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.

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 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 is the key

1. Jairus. Even though he was a busy and high-ranking official, Jairus made time for his daughter. True love means making space in your life for those you care about—whether it’s your child, spouse, parish, or community. We should be careful not to let other things take away the time meant for those we love. Jairus’s faith is evident; he goes to Jesus out of desperation, asking Him to heal his daughter. He approaches Jesus because he seeks something divine when human solutions are not enough. This reminds me of parents waiting by a hospital bed, hoping for their child to recover, or praying for a life-saving organ donor. Like Jairus, these people turn to Jesus, trusting that with God, nothing is impossible. 

2. The woman. St. Augustine gives a beautiful reflection on this passage, noting that “the people press him, the woman touches him.” While there was a crowd around Jesus, only the woman reached out in faith to make real contact with Him. Her faith moved her to seek Jesus, and as a result, she was healed—freed from her suffering and restored to wholeness. Truly encountering Jesus changes lives. He not only heals but also restores dignity, reminding us that we are worthy and can hold our heads high. 

3. The little girl. We see how people discouraged her father. Often, those around us can bring us down with negative words and lack of hope. There will always be voices saying all is lost, but faith in Jesus brings new life and hope. It’s faith in God—not people’s opinions—that helps us start over. In life, we can choose to listen to critics or trust in faith; one leads to despair, the other keeps hope alive. When you have faith, you know that Jesus will help you face life’s daily challenges, bringing hope to your heart. The little girl is told to get up, and today Jesus tells us, too, to rise. God restores life to us and can turn any difficult situation around. Have faith! Keep hope alive! 

Remember that something good is on the way!  

God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.