Reading: Wis.1:13-15;2:23-24; Ps.30; 2Cor 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
SINFUL HUMANITY IN NEED OF GOD’S MERCY, RESTORATION AND SALVATION
There
is no doubt that people are going through a lot of difficulties as a result of
the active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in the form of
trials, temptations, sickness and challenges both physically and spiritually.
So every day we struggle against these troubles and tribulations, and people
are doing everything they can to overcome them.
But
oftentimes, it seems as if we are not making progress because we don’t have
enough faith to subdue our challenges and out of fear we fall victim and are
helpless. The fact remains that, we have faith but we have not been able to
actively and radically put it into action like the synagogue official whose
daughter had died but came to Jesus for help and also the woman with a
haemorrhage in our Gospel passage today.
In
this passage, one of the officials came to Jesus and said, ‘My daughter has
just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.’ Jesus then
rose and his disciples followed him to the official's house. On their way, a
woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years came behind him and
touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only
touch his garments I shall be well again.’
Jesus
turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith
has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.
When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the crowd making a commotion he
said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they
laughed at him. But he went inside and took the little girl by the hand and
said Talitha Cumi; and the girl got up and walked.
Here,
the father of this little girl had faith and radically put his faith into
positive action, for he confessed great faith in the resurrection. He believed
that even Jesus’ slightest touch would restore life in his daughter, likewise
the woman with a haemorrhage. This story of the little girl and the woman with
haemorrhage has interesting similarities: Both were called “daughters”, and
both were restored at the demonstration of radical faith in the touch of Jesus.
The woman had been ill for twelve years, and the little girl was twelve years
old. Both the woman and the little girl have been cut off from normal societal
activities.
On the
other hand, there were also differences between them. First, the official is an
influential man in the community, but the woman is unclean and an outcast. The
man approaches Jesus boldly, but the woman approaches him timidly. The girl was
raised based on the father’s radical faith, the woman was restored through her
faith for she was very sure that the very moment she touched the Lord’s garment
all her troubles would end, for her body was made whole again.
This
woman and the little girl actually represent the sinful humanity in need of
God’s mercy, salvation and restoration. The faith and intercession of the
synagogue official signifies the great intercessions of the saints and the
people of God towards the restoration of humanity. The woman’s bleeding
signifies the iniquity of all humanity who are defiled by the constant shading
of innocent blood through violence, wars and abortions, thereby making humanity
unworthy of God’s presence.
Her
reaching out to touch Jesus and her restoration signifies the effort each one
of us needs to make to reach out to God in order to be restored, the father of
this little girl represents the importance of helping and interceding for one
another reminding us about the power in the intercession of the Saint, the
Church and our dear ones. And finally, these stories show us the willingness of
Jesus to heal all of us just as he had healed the woman from all of her
troubles and restored the girl back to life. But this requires that we
radically put our faith into action.
The
ability to put our faith into positive action is what St Paul is addressing in
our second reading today when he said: You always have the most of everything:
of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the
biggest share of our affection. So you are expected to put them into use.
Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for
your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.
And in
our first reading, we heard the truth that God never intended for any one of us
to endure suffering in any of its forms or to experience death. For death was
not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. For
humanity are meant to share fully in the love of God and to share in the glory
of his kingdom.
Dear
friends, we are called to put our faith into positive action. For if we have no
faith in the Lord and refuse to put our faith in action, we will suffer and
there is no hope for us. I don’t know why we are often stubborn and often
hardened our hearts and minds by refusing to trust the Lord who is so generous
and compassionate. Today therefore, we are made to know that, it is not enough
to have faith, we must radically put our faith into action no matter the
circumstances we find ourselves. It is through active faith that we can reach
out to God in prayers and so obtain mercy, salvation, restoration and our
hearts desires.
LET US
PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of faith, give us the grace
and courage to put our gift of faith into positive action that yields positive
results. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.
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