Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43
A priest was called to pray over a sick child. At the hospital, he was surprised to realize that the sick and her family are actually not his parishioners but are members of another religion.
After giving the rites, the priest felt so good for being given this rare opportunity to have prayed over a person of different faith. He was also deeply touched by the gesture of this family who have put their trust in him.
“Where is your pastor by the way”, the priest asked.
And the father of the sick girl replied: “Oh, he is just around. But we did not call him because we are worried he might get infected by the H1N1 virus of our sick daughter.”
The gospel narrates two accounts of healing that Jesus performed. For one, he brought back the life of a young girl, the daughter of a rich official of the synagogue. Then he also granted healing to a poor woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years.
In the case of the little girl, the father came to Jesus and asked him to bring back the health of his child. The strong faith of Jairus made the miracle possible. On the other hand, the hemorrhaging woman had to express her wish to Jesus secretly in her heart. She couldn’t speak directly to the Lord because her religion and her community had convinced her that she was dirty. The law strictly prohibited a hemorrhaging woman to get near or to touch anybody, lest she will make people unclean, too. Thus, this poor woman could only make a secret, prayerful wish, “If only I could touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Even so, her great faith in the healing power of Jesus cured her from the bleeding that she had suffered for a long time.
Once again, what shines brightly in this gospel is the compassionate persona of Jesus. He inquired who touched him not because he was mad that somebody made use of his healing power without his permission, but simply because he wanted to know the personal identity of the needy person. The Lord wanted to assure the woman that still she mattered greatly to God. In fact, she became a special child of the heavenly Father because of her condition. It is remarkable that in the well-known parable of the Last Judgment, Jesus identified himself with every sick person when he says, “I was ill and you visited me.”
Realizing what transpired, the woman was trembling with fear because she thought that she had offended the Lord. But Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Jesus was never bothered by the stipulation of the law that considered him impure after being touched by the woman. He was just glad that the woman manifested a great faith and was healed.
At the official’s house, people laughed at Jesus when he said that the little girl was just sleeping. They were convinced that the child of Jairus had died. Jesus ignored their unbelief and proceeded to raise the girl back to life. He said to her “Talitha cum”, which are Aramaic words of endearment and can be translated in English as “little girl, get up.” Immediately, the girl stood up and was restored back to her family. Bible commentators suggest that this miraculous raising of the little girl from death (like the raising of Lazarus) served as a prefiguration of what the Lord will do to us at the end of time. For as the first reading says: “God created us for incorruption, and made us in the image of his own eternity” (Wis 2:23).
Today’s liturgy inspires us to have stronger faith whenever we are sick or dying. We must not think that our suffering is a punishment for sins we have committed because our Father in heaven is not a vengeful god. The late John Paul II consistently described the sick and the dying as the most precious members of the Body of Christ.
The example of Jesus challenges us to be more compassionate and understanding to our brothers and sisters who are sick. The infirm need special medical attention, but most especially they need our companionship and friendship. Hope is the best “oxygen tank” of sick people. Whenever it is possible to do so without deception, hope must be given to them.
Anna Lee Edwards McAlpin gives us this prayer:
Help me have a love for others that surpasses “self” or gain.
Teach me how to share their sorrow, bear with them through stress and pain.
May I never do a favor, hoping glory to receive, just because I did my duty and a troubled heart relieved.
May I never be “self-righteous,” but remember well that He stated in the Holy Scriptures, “This thou doest unto Me.”
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