Homily Reflections

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24 II: 2Cor 8:7,9,13-15 Gospel Mark 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43

21 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.
22 One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet
23 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."
24 He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
25 There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
26 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.
27 She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
28 She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
29 Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30 Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
31 But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
32 And he looked around to see who had done it.
33 The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
35 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?"
36 Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith."
37 He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
39 So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."
40 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.
41 He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
42 The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. (At that) they were utterly astounded.
43 He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Interesting Details

• (v 22) While most of the Jewish religious authorities looked on Jesus as an impostor. And here is Jairus, a leader of a synagogue, when faced with a calamity had the courage to admit that Jesus Christ had the supernatural power and begged for His mercy with a public display of humility.
• (v 30) Jesus wishes to show that he was able to distinguish a touch which brought healing because of the faith that inspired it from all the other casual touches.
• The woman's illness would make her ritually unclean (Lev 15:19) and in consequence everything she touched would be unclean. But here it is a reverse: she became clean by touching Jesus.
• Jairus and the sick woman were motivated by their trust in Jesus' mercy and power. Each has to overcome their own fear (5:33, 36) to seek for His mercy. Jesus credits both of them for their faith in him: "Your faith has saved you"

One Main Point

All were astonished at the physical healing, but Jesus came to heal creation from the domination of evil in its deeper forms and from the inner pains of spirit and soul.

Reflections

1. What did the sick woman risk when she came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his garment? What did Jairus risk? Does your faith in Jesus also put you in the same situation?
2. Reflect on your experience being healed by Jesus or your wish for healing from Jesus.