well,” she replied with a smile. “You will not have me now, but perhaps you will be more willing when I am dead.”
She continued to live with her parents, leading a life of prayer and service, but she died young, at the age of 17. Six years later, due to her popularity, her body was transferred to the chapel of the convent she once tried to enter. The church burned down in 1357, but her body was preserved and was carried through the city in a procession every year.
That tradition continues today with an annual festival in Viterbo that features dozens of men carrying a giant platform through the city on Sept. 3, the night before her feast day. The platform (pictured here by Amras Carnesîr) stands several stories high and atop it is placed a statue of St. Rose. The video below depicts the festival in Viterbo.
Relics of St. Rose rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Rose of Viterbo, you were unafraid to call people to love the Church—pray for us!