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The people of Jesus’s time first became aware of him as a teacher and a healer through the visible evidence of his impact upon the poor and the sick. As they told what they had seen and experienced, his reputation spread across the land. The good news he brought continues to live on today in the healing narratives in the Gospels and in the health care ministries serving in his name. In this passage from Luke 7, Jesus responds to the disciples who have been sent by John the Baptist to question him.

After the disciples of John told him about what Jesus was doing, John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

Consider the response Jesus made to John’s disciples: “Go and tell what you have seen and heard.” The ministry of Catholic health care extends the healing ministry of Jesus to those who are in need today. Having faith in what we have seen and heard and in God’s power working through us, we pray …

God, our Creator, you have blessed us with the great gift of your Son Jesus whose healing ministry is a model for our own. Grant that we may ever serve you by serving our brothers and sisters who experience illness and injury. Help us to bring alive your reign of peace through models of health care that are emerging to meet the needs of our challenging times. Let us go out to tell the world what we have seen and heard, faithful to your Word. Amen.