Today’s first reading clearly tells us, “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” (Wis 1:13). Why did death enter the world? Because of sin—the disobedience of our first parents. We are all affected by death—whether it be spiritual or physical, but God does not cause or want our downfall. Instead, He wants just the opposite, and so he gives us His only son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Gives Life
Jesus gives life. Not just any life, but as he said, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus gives us full, meaningful, plentiful life! He is our life! It is Jesus who cures, heals, renews, and makes us whole. In Christ, we find the life that we long for. St. Paul tells us in the second reading, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor: 8-9). If we have Jesus, we have everything.
The Gospel tells us that crowds followed Jesus, even pushing in on Him. They recognized that He is the Messiah, the one who has the “Words of Eternal Life,” (John 6:68). He is the Divine Healer, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” (Is 35: 5-6). The crowds wanted to encounter Him. They wanted to reach out and touch Him, and to receive the life that He has to give.
Arise
Two specific encounters of healing are highlighted in today’s Gospel. First, the daughter of Jairus- a 12 year old girl. What is the Lord telling us? We are all His children, and He calls us all to arise! What do we arise from? Our human weaknesses, our sins, our ailments. How? He tells us “don’t be afraid, just have faith” (Mk 5:36).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that faith is “first of all a personal adherence to God….to entrust oneself wholly to God and believe absolutely what He says” (150). If we submit ourselves to Jesus, He will give us the full, new life we all desire.
Reach Out in Faith
Second, the hemorrhaging woman reaches out in faith. She is convinced that if only she touched even the clothes of Jesus she would be healed. Jesus tells her that indeed it was her faith that has saved her. She is to go in peace and be cured of her affliction. We see that Jesus is very aware of our need for Him. He responds to our longing- even when it feels like we are only grasping in the dark. He is attentive and wants to give us His peace.
For reflection: are we seeking after Jesus every day, like the crowds? Are we aware of the Father’s love for us, and His desire to heal us, for we are His children? Are we open to receive the peace that Jesus wants to give us? Do we have faith He will hear and answer our prayers? Let us give our whole life to Jesus. He can make us new with the abundant life that only He can give! Amen.
[Readings: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43]
