TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS

Gospel 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.

REFLECTION

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

Jesus consistently refers to faith as a condition to experience His healing or miracles. Faith in the Bible is defined as, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

The opposite of belief is doubt. Peter walks on water until he doubts' and then he sinks into the sea. When Jesus visits His hometown of Nazareth, the people question His authority, because they believe He is the "son of a carpenter." Jesus leaves because he cannot work miracles in a place of unbelief.

A woman believes Jesus can heal her bleeding and touches His clothes and is instantly healed. Jarius believes Jesus can heal his sick child, but hears the messenger say, "Your daughter has died..." Yet Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” and Jarius brings Jesus to his home. Jesus brings His daughter back to life.

In the New Testament when Jesus heals He tells the person go your faith has healed you. Faith is a theological virtue. In our Catholic Catechism, "faith is the theological virtue of believing in God and everything he has revealed."

Let us pray for God's gift of faith.