(Jb.7:1-4,6-7; Ps.147:1-6; 1Cor.9:16-19,22-23; Mk.1:29-39) "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." In our first reading, Job is about as brokenhearted as a man could be, beset entirely by the devil's trials as he is. "Swifter than a weaver's shuttle" his complete loss of goods and family and his own health has come upon him. And so he seems to see his days "come to an end without hope." More miserable a creature there could not be. In our gospel we are told that "Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever" and that the people of the town in which Jesus found Himself "brought to Him all who were ill or possessed by demons." Surrounded is He with the afflictions man suffers, the weakness to which our fallen race is so prone. It seems that all are indeed "brokenhearted" and wounded; as Simon Peter says upon finding the Lord praying in a deserted place the next morning: "Everyone is looking for you." All need so greatly the healing only He brings. And He does heal all who come to Him. As even before His birth into this world He served to set Job free from the clutches of Satan and grant him a new life which was beyond his hope; as Simon's mother-in-law "He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up," the fever fleeing His touch; as "He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and He drove out many demons" from those gathered at the door of the house where He stayed… so He continues "preaching and driving out demons," not only throughout Galilee and all of Judea and all of Israel, but to this day to the ends of the earth through His holy Church. Our Lord has become "a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible." Our weakness He has taken upon Himself to remove our weakness from us. Our diseases, our darkness, our sin… our "months of misery" He has borne that He might heal us of all infirmities – that He might bind up our broken hearts. Our salvation comes at the touch of His hand, at the breath of His mouth. Let us rise and walk with Him, for the Dawn has come and His grace-filled blood is upon us. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: ""This World of Sin" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, drive the demons from our souls, heal our broken hearts, that we might rise and offer you praise all the days of our lives. YHWH, has your Son not made Himself weak for our sakes? Has He not freely given His life to save us from sin? Does He not bind up our wounds and cast all demons from our midst? He heals the brokenhearted who cry out to Him – let us eagerly seek the touch of His hand. We gather around your Son, O LORD, for He is the door that leads to your presence. Only He can save us from the misery of this dark world and redeem our troubled souls, and so let us praise your goodness to us as we draw near to Him. We are all sick, LORD, all in the grip of a fever from which there seems no escape. The devil would have us believe the wickedness that surrounds us is eternal, but we know the night shall soon come to an end. Your light has already dawned upon us in the presence of your Son; let the grace of salvation be fulfilled in our midst.