Saturday, July 01, 2006
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 2, 2006
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
WISDOM 1:13-15; 2:23-24
Because God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction
of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome, And there is not a
destructive drug among them nor any domain of the nether world on
earth, For justice is undying. For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil,
death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience
it.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:7, 9, 13-15
Now as you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all
earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this
gracious act also. For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that
by his poverty you might become rich. not that others should have
relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your
surplus at the present time should supply their needs, so that their
surplus may also supply your needs, that there may be equality. As it
is written: "Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little
did not have less."
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
and pressed upon 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
Some people think that trusting God means to expect God to do
everything for them in a dramatic way. They look for miraculous
healings like those of paralytics suddenly throwing away their crutches
and starting to walk after being prayed over. Or of cancer suddenly
disappearing after a healing