Help with Healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to treat the decay and desperation we encounter at times with the healing example of care, compassion, and love offered by Christ for everyone.

Healing and Hope

The Reading from the First Letter of John proclaims that Faith is Victory over the World.

* [5:6–12] Water and blood (1 Jn 5:6) refers to Christ’s baptism (Mt 3:16–17) and to the shedding of his blood on the cross (Jn 19:34). The Spirit was present at the baptism (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32, 34). The testimony to Christ as the Son of God is confirmed by divine witness (1 Jn 5:7–9), greater by far than the two legally required human witnesses (Dt 17:6). To deny this is to deny God’s truth; cf. Jn 8:17–18. The gist of the divine witness or testimony is that eternal life (1 Jn 5:11–12) is given in Christ and nowhere else. To possess the Son is not acceptance of a doctrine but of a person who lives now and provides life. (1 John, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 147 praises the creator who provides food to animals and human beings; the third and climactic section exhorts the holy city to recognize it has been re-created.

* [Psalm 147] The hymn is divided into three sections by the calls to praise in Ps 147:1, 7, 12. The first section praises the powerful creator who restores exiled Judah (Ps 147:1–6); the second section, the creator who provides food to animals and human beings; the third and climactic section exhorts the holy city to recognize it has been re-created and made the place of disclosure for God’s word, a word as life-giving as water (Psalms, PSALM 147 | USCCB, n.d.).

The Gospel of Luke presents the Cleansing of a Leper by Jesus.

* [5:12] Full of leprosy: see note on Mk 1:40.

* [5:14] Show yourself to the priest…what Moses prescribed: this is a reference to Lv 14:2–9 that gives detailed instructions for the purification of one who had been a victim of leprosy and thereby excluded from contact with others (see Lv 13:45–46, 49; Nm 5:2–3). That will be proof for them: see note on Mt 8:4. (Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

 

David Crawford comments that we can learn a lot from this “man full of leprosy” who received the gift of being healed.  He did not resign himself to suffering.  Instead, desiring to be healed, he brought his illness to Jesus and asked for healing – a good lesson for us all.  Our Alleluia verse reminds us that Jesus “cured every disease among the people,” so we should bring all our afflictions to Jesus – physical, emotional, spiritual … all of them.

But we can’t overlook what followed, how powerful a witness the man became, not because of anything he said but because it was apparent to everyone that he had been healed and changed.  We, too, have that potential to show the impact Jesus has had and continues to have on our lives …  to borrow the words of an old hymn, “let others see Jesus in you.”  We must surrender our anxieties, fears and doubts so that we can fully experience the joy that comes from Christ, so much so that it will be apparent to everyone that we have been healed and transformed.  We must give up our angers, frustrations, insecurities and judgmentalism so that we can truly love our neighbors and ourselves.  We must forgive and be forgiven so that our relationships with one another and with God can be restored.  We must swap self-centeredness for compassion and arrogance for humility so that caring for the “least” ones (i.e., the hungry, the thirsty, the unwelcomed stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned listed by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46) becomes second nature – and as we, with service and compassion, show others they are loved, we will be powerful witnesses, just like the man healed of leprosy in today’s Gospel. (Crawford, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus' healing demonstrates the power of the kingdom of heaven,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"The authority of power in the Lord is here compared with the steadfastness of faith manifest in the leper (Luke 5:12-13). He fell on his face because it is a mark of humility and modesty that each feel shame for the sins of his life, but shyness did not restrict his confession. He showed the wound, he begged for the remedy, and the very confession is full of piety and faith. 'If you will,' it says, 'you can make me clean'" He conceded the power to the Lord's will. But he doubted concerning the Lord's will, not as if unbelieving in piety, but as if aware of his own impurity, he did not presume. The Lord replies to him with a certain holiness. 'I will: be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.' For there is nothing between God's command and his work, because the work is in the command. Thus he spoke, and they came into being (Psalm 33:9). You see that it cannot be doubted that the will of God is power. If, therefore, his will is power, those who affirm that the Trinity is of One will affirm that it is of one power. Thus the leprosy departed immediately. In order that you may understand the effect of healing, he added truth to the work." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.2-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13 shares that belief, John tells us, goes beyond intellectually accepting a doctrine of the Church. It also involves accepting the “testimony” of three core elements of Jesus’ life: “the Spirit, the water, and the Blood” (1 John 5:8, 9).

The Spirit testified to Jesus from the very start. It was the Spirit who overshadowed Mary at her Annunciation so that she conceived a child who would “be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35)...

