Today’s Scripture Readings

Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

The Gospel today reminds me of St. Catherine of Siena’s image of the Tree of Love. A tree deeply rooted in humility and prayer will grow strong and healthy, bearing fruit in charity, faith, hope, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. First, the roots nourish the tree itself; then the branches stretch outward to give life to others.

Jesus shows us this pattern. Before He preached, healed, and chose the Twelve Apostles (e.g. Saints Simon and Jude), Jesus spent the whole night in prayer with His Father. Out of that communion came clarity, strength, and mission. When He came down the mountain, His prayer overflowed into power for others: healing the sick, casting out unclean spirits, and giving new life to the crowd.

This is also the rhythm of our Christian life. Prayer nourishes us first. It roots us in God’s love so that our words and actions may bear fruit. Without prayer, our service soon dries up; but with prayer, even the smallest act: a smile, a listening ear, a gesture of kindness can become a channel of God’s healing grace.

In a restless world hungry for peace, people press upon us as they once pressed upon Jesus, longing to touch even a trace of His power. Our task is not to be the source of that power, but to stay rooted in God through prayer, so that His love may flow through us.

Lord Jesus, teach me to pray as You prayed. May I remain rooted in Your love, so that my life may bear fruit for others and draw them into Your healing presence. Amen.