Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 6, 2023
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.
Reflection
“There’s just too much to do!” I bet most of us have felt this. Take your pick of life’s episodes. Maybe your current episode is, “Three Kids and a Dissertation,” or “A Sick Parent and Two Jobs,” or, “We Need an Annulment and New Homes.”
Rereading an old journal entry, I was recently reminded of an episode I’ll call, “Helping Run a School in a Pandemic.” I found myself equally blessed and challenged with the opportunity to help my old ACE school figure out how to re-open its doors to kiddos in 2020.
One typical day included teaching the 1st and 2nd graders how to walk in a socially distanced line, fixing multiple broken items in the bathrooms, figuring out why the internet bill is so high and the quality is so low, helping the custodian figure out how to work the eMister, talking with the student who is having a hard time listening to his teacher, making it to dinner with the school sisters on time, and talking with a mother who lost her job and didn’t know how she’d afford tuition.
I distinctly remember thinking, “I know we’re supposed to follow Jesus’ example of selfless giving, but this is just too much.”
Today’s gospel was and is a powerful reminder that Jesus’ human experience included this challenge too—he simply had too much to do and had to remove himself to a deserted place from time to time.
The Talmud, the central text for Rabbinic Jewish law, sums up well the lesson we can learn from Jesus’ actions when there’s too much to do: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
May we all continue to do the good work entrusted to us, and may we take the breaks that the episodes of our lives require, always trusting in the unwavering strength of our loving God.
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 and bodies and to those we love. Remove our anxiety and give us that peace and hope that surpasses human understanding. Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Eleutherius was an abbot who led a monastery in sixth-century Italy, and was known for working miracles.
One story tells of him healing a boy of demonic possession. The boy was brought to his monastery for care and education, and for a long time exhibited no signs of his possession.
Eleutherius said, “Now that the devil has to deal with the servants of God he does not dare come near the child.” As soon as he had said this, the boy was convulsed by the demon. Eleutherius was ashamed for having boasted and commanded the whole community to fast and pray until the boy was healed.
At another time, Eleutherius is said to have raised a dead man back to life.
St. Eleutherius died in 585 in the monastery he led, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. His image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Eleutherius, you battled the devil and worked miracles--pray for us!