Thirtieth Monday of Ordinary Time

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

We all have infirmities. Some are physical, others emotional, and still more are spiritual. We are bound by these trials of body, mind, and spirit, but Jesus is always ready and willing to release us. All we have to do is present ourselves before him and he will do the rest. But how do we present ourselves to God? Hopefully, we do so through the sacraments, especially the reception of the Eucharist at Mass and regular acts of reconciliation. We also do so through our prayers and our daily acts of charity and mercy. Every good thought, word, and work we do brings us before Jesus and is an opportunity to allow Jesus to heal us of our imperfections and sins.

What are our infirmities of body, mind, or spirit? Do we make an effort to present ourselves and our problems to God every day? Do we make this a priority in our lives?

O Lord, set us free from our infirmities.

Amen.