Faith Begets Life
The times are challenging. COVID has tested all of us to the limit. Crises in healthcare, church, and nation call us to live differently. Many brave and generous people have stepped up to face the difficulties of our times: health care workers and parents, scientists and teachers, volunteers who assist in trials for COVID medicines, and countless people who staff food pantries and other outreach services to those in need.
The heart of the gospel message for this Sunday can be summarized in three hope-filled words: faith begets life. Its message is made all the more forceful by being expressed in two separate miracles: the first is the cure of the woman with the flow of blood; the second is the raising of Jairus’ daughter.
The contaminated woman sees her crisis as a call to action. Her bleeding has made her unclean in her own person and defiles everyone she might touch. Her faith empowers her to bypass the harsh prescriptions of the Law for anyone in her condition and to approach Jesus. She believes from the depths of her being that Jesus can deliver her from her scourge. And so, she dares to approach him, touching only the hem of his garment. Immediately, she feels the change in her body. Hoping to remain unnoticed, she melts back into the crowd.
To everyone’s astonishment, Jesus expects more. Aware that power has gone out from him, he asks “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples remind him that the crowd is dense; why ask such a question? They did not know that Jesus wanted to help this woman even more. In response to his question, the woman approaches him in fear and trembling. She falls down before him and tells the whole truth. Jesus does not reprimand her. Rather, he says, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Now her cure is both physical and spiritual. Her faith has readied her to receive from Jesus with an open heart the healing power of both body and soul.
Jesus has barely finished this encounter when messengers arrive to inform Jairus, an important official standing nearby in the crowd, that his daughter has died. Jesus tells Jairus to disregard the message, adding, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” With Peter, James, and John, he goes to the house of Jairus and says to the mourners, “Why all this commotion?” When he adds “She is not dead, but sleeping,” they ridicule him. With Jairus and his wife, Jesus enters the child’s room. He speaks to the girl “I say to you, arise.” To the astonishment of all, the girl arises from her pallet, and Jesus tells them to give her something to eat. The faith of her father has saved her.
What better time is there than these COVID days to embrace the faith that God has given us and to express it by reaching out and touching the lives of those in need? It is for these times that Christ has chosen us and sends us forth to be his presence and to carry on his mission in the 21st century. This is our time to recognize and enjoy the gifts the Spirit of God has given us, to love one another so that we become one in Christ, to consciously express our faith in outreach to others, thereby becoming the persons God has created us to be.
Have a wonderful week.
Share generously the abundant gifts God has given you.
Sr. Barbara O’Dea, DW