De socru Simonis liberata
The Healing of Peter's Mother-in-Law
Jesus enters Simon Peter's house and heals his mother-in-law of a severe fever, and she immediately rises to serve him and the disciples.
It happens that the Lord Jesus turned aside into the city of Capernaum mentioned before, into the house of Simon Peter, where his mother-in-law was gripped by severe fevers.✦ So the Lord, in a familiar way, touched her hand and healed her, to such a degree that she immediately rose up and served him and the disciples.✦
The Humble Meal in a Poor House
The text reflects on the modest meal prepared in a poor household, befitting one who loves poverty.
But what she served them is not recorded. Consider, then, that in a poor person's house, for a lover of poverty, whatever modest provisions could quickly be prepared for them were set before them.
Christ the Teacher of Humility Serves
The devotional reflection turns to Christ himself performing humble tasks in his disciple's house, embodying the one who came not to be served but to serve.
Consi MatUi. , XV, 28. Luke 5 — notice, too, how the Lord Jesus himself helped to prepare things, especially in the house of his own disciple, and think of any humble task, whether setting a table or washing bedding, and the like. For the teacher of humility did all these things — he who had come to serve, and not to be served.✦
The Healed Woman Eats with Eager Humility
Peter's mother-in-law sits familiarly at the table and eats eagerly, her beloved poverty shining forth in the simple meal.
And she would seat herself familiarly at the table to sit down, and ate eagerly, especially at lunch, when her poverty — which she so loved — shone forth.1
Read the original Latin
Contingit, Dominum Jesum in civitate praedicta Capharnaum divertere in domum Simonis Petri ", ubi socrus ejus magnis febribus tenebatur. HumiUs ergo Dominus famihariter tetigit manum ejus, et curavit eam, adeo ut incontinenti surrexerit, et ei et discipuhs ministraverit. Sed quid ministravit eis, non est scriptum. Cogita ergo, quod in domo pauperis, paupertatis amatori aliqua cibaria " et quffi cito parari poterant eis ") apposita sunt. Consi^ MatUi. , XV, 28. Luc,)V, [\S. dera etiam ipsum Dominum Jesum juvautem praeparare, maxime in domo discipuli sui, et queevis humilia cogita, sive de tabula ponenda, sive de stratis lavandis, et similibus. Talia enim omnia faciebat humilitatis magister, qui ministrare venerat, et non ministrari.
Et se familiariter ad sedendum ponebat in mcdio mensce, et comedebat alacriter, prascipue cum in prandio relucebatpaupertas, quam sic amabat
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.4.38-Luke.4.39 — Then he rose from the synagogue and entered the house of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Luke.4.39 — And standing over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her immediately. And she arose and began to serve them.
- ↩Luke.4.39 — And standing over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her immediately. And she arose and began to serve them.
- ↩Mark.10.45;Matt.20.28 — For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matt.20.28 — Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text contains uncertain normalizations: mcdio/mensce (likely medio/mensae, 'in the middle of the table'), prascipue (likely praesertim/praecipue, 'especially'), and relucebatpaupertas (likely two tokens: relucebat paupertas, 'poverty shone forth'). The translation follows the most plausible intended readings.
Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion
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