The water testified to Jesus when John baptized him in the Jordan River. It enveloped him and covered him with all the sins of the world—including our own—so that he could carry them to the cross… 

The blood testified to Jesus when it flowed from his hands, feet, and side on the cross. As it spilled out onto the earth, that precious blood bore with it the power of Jesus’ love even for those who caused him such agony:

The Spirit who fills us. The water that refreshes us and brings us joy. And the blood that redeems us. Holding fast to these three witnesses, we can overcome everything!

“All praise to you, Jesus, for giving me a share in your victory!” (Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading in the last chapter of 1 John is a concluding message. It reminds us the “world” is that part of reality that opposes Jesus as the author warns of concupiscence in our environment. Jesus' testimony is presented in water, blood, Spirit and Flesh. The Passage implies Jesus coming in the Spirit in the Water of Baptism and in the Body in the Eucharist. We live in Jesus through the Sacraments. We are already living His promise when He lives in us In life.  The leper asks Jesus for healing and He extends His cleanliness to the leper. In Luke, Jesus tries to fulfill the commandments of the Law. Note that as a Stoic, Luke would hold to a pattern in life from God. Friar Jude reminds us that just as Jesus goes to a desert place to recharge, we have to recharge too, so we renew our will to follow Christ.

Father Richard Rohr introduces Episcopal Bishop Barbara Harris (1930–2020) who describes how encountering Jesus offers each of us an opportunity to make a choice for wisdom.

My friends, we thirst after many things in this world. We thirst after money, power, prestige, position. We put our trust in them; we may even pray for them. But like our Lord, we are at a crossroads in the church and in society. We still have a choice and the question our Lord is asking us is, “Do we have a thirst for the kingdom?”

Jesus is asking us, “Are we content to settle for the temporary thirst quenchers of life: the material values of this world, the right connections, the proper credentials, the things on which this society places so much value, things that will never slake the thirst of your parched, dry souls? Or do you thirst for righteousness, for peace, for justice, for the liberation of all God’s people?” (Rohr, n.d.)

We are reminded that the Sacraments provide a real connection with the healing and support offered by Christ to the workers in His vineyard as they strive to cultivate full life in the Kingdom of God.

References

Crawford, D. (2026, January 9). Daily Reflection January 9, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-9-2026 

Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?12 

Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/09/1477008/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/5?5 

Psalms, PSALM 147 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/147?12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Thirst for the Good News. CAC.org. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-thirst-for-the-good-news/

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, You Can Make Me Clean. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Prayer Presence and Progress

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate the role of our piety, study, and action in responding to Jesus' invitation to become fishers for faith, love, and truth.

Action as Fishers

The Reading from the Letter to the Colossians is a Prayer for Continued Progress.

* [1:9–14] Moved by Epaphras’ account, the apostle has prayed and continues to pray fervently for the Colossians that, in their response to the gospel, they may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will (Col 1:9; cf. Col 3:10). Paul expects a mutual interaction between their life according to the gospel and this knowledge (Col 1:10), yielding results (fruit, Col 1:10; cf. Col 1:6) in every good work: growth, strength, endurance, patience, with joy (Col 1:11), and the further giving of thanks (Col 1:12).

* [1:12–14] A summary about redemption by the Father precedes the statement in Col 1:15–20 about the beloved Son who is God’s love in person (Col 1:13). Christians share the inheritance…in light with the holy ones, here probably the angels (Col 1:12). The imagery reflects the Exodus (delivered…transferred) and Jesus’ theme of the kingdom. Redemption is explained as forgiveness of sins (cf. Acts 2:38; Rom 3:24–25; Eph 1:7). (Colossians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 98 extolls God for Israel’s victory.

* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9). (Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke proclaims The Call of Simon the Fisherman. 

* [5:1–11] This incident has been transposed from his source, Mk 1:16–20, which places it immediately after Jesus makes his appearance in Galilee. By this transposition Luke uses this example of Simon’s acceptance of Jesus to counter the earlier rejection of him by his hometown people, and since several incidents dealing with Jesus’ power and authority have already been narrated, Luke creates a plausible context for the acceptance of Jesus by Simon and his partners. Many commentators have noted the similarity between the wondrous catch of fish reported here (Lk 5:4–9) and the post-resurrectional appearance of Jesus in Jn 21:1–11. There are traces in Luke’s story that the post-resurrectional context is the original one: in Lk 5:8 Simon addresses Jesus as Lord (a post-resurrectional title for Jesus—see Lk 24:34; Acts 2:36—that has been read back into the historical ministry of Jesus) and recognizes himself as a sinner (an appropriate recognition for one who has denied knowing Jesus—Lk 22:54–62). As used by Luke, the incident looks forward to Peter’s leadership in Luke-Acts (Lk 6:14; 9:20; 22:31–32; 24:34; Acts 1:15; 2:14–40; 10:11–18; 15:7–12) and symbolizes the future success of Peter as fisherman (Acts 2:41). 

