Dear Brothers and Sisters,
When Christ is present the demons flee. There is no question about it. This is why he said, “For this purpose I have come,” to preach, and expel demons. It is automatic. The same thing happens when the Word of God is announced in church or in your home; the demons flee. They can’t stand it. Last week we heard Jesus say two words: Quiet and go, and the man with many demons was cured. There were no incantations, only two words.
The first demon we see today is the mother-in-law; I mean the demon that caused Peter’s mother-in-law to be lying down, unable to do anything. She had a high fever. She was like a paralytic. Jesus comes close to her, picks up her hand and raises her. It is the same word used when Jesus was raised from the dead. And to what effect, what does she do when she is cured? She serves, and continues serving according to the tense of the verb used. It is a sign that she is cured. To serve is to love, which we cannot do unless we are raised up by Christ. To serve as a Christian is to not expect anything in return.
It is touching to see the spirit of service at our Spanish Mass: almost everyone does something, including preparing and singing all the music, and they do it without asking for anything in return. They do it for love of God.
What kind of fever do you have? Do you think of yourself 24/7? And everything has to revolve around you? Are you always preoccupied about what you will eat, and what will you do and how the kids are treating you? It is a big fever that you have. It is hell! And God wants to take you out of that. If he doesn’t come to your side you cannot be raised up, you cannot serve, you cannot love.
God has put you in a certain place to help someone next to you. If you are constantly grumbling you may miss the one who you are to help. What a pity that would be? It is not by accident you live on that particular block, or work in that particular office, or go to school with that particular group of people. God has put you there for a reason. Don’t miss the chance to reach out to help others. When you are close to Christ other people benefit, like Peter’s mother-in-law.
At the Eucharist we always say: Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. We can add: Lamb of God who takes away our illnesses and diseases, help me to cast out these demons, to get rid of this fever! Ask, beg the Lord to grant you this most important request.