Presence and Service!

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

1 Cor 3: 1-9; Lk 4: 38-44

Today’s Gospel highlights the multifaceted ministry of Jesus. 

We can see it in four stages. 

1. It is truly inspiring to find the Son of God worshiping with the community without alienating himself from their lives. Jesus’ communitarian life underlines the importance of growing together as a faith community. We grow with our community, not away from it. In Jesus’ life, we discover that belongingness to the community extends far beyond worship. 

2. It is interesting to witness that Jesus visits houses. But from the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law, we understand that Jesus enters houses only to discover the needs of people living there and intervene on their behalf. Jesus’ prayer and worship always lead him to people. Indeed, Jesus’ home visits carried a greater cause. 

3. The Gospel describes that, at sunset, Jesus healed people with various diseases. The Son of God responds to human suffering in a way that people witness his compassion not in empty words but in loving deeds. Jesus’ presence itself symbolizes healing and restoration. He is with people only to minister to them. For Jesus, presence and ministry go together. 

4. And the Gospel text concludes by saying that at daybreak, Jesus withdrew to pray. For Jesus, prayer was not just a personal communion with His Father. It was a distinct way of carrying the needs of people to God. The more he was with people, the more he knew what to pray for. Jesus’ spirituality is about entering into the chaos of people only to transform them.

Jesus’ life underlines the correlation between presence and service. The more he is with them, the more he is for them.

Let us pray that we may be the instruments who bring people’s needs to God and God’s love to people.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar