Click here for daily readingsIn today’s Gospel reading, we hear about Jesus ministering to the sick. He has traveled across the sea to preach the Kingdom of God to more towns. He knew where He was headed, who He would visit and where to preach. As He and his disciples land at Gennesaret, before they can even get out of the boat, Jesus is recognized. His reputation as a great healer has already reached this place. Then the people of the area “scurr[y] about the surrounding country,” bringing those who are in need of healing. Regardless of what His plans were, Jesus finds Himself surrounded by people who desperately want and need His help. Jesus’ popularity around His miraculous healings prevent Him from traveling anywhere peacefully. Wherever He goes, those in need find Him.
Most of us have a pretty good idea of what this was like for Jesus. Whether we serve as a parent, an employee, or volunteer, there are always people and things that demand our attention and need our help. For parents, as soon as we walk through the door, our kids rush to our sides and demand our time, energy, and attention. When we steal away for a moment to respond to an email or read a book, our kids immediately need something else from us. We think we’ll get some peace and quiet after bedtime, but monsters in closets and nightmares keep us on the clock at all times.
The same demands are made from different sources in the workplace or volunteer organizations. There are deadlines that need to be met, coworkers who need assistance, meetings that can’t be rescheduled, and bosses who are impossible to please. As soon as we finish one task, ten more pop up on our to-do list. We do our best to meet all of these needs, but at the end of the day, we can’t do it alone. We must rely on the power of Christ to help and heal everyone who comes to us.
The call of a Christian is to imitate Christ. We are called to serve like Jesus does. We are asked to care for whomever God brings into our life. We do this regardless of how many times we’ve served them already today. Regardless of how tired we are. Regardless of how much we need a break. Regardless of what our other plans were. Regardless of if we feel like it or not. When they come to us, we get to meet them in their need just like Jesus does. Let us imitate Him in all that we do.
En el Evangelio de hoy, escuchamos cómo Jesús atendía a los enfermos. Había cruzado el mar para predicar el Reino de Dios a más pueblos. Sabía adónde se dirigía, a quién iba a visitar y dónde iba a predicar. Al llegar con sus discípulos a Genesaret, antes de que pudieran bajar de la barca, Jesús fue reconocido. Su reputación como gran sanador ya había llegado hasta allí. La gente local se apresuró a recorrer los alrededores, trayendo a quienes necesitaban sanación. Sin importar cuáles fueran sus planes, Jesús se vio rodeado de personas que anhelaban y necesitaban desesperadamente su ayuda. La popularidad de Jesús en torno a sus curaciones milagrosas le impedía viajar a ningún lugar en paz. Dondequiera que iba, los necesitados lo encontraban.
La mayoría de nosotros tenemos una idea bastante clara de cómo fue esto para Jesús. Ya que seamos padres de familia, empleados o voluntarios, siempre hay personas y cosas que exigen nuestra atención y necesitan nuestra ayuda. Para los padres de familia, en cuanto entramos a la puerta, nuestros hijos corren a nuestro lado y exigen nuestro tiempo, energía y atención. Cuando encontramos un momento para responder un correo electrónico o leer un libro, nuestros hijos inmediatamente necesitan algo más de nosotros. Creemos que tendremos un poco de paz y tranquilidad después de que se duerman, pero monstruos en los armarios y pesadillas nos requieren estar alertas a todas horas.
Las mismas exigencias provienen de diferentes fuentes, tanto en el trabajo como en las organizaciones de voluntariado. Hay que cumplir con fechas límites, hay compañeros que necesitan ayuda, reuniones que no se pueden reprogramar y jefes imposibles de complacer. En cuanto terminamos una tarea, aparecen diez más en la lista de tareas pendientes. Hacemos todo lo posible por satisfacer todas estas necesidades, pero al final del día, no podemos hacerlo solos. Debemos confiar en el poder de Cristo para ayudar y sanar a todos los que acuden a nosotros.
El llamado del cristiano es imitar a Cristo. Estamos llamados a servir como Jesús. Se nos pide que cuidemos de quien Dios traiga a nuestra vida. Hacemos esto sin importar cuántas veces les hayamos servido hoy, sin importar lo cansados que estemos, sin importar cuánto necesitamos un descanso, sin importar cuáles fueran nuestros otros planes, sin importar si tenemos ganas o no. Cuando acuden a nosotros, podemos atender sus necesidades como Jesús. Imitémoslo en todo lo que hacemos.
Maria Riley is a passionate Catholic author and speaker who loves volunteering or playing board games when she’s not writing or mom-ing around with her four daughters. Her award-winning Catholic children’s chapter book series, Adventures with the Saints, is endorsed by her bishop. Visit her at MariaRileyAuthor.com or on social media @mariarileyauthor. She and her family live in Kansas.
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