1 John 3:22 - 4:6 / Matthew 4 : 12-17, 23-25
There was a long-running medical drama series on tv called E.R. It presents the life of doctors and patients in the emergency room.
It is not just about the work and the personal lives of the doctors but also the anguish and misery of patients in the hospital.
For eg, an old lady with an ECG monitor, a man in oxygen mask, a young mother grieving over the death of her child, etc.
The underlying question of the patients and their loved ones seemed to be this: Why is this happening to me? What is happening to my loved one?
This is also the same question that we will ask when we ourselves become ill or when our loved ones become seriously ill.
On this Monday after Epiphany, the gospel proclaims to us that in Jesus, we see God our healer.
But physical illness and suffering can be alleviated by medicine. A greater suffering is the suffering of the heart, an emotional and a spiritual kind of suffering.
That kind of suffering and pain can only be addressed with the healing that Jesus came to bring.
The prophecy of Isaiah gives us an idea of what is this kind of healing when it says: The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has dawned.
In other words, Jesus the true Light shines on us to heal our broken and hurting hearts so that we can get up and walk in the light of love.
The healing light of Christ continues to shine in the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. It continues to shine when we pray for others in their distress
Let us open our hearts with confidence in the light that God our Healer wants to give us, and let us be witnesses of His healing love for us.