1st Week in Ordinary Time (C) : Wednesday 15th January 2025

Christ Jesus is made like us in every way (Heb 2:17), strangely we are unlike Him in many ways. He is compassionate and prays in solitude, whereas we fear The Good Samaritan label and recite our prayers aloud. People may have difficulty understanding our Catholic compassion and praying to the saints but strangely have no difficulty in asking other people for help or favours when they are in need and find no other solution. To Catholics, we learn four types of prayer: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication (or intercession) These four basic approaches of praying however, may be redefined in many different ways. We adore God in contemplation. While meditating on God’s many gifts, we are led to thanksgiving. Similarly, intercession may move from asking for a list of favours to offer blessing upon others.

In Mark’s Gospel, we read the disciples simply tell Jesus about Peter’s mother- in- law being ill. They do not ask for any specific favour, yet Jesus acts immediately to cure her. In the sequence of the healing narratives, Jesus has already worked a miracle in the synagogue at Capernaum. The disciples may have expected Jesus to work a miracle for Peter’s mother- in- law but they did not ask for one. They left it up to Jesus. Then, many other healings followed but at the end Jesus returned to pray and move on to another needy place.

Lord, may our prayer be an act of great confidence in You as the source of all grace to those who seek healing and solace.