Heb 12:1-4.
Ps 22:26-28,30-32.
Mk 5:21-43 Full Readings
It's Faith that Touches Jesus
Our biblical experience tells us that no one in any situation, however grave or difficult it seemed to be, came to Jesus, with unconditional and expectant faith, was never helped and restored to life. What imbued power from Jesus for all miracles he did to different people who came to him. What really touched his being? It is Faith that touches Jesus.
When problems are prolonged, or reach fever-pitch levels, we can get the mistaken impression that God has lost interest. Somehow, he seems no longer moved by our misery. All the signs say he has forgotten us, abandoned us and left us hanging. But God is only seemingly absent. He is creating a new set of circumstances wherein we can experience him at a wholly new level. He is sparkling that deep faith in us. The long, hard and persevering fight to walk in hope enables God to bring about greater fruits of holiness in us.
This is what we see in the woman with the hemorrhage and in Jairus, father of a dying daughter in the gospel today. We must contemplate a mature and vibrant faith, observing how it conquers pessimism and transcends the cold calculations and superficial tones of their peers. Truly this is the first miracle we see that Jesus has worked for them, and the most important one because their faith had touched Jesus.
Many say they are near Christ, yet few are acknowledged by Christ as close to him. Before the woman touched Jesus' clothes, many were brushing against him that day, many were verbally praising him, many were serving him, but only one touched him and got his full attention. Why? Only the woman with haemorrhage made an act of unconditional faith. What is the secret? How can we really get his attention, truly speak to his heart? None are closer than those who trust him, who humbly depend on him, and who wish to live from him. The woman’s unconditional faith was open to whatever would happen, whatever would be Christ’s response. Those who suffer and support themselves patiently with faith and prayer experience new levels of union with Christ. Only authentic faith unites with Jesus.
It was faith that made Jairus not to lose hope even when they told him that his daughter had died. Jesus spoke words of hope to the the man, "Don't be afraid, just have faith." Notice that even when the neighbors and hired mourners scorned the man and laughed at Jesus, Jairus' faith never faded his daughter was brought back to life. What kept Jairus strong faith?
Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD), an early church father who was renowned for his preaching at Ravena, comments on this miracle: "This man was a ruler of the synagogue, and versed in the law. He had surely read that while God created all other things by his word, man had been created by the hand of God. He trusted therefore in God that his daughter would be recreated, and restored to life by that same hand which, he knew, had created her... He [Jesus] who laid hands on her to form her from nothing, once more lays hands upon her to reform her from what had perished."
There will be many in our lives, some sent by the devil himself, who are going to test and make us lose our faith and will test us with the reality “Your daughter is dead. Be realistic. It is no use to go on. Do not disturb Jesus. Don't bother to pray.” True, in the name of realism, we can dismiss hope and cooperation with Christ’s action in our life. We can ridicule Christ whenever he wants to work in mystery and outside our human limits. We can be tempted to abandon trust in God in the name of reaffirming control over our world. “Let’s be realistic,” we say. “It will never work.” These phrases veil a weak faith, a poor faith, a sterile or compartmentalized faith that works only when everything makes sense to us, when everything is easy. Where there is this lack of faith, Christ cannot work. But where faith is, Jesus is touched and miracles happen.
Today, reflect on how you are using your faith to touch Jesus. Faith does not necessarily remove the hardships of life; it does something even better. It transforms hardships so that you can endure them with grace, joy and supernatural hope. When this happens, everything in life has the potential to be used by God for our good. All we need to do is continually reject fear and “just have faith.” I find this prayer powerful to pray and reflect on it today.
Let us Pray
Lord let me use hardships to build newer levels of trust and intimacy with you. Open my heart to seek you on your terms. I do not ask you for happiness or sorrow; Health or sickness; Riches or poverty; Freedom or slavery; Goods or evils; For goods are misfortunes if you do not come with them; And misfortunes are goods if they arrive with you; For goods without you, what good would they be? And misfortunes with you, are they not the best goods? Help me Lord to use my faith as my point of union with you. Amen
Be blessed.
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