Gospel MK 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him and a large crowd followed him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha khoum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
REFLECTION
Imagine that you are on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. You have crossed the Sea of Galilee just like Jesus did with His disciples. How would you feel about reading today’s Gospel, if you were on a pilgrimage there?
I would like to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the place where Jesus, Our Lord and God, walked on this Earth. Wouldn’t you like to be where Jesus cured the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead? The places where He taught us about God the Father and His Kingdom and what we need to do to get to the Father’s Kingdom.
“Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus was not afraid of being ridiculed by others. He wasn’t worried about how the mourners would treat him for telling them the truth. Jesus had earlier told the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” In both instances in the encounter with the lady with a bleed and the synagogue official’s daughter, Jesus is teaching us how “faith” is important when we ask for God’s help.
We are not in control; God is in control. When we get upset about something happening in our family or in the world around us, we need to be reminded, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
Let us pray for all priests, bishops, cardinals and our Pope to speak the truth and not be afraid of being ridiculed. Let us stand with them in prayer and support them when they do encounter opposition. Please, join us in praying the PAPA Prayer for Priests.
