A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthewt 12:14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
Reflection:
“Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.”
When I was nine years old, my mother finally allowed me to crack my first egg. I must have been following her around the kitchen for a long time learning the ways and methods of baking before she allowed me to help. The oven was on practically every day and I wanted to be able to do what she did in the kitchen. I just loved being able to help her in her daily baking. Her sense of perfection and swiftness in being able to bake a cake from scratch in a little over 30 minutes was amazing. Our family of 13 certainly enjoyed her expertise in baking, for it took us just one day to finish off a cake.
Cracking an egg or baking a cake do not come to mind when you think of miracles. They do point to the larger picture of what a mother can do to provide for the family and the miracles of love it can produce. My mother not only performed her duties to cook and clean the home, but she also modeled and nurtured a longing for me to do the same for my family. The family unit is a little church where we can fulfill our daily duties with the same love Jesus had for those he healed. We live our lives performing little miracles following the ways of Jesus without announcing to the world what we do for God.
Today’s gospel teaches us how God worked miracles as an unspoken hero. Jesus was well known and hated by the Pharisees, so at the proper time he had to work without their notice in order to continue his ministry with no interference. Jesus still works in this way today through the efforts of parents raising their family and prayers offered from the heart. God’s Spirit is alive and miracles still happen in the name of Jesus. Let us do our daily tasks praying for His guidance and healing and in return receiving hope.
