February 8, Fifth Sunday in
Ordinary Time, Mark 1:29-39

In the first reading Job was lamenting to God the misfortunes that hit him he lost almost everything: his family, his friends, his possessions not only that he was also afflicted with a terrible sickness. He was full of desperation. He was already complaining to God: “why me? I have not done anything wrong?” Not knowing that at the end God will restore everything for him and more blessings will be given him.

If we are going through hardship right now let us learn from Job, let us not lose faith in God. In time everything will be back to normal we’ll be able to pass thru this economic turbulence that we are in right now. We just need to keep the faith that things will be alright for us soon.

In the gospel we see Jesus went to the house Simon and Andrew to heal Simon’s mother in-law who is sick with fever. Brothers and Sisters there will come a time that we too will get sick. Thus, it is important for us that we know that there is a Healing Sacrament called Anointing of the Sick. This is one of the seven Sacraments of our Catholic church. Like death; sickness is an integral part of our lives it will visit us someday and there will come a time that when sickness visits us it may lead us to death so it is very very important that we ask a Priest to anoint our sick with this healing sacrament. For it will heal us maybe not always physically but for certain it will help us spiritually for so long as believe and have faith.

I’ve been a Lay Minister for almost ten years now, for countless times I’ve accompanied Priests visit the sick to administer this healing sacrament. I’ve witnessed a relative sick with cancer of the liver who was given only a few months to live but she stayed on for almost three years. However, there was one visit to the sick that will forever be etched on my mind. This was when a bone thin sick Lay Minister was administered this healing sacrament after a few days he was able to walk again and resume his normal way of life.

It is also mentioned in the gospel that Jesus rose very early in the morning He went to deserted place and prayed. We see that in His humanity Jesus always goes to a quite place to pray to the father, to commune with the one who sent Him and that is God.

Sometimes in the drudgery of life there will be times that we might forget to pray—we must never allow that to happen for we always need to get connected with God through prayers. Let us notice that after we’ve prayed with our all being we feel refreshed and ready to do battle with life’s challenges again. It’s because we’ve been strengthened by God thru our prayers.

There are others who multi task; these are usually the busy ones. They say that while doing their morning exercise they also pray. Is this right? I don’t think so, how can they concentrate with their communion with God if their attention is divided?

Let us forever learn from Jesus when He prays. He always goes to a quite deserted place—there He prays with all of His being...