13th Sunday In Ordinary Time
28 June 2009
First reading Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24
Death was not God’s doing,
he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.
To be – for this he created all;
the world’s created things have health in them,
in them no fatal poison can be found,
and Hades holds no power on earth;
for virtue is undying.
Yet God did make man imperishable,
he made him in the image of his own nature;
it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world,
as those who are his partners will discover.
Psalm or canticle: Psalm 29:2,4-6,11-13
Second reading 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15
You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. This does not mean that to give relief to others you ought to make things difficult for yourselves: it is a question of balancing what happens to be your surplus now against their present need, and one day they may have something to spare that will supply your own need. That is how we strike a balance: as scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.
Gospel Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.
Now there was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’
While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.
Reflection
By Grace Madrinan
There were two healing miracles shown in today’s Gospel. The first healing was on the woman suffering hemorrhages, and the second one was on the girl brought back to life.
The woman and the little girl were healed quite differently. The woman was healed by touching the Master’s clothes in the midst of a crowd and without His consent, while the little girl was brought back to life by Jesus Himself. But in both of these accounts, it tells us about faith.
The healing that happened to the woman suffering from hemorrhages confirmed that faith saves. She believed in the holiness of Jesus enough that just by touching Him will cure her. She did not demand more time with Him, probably because she feels she is not worthy to be given that attention. But still just by the touch of His cloak, the woman was healed. Jesus did not even utter a word, nor gave permission. This tells us how generous Jesus is, His healing is open for all, limitless like a well of water free for all to drink.
The healing that happened to the little girl on the other hand, confirmed that Jesus makes the impossible possible. All people thought that the child was dead and they ridiculed Him for saying she was only asleep. Before the healing even took place, he pushed away the non-believers and took only His disciples and the child’s parents into the room where the girl was. I believe Jesus did that because He knew that their faith will perfect the healing. This only tells us that when two or more faithful ones assemble towards one desire, they will witness great healing.
Two healing miracles both summarize the same thing. Healing is possible where faith is abundant.
Father, we thank You for the gift of healing ever present, within our reach. We are sorry for the times we have doubted Your presence. In every day of our lives, may we be filled with faith to see even the littlest miracles around us. Amen.
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