Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
The people of Capernaum who go to find Jesus at the end of today’s Gospel (Luke 4:38–44) have good reason to want him to stay. Jesus has been busy teaching, curing the sick, and driving out demons among them; how could they let such a teacher and wonder-worker leave? And wouldn’t it be far more comfortable for Jesus to stay put and let people come to him? Nevertheless, Jesus tells the crowds, To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.
In this saying, there is a certain energy, almost a restlessness, to Jesus that is reflected elsewhere, too. Jesus is the Son of Man who has nowhere to rest his head (Luke 9:58); he is is the good shepherd (John 10) who goes in search of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1–7); he is at work as long as his Father is at work (John 5:17). And Jesus is the one who, after his Resurrection, tells Mary Magdalene not to cling to him, but to go and tell the good news to his brothers (John 20:16–18). All this is true of Jesus because he is impelled by the Spirit to share the love of the Father, burning with zeal to see his mission fulfilled.
Today, let us ponder this zeal of Jesus to carry out his mission, his earnest desire to share the good news that he brings. And let us ask that we might be set afire with that same zeal to share the Gospel with all our brothers and sisters.