III. IN VARIOUS PUBLIC CIRCUMSTANCES
24. For the Sick
933 Reading from the Old Testament
First Option
In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:
"Thus says the LORD: 'Put your house in order,
for you are about to die; you shall not recover.'"
He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
"O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly
I conducted myself in your presence,
doing what was pleasing to you!"
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Before Isaiah had left the central courtyard,
the word of the LORD came to him:
"Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people:
'Thus says the LORD, the God of your forefather David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you.
In three days you shall go up to the LORD'S temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city for my own sake,
and for the sake of my servant David.'"
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 20:1-6
This story, placed during King Hezekiah’s reign, shows God's mercy and compassion toward those who serve him. The events unfolding here are also narrated in Isaiah 38-39 and indicate that King Hezekiah will father a son to continue the line of King David (that son will be Manasseh 2 Kings 21:1ff). What we know of history tells us that God kept the promise delivered by the Prophet Isaiah, giving Hezekiah the time to father an heir and see God's abundant mercy and fidelity, keeping His promise to continue the line of David.
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Second Option
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
One of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
While we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:1-5, 10-11
This passage is taken from the fourth "Suffering Servant" lament from Isaiah. It is considered to be a testament to the prophet’s own ill treatment. We see in it also a prediction of the passion beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
While Christians see clearly the messianic prophecy in the lament, the overall message extols the virtue of expiatory suffering. The Suffering Servant, like Christ did not suffer in themselves so much as they accepted their suffering that others might not suffer. Their suffering was offered as a sacrifice to God on behalf of others; that God, in his great mercy, would accept that sacrifice and pour out graces upon those for whom the suffering was offered. In offering this sacrifice, the selection concludes, the one who does so shall be justified before God.
CCC: Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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934 Reading from the New Testament
First Option
In that place there were lands belonging to a man named Publius,
the chief of the island [of Malta],
He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days.
It so happened that the father of Publius was sick
with a fever and dysentery.
Paul visited him and, after praying,
laid his hands on him and healed him.
After this had taken place,
the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured.
They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail
they brought us the provisions we needed.
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Commentary on Acts 28:7-10
St. Paul and his companions have been shipwrecked in Malta where they are spending the winter. Have previously demonstrated that he (St. Paul) had extraordinary abilities (see Acts 28:3-6), the Apostle is taken to the father of the local administrator who is ill. We are told he "...laid his hands upon him" similar language was used in Luke 4:38-41, where Jesus also cures through the imposition of hands. The act of invoking God's mercy through prayer to effect the cure of the sick man earns St. Paul the gratitude of the islanders and he is assisted in his journey to Rome, his final destination.
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Second Option
Brothers and sisters:
We always carry about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke,"
we too believe and therefore we speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Therefore, we are not discouraged;
rather, although our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this momentary light affliction is producing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory,
but what is unseen is eternal.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 4:10-18
St. Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about suffering and death in the human existence of this life, in spite of living in the faith. He speaks of the tribulations and sufferings which apostolic ministry involves using examples from his own experience. The point the evangelist makes contrasts our mortality with God’s omnipotence and power; our death in the flesh but life in the spirit of Christ. With such a spirit at work within us, we must, like St. Paul spread that news to others (“…we too believe and therefore speak”). The Apostle encourages the Corinthians to view affliction as God does; ignoring the pains of the flesh and looking to the spiritual gifts flowing from God's mercy and salvation.
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Third Option
A thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,
to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness."
I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and constraints,
for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 12:7-10
As part of his defense of his own Apostolate, St. Paul describes, in rather convoluted terms, an out of body experience in which Christ revealed the mission he was to undertake. Rather than helping him, these revelations brought persecution “a thorn in the flesh”. The Apostle uses the Christ-like response to physical and rhetorical challenges by saying that through his weakness and humility he is given the power of the Holy Spirit to carry on the Lord’s work. This should be seen as great consolation for those going through physical trials. Like St. Paul, suffering by the Christian is seen as sharing the passion of Christ.
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Fourth Option
Beloved:
Is anyone among you suffering?
He should pray.
Is anyone in good spirits?
He should sing a song of praise.
Is anyone among you sick?
He should summon the presbyters of the Church,
and they should pray over him
and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick person,
and the Lord will raise him up.
If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another
and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
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Commentary on Jas 5:13-16
St. James offers a treatise on the power and need for prayer in the Christian Community. In the first instance he addresses the power of healing, giving strong scriptural support for the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (“…He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord”). This practice was also mentioned in Mark (see Mark 6:13), as the Twelve anoint the sick on their missionary journey. Next the author promotes the confession of sins as part of this process (“If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven”), and, as a practice in general, part of the process of coming before God in prayer. The concluding verses (19-20) speak of reconciliation of those who have sinned and come back to the way of truth, and the grace given to those who lead them back.
CCC: Jas 5:14-15 1510, 1511, 1526; Jas 5:14 1519; Jas 5:15 1519, 1520; Jas 5:16 2737; Jas 5:16b-18 2582
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935 Responsorial Psalm
1.
R. (see 17b) You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, “I shall see the Lord no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.”
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Those live whom the Lord protects;
yours is the life of my spirit.
You have given me health and life.
R. You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
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Commentary on Is 38:10, 11, 12abcd, 16
This selection (continuing the theme of the entry above) is called the “Canticle of Hezekiah.” Hezekiah, emissary of Merodach-baladan, sings of his fatal illness (“To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years”), and offers his gratitude to the Lord for his miraculous cure.
CCC: Is 38 1502
2.
R. (2) O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you.
He has broken down my strength in the way;
he has cut short my days.
I say: O my God,
Take me not hence in the midst of my days;
through all generations your years endure.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you.
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Commentary on Ps 102:2-3, 24-25, 19-21
Psalm 102 is an individual lament. Following the plea for help in difficult circumstances, the psalmist gives us a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of creation. God's eternal presence will be the hope of all those who trust in him down through all the generations. His salvation is God's offering to all those who trust in him.
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937 Gospel
First Option
Jesus entered the house of Peter,
and saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him.
When it was evening, people brought Jesus many
who were possessed by demons,
and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,
to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:
He took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
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Commentary on Mt 8:14-17
Following the cure of the Centurion's servant (see Matthew 8:5-11), the healing ministry of the Lord continues. Jesus goes to the home of Peter. Peter's mother-in-law is found ill (with a fever according to Mark 1:29-31). [This statement also confirms that Peter was married.] It is significant that when Jesus cures her illness we are told "...she rose and waited on him." This differs from St. Mark who says "...she waited on them." Matthew clearly shows the requirement of the faithful to serve the Lord, if not out of faith - then because of his great love for us.
The emphasis on Jesus power over illness of mind or spirit continues as later he is asked to cure many in the area who suffer from sickness or demonic possession. This activity demonstrates the messianic prediction from Isaiah 53:4 which was also paraphrased later by St. Peter in 1 Peter 2:24-25.
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Second Option
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
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Commentary on Mk 16:15-20
The verse just prior to this passage, which is the ending of St. Mark’s Gospel, indicates that the disciples are still not sure what has happened (typical of the image we have of the disciples in St. Mark's Gospel). Jesus comes to them at table, rebuking them for their unbelief. That sets the stage for this commissioning address by the Lord. Once again the disciples, now Apostles, are sent into the world with God’s blessing. This action is important because it supports the universal mission of the Twelve. In response to the Lord's instructions the Apostles went into the world, accompanied by the Holy Spirit ("while the Lord worked with them"). They demonstrated the truth that is Christ risen.
CCC: Mk 16:15-16 977, 1223; Mk 16:15 888; Mk 16:16 161, 183, 1253, 1256, 1257; Mk 16:17-18 670, 1507; Mk 16:17 434, 1673; Mk 16:18 699; Mk 16:19 659, 659; Mk 16:20 2, 156, 670
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Third Option
Jesus went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives,
and the disciples followed him.
When he arrived at the place he said to them,
“Pray that you may not undergo the test.”
After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling,
he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing,
take this cup away from me;
still, not my will but yours be done.”
And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.
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Commentary on Lk 22:39-43
Jesus takes his disciples “as was his custom” to the garden. Only in St. Luke’s Gospel do we understand that he frequently uses this place to pray. The owner must have been a friend to allow this access. Jesus moves away from the disciples for private prayer. The imminent sense of his trials causes him to go into intense prayer. Only in this situation do we find Jesus explicitly kneeling in prayer, completely humble before his Father. He shows his human frailty in the fear of what is to come. At the same time he demonstrates his complete obedience in the prayer he offers. In a singular gift of loving grace, God’s messenger, an angle appeared to him, offering God’s consolation. We note that another time when angles were present in Jesus’ life was during his temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13). God's consolation - when we are in need, God is always with us sharing our burdens and giving hope.
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Fourth Option
Jesus said to his disciples:
"1 am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
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Commentary on Jn 15:1-8
This selection begins the discourse on the vine and the branches – really a monologue on the union with Jesus. It is part of Jesus’ farewell speech. The familiar theme of the vineyard and the vines is used which has imagery in common with Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:33-46 and as a vine at Psalm 80:9-17; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:2; 17:5-10; 19:10; Hosea 10:1, the identification of the vine as the Son of Man in Psalm 80:15 and Wisdom's description of herself as a vine in Sirach 24:17. This monologue becomes a unifying tie that pulls the entire farewell speech together.
"The wood of the vine is the more contemptible if it does not abide in the vine, and the more glorious if it does abide. [...] For, being cut off it is profitable neither for the vinedresser nor for the carpenter. For one of these only is it useful--the vine or the fire. If it is not in the vine, it goes to the fire; to avoid going to the fire it must be joined to the vine" (St. Augustine "In Ioann. Evang.", 81, 3).
CCC: Jn 15:1-17 1108; Jn 15:1-5 755; Jn 15:1-4 1988; Jn 15:3 517; Jn 15:4-5 787; Jn 15:5 308, 737, 859, 864, 1694, 2074, 2732; Jn 15:7 2615; Jn 15:8 737
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