Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 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 and pressed upon 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 Jesus,
“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 koum,”
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.
Healing
1. Jairus. He was a high official who was very busy, but he makes time for his daughter. Because if you love someone, you are willing to give up your time and your plans. True love implies leaving yourself aside for the person you love. You have to give up time and space to devote to the person you love, be it son or daughter, husband or wife, parish or movement, your moment of prayer, etc. Whoever or whatever you love has to have a concrete space and time in your life. Take a moment to think whether you’re devoting that space or time that is supposed to be for the person you love to something else or to other people. When you love you have to make concessions, don’t forget that. You cannot fill a glass that is already full… If you are not willing to empty yourself, to give up something for the person you love, that person cannot really enter your life, and the relationship may be begin to die out. And when you realize what’s happening, you desperately ask God to revive it. Maybe Jesus can revive your love for that person or that relationship with that person but consider what you’re going to give up to maintain that relationship that Jesus is going to revive.
2. Afflicted with hemorrhages. This poor woman’s many years of failure lead her to seek Jesus. Whatever we do or we’re able to do at present is a product of what we’ve gone through in life and including our experiences of failure. Many people tell me that the way I explain the Gospel does them good. Of course, it’s partly due to the fact that I studied a lot of pedagogical subjects in the seminary, but also because I failed as a priest; there came a moment when I even thought of leaving everything and restarting my life anew. I experienced loneliness and even abandonment. Those tears I shed years ago, allow me to speak to you differently about the message of Jesus, because I understand that I must take you to Jesus and not to dogmas.
3. Arise. There will always be people who will say that all is lost, but it is trust in Jesus that makes you revive and resurrect. Don’t think everything is hopeless, because when there is faith, even criticism falls. You have two possible attitudes in life: either to trust in God or to be crushed by criticism. One always leads you to death and the other keeps the flame of hope. Don’t forget that this gospel ends by teaching everyone a lesson: the fact that there is nothing impossible for God! If you have faith you know that with Jesus you can get through the daily struggles of life. God brings you back to life! God can turn your difficult situation around again! Have faith! Have hope! With Christ, all things are possible.Always remember something good is on the way.God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