* [5:11] They left everything: in Mk 1:16–20 and Mt 4:18–22 the fishermen who follow Jesus leave their nets and their father; in Luke, they leave everything (see also Lk 5:28; 12:33; 14:33; 18:22), an indication of Luke’s theme of complete detachment from material possessions. (Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer asserts that If we want to take up the challenge Jesus gave to Simon, the best place to start might be to deepen our own prayer life; seek the help of the Holy Spirit to feel comfortable sharing the good news; and pray that those with whom we interact will find a place in their hearts for God.

With the Holy Spirit at our side, some of us might share the good news when we encourage others to attend services, invite friends to participate in a Bible study group, or simply share stories of our faith.

Maybe just as important as overt actions intended to encourage others to know the Good News, is the need to focus on living our lives in a way that reflects God’s constant love for us. To demonstrate our faith through our deeds means actively serving others, forgiving those who have wronged us, and being a friend who will encourage and support others when in need.

By living our faith, we, too, can show others the endless joy we share because God is first and foremost in our lives. (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “By faith Peter casts the nets of Christ's teaching,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"'That you may understand that the Lord was speaking of spiritual fishing, however, Peter says, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' It is as if he were saying, 'Through the whole night our fishing has brought us nothing, and we have been laboring in vain. Now I will not fish with fishing gear but with grace, not with diligence acquired by skill but with the perseverance acquired by devotion.' When Peter lets down the nets at the word, therefore, he is in fact letting down the teachings in Christ. When he unfolds the tightly woven and well-ordered nets at the command of the Master, he is really laying out words in the name of the Savior in a fitting and clear fashion. By these words he is able to save not creatures but souls. 'We toiled all night,' he says, 'and took nothing.' Peter, who beforehand was unable to see in order to make a catch, enduring darkness without Christ, had indeed toiled through the whole night. But when the Savior's light shone upon him the darkness scattered, and by faith he began to discern in the deep what he could not see with his eyes." (excerpt from SERMON 110.2.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Colossians 1:9-14 comments that growth happens in such tiny steps that it can be hard to see. So what does this type of growth look like? It still comes from the Holy Spirit’s work in us, and as we pay attention, we will start to see it.

With practice, you will become better at noticing the ways the Spirit is moving in your life. When you see God at work, whether in big or small ways, your hope grows, and so does your faith. So rejoice that God is so committed to you!

And while you’re at it, imitate St. Paul by pointing out how the Spirit is working in your friends or family. You just might help open their eyes to the Spirit’s ways!

“Holy Spirit, thank you for all the ways you have helped me grow closer to you!” (Meditation on Colossians 1:9-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Paul continued with thanksgiving and prayer for people and that their faith be expressed in everyday action. He realizes some will be martyred and the author recognizes that suffering for the Gospel brings joy. Driven by the Spirit and in trust and faith in the message of God, Jesus at the Lake sees fishers washing nets in the morning. Jesus speaks to the crowd from the boat in a natural amphitheater. Simon responds about the chance to catch people. “Depart from me a sinful man” is a typical response to the holy with awe, wonder and fear, as Jesus uses their natural talent to be transformed to “fishers of men”. Friar Jude reminds us that our gifts are for the building up of the Kingdom.

Fr. Richard Rohr shares the encouragement Brother Lawrence offers to a lay woman.

God does not ask much of us, merely a brief thought of them from time to time, a little love, sometimes asking for grace, sometimes offering them your sufferings, other times thanking them for the blessings they have given, and are giving you. In the middle of your tasks you can comfort yourself with Love as often as you can, in all these ways. During your meals and conversations, lift up your heart to God sometimes. The slightest little awareness will always be very pleasant. We don’t need to shout out to do this. God is closer to us than we may think…. 

Remember, I beg you, what I recommended. Think of God often, night and day, in all your activities, even when you relax. God is always near you and with you. Don’t leave them alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you. Then why abandon God and leave them alone? Don’t forget Love. Think of God often, and love them without stopping. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the assistance of the Holy Spirit as we contemplate the action based on our situation and skills that the Lord wishes to be the seed of our transformation to be “fishers of people”.

References

Colossians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1?9 

Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?1 

Meditation on Colossians 1:9-14. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/04/1373502/ 

Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-knows-what-we-can-do/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-4-2025 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will Catch People for the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep4