OT XIII  Wis 1:13-15, 2:23-24; II Cor 8:7,9,13-15; Mk 5:21-43

A Jesuit theologian Peter Arokiadass was dying of  cancer.  On the eve of his death, when asked by a relative why God gave him, a priest, such sickness, Arokiadoss replied: “No, God didn’t give me this sickness. All of us have cancer cells which are under control. Most likely because of my lifestyle or food or sleeping habits, I might have given cause for these cells to grow and destroy the good cells. God does not cause sickness; we cause it ourselves.”

The Book of Wisdom, tells us that God gave us life and health, and that it was the jealousy of Satan which produced illness and death. We often feel that God is the cause of all births/deaths, but Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it in abundance.” Indeed, God is a God of Life, and “death is not God’s doing.” It is, rather, we who cause death in myriad forms – through our sin, selfishness, pride, power-plays, greed, and godlessness. Nonetheless, the Lord of Life bids us to touch people and heal them.

 

Today’s Gospel describes two of our Lord’s miracles, the healing of a woman who suffered from a chronic bleeding disease, and the returning of the dead daughter of Jairus to life.   These healings teach us that Jesus wills life, full life, for all God’s children. These miracles were worked by Jesus as rewards for the trusting faith of a synagogue ruler and of a woman with a hemorrhage. Although the faith of the ruler may have been defective, and the woman’s faith may have been a bit superstitious, Jesus amply rewarded the faith they had by granting them health and life.

The Mosaic Law (Lv 15:25-27) declared her unclean and shut her off from the worship of God and the fellowship of her friends. That may be why she decided to try to touch the tassels of Jesus’ garment secretly. The woman’s boldness in touching Jesus’ garment — which, according to the Law, made Jesus unclean — could have angered the Master. But her faith in the healing power of Jesus was so strong that she risked breaking all the social rules to seek what she believed He could do for her. By affectionately calling her “daughter,” Jesus established a relationship with her, made her his family, and gave her the assurance that she was healed:   “Daughter, your Faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”   By trusting in the power of God and doing His will, she was not only physically cured but was also fully restored to a normal religious and social life. It was her touching Jesus’ garment – that was a major factor in her healing.

 

Why did Jesus go all the way to Jairus's house and take his little daughter by the hand in order to bring her back to life? Why not just do it from a distance?

And why didn't Jesus cure the woman with bleeding without her having to touch him? It is because God wants to be close to us; he wants to live in friendship with us. And since we are human beings, not angels, that closeness, that friendship requires not only spiritual contact, but physical contact as well. Our God doesn't keep his distance; he walks by our side.

 

We all know in our heads that God is always present, always watching over us, always wanting to be part of everything we do. But it is one thing to know this in our heads, and quite another to know it in our hearts, with a mature faith.

When the Christians in Armenia were suffering persecution from Turkish conquerors, back in the eleventh century, there were many opportunities to move faith from the head to the heart. There is one story about a Christian girl who had been captured in a raid. They tried to force her to renounce her Christian faith, but she refused, even in the face of their threats and their weapons.

So, instead of making her a slave, the pagan soldiers decided to play a cruel game with her by throwing her to their battle dogs. They put her in the kennel that night, and came back in the morning to see what had happened. They couldn't believe their eyes. In the bright light of dawn they saw the young girl kneeling in prayer, with the largest and most savage of all the dogs standing right next to her. That dog snapped at every other dog that tried to come near the child.

The pagan soldiers were terrified by the sight and ran away, crying out at the top of their lungs, "There is a God here! There is a God here!"

And they were right - God was with that child, standing by her side.

God wants to be part of our lives, to walk with us, because he knows we need his guidance and encouragement if we are going to journey safely through this fallen world and into his heavenly Kingdom.

Today, as we receive holy Communion, Jesus renews his commitment to be our companion through life, let's renew our commitment to make good use of all the gifts he has given us through his Church. Not just the sacraments, but also the sacramentals - small signs of our faith in God's presence, like holy water, house blessings, crucifixes, and sacred images can help us increase that awareness.  Let’s try to touch the fringe of his garments with faith and seek his healing touch for our wounded soul.