Work, Work, Work!

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God."
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, "To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent."
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

I've always liked this passage of Luke's Gospel because we are shown that being the Messiah was not a nine to five job. There were cures to be done, demons to be razed, and almost no time to even eat.  When Jesus went to a deserted place for a little bit of prayer time they hunted Him down and when He made to leave, they tried to stop Him.  He told them that other towns had to hear of the Gospel.  Then there was the walk to the next synagogue in the next town and He did it all over again, once again, not a minute to Himself.  But then He came to serve and not be served but the human in Him, we must remember He was every bit as human as you or I got tired and need rest.  He put rest off as long as He could and served the people He came to save. 

In our ministries, it may seem sometimes that one day of labor is running into another and another and still yet another and we put off rest as long as we can because we realize that we are here to serve and not be served.  But even Jesus took some time and prayed to His Father and He spent time with His mother and the relatives. For He was there for them just as He was there for the strangers in beautiful downtown Nazareth.   Do not become so busy in your ministry that you forget your family, as a matter of fact, if you are a mother or father, your children and their growth in the Lord is your very first ministry.  Do not leave the kids behind show them the love you have for them and then show them how to share that love with others. 

Our poor souls in Purgatory need your help.  Please pray for them today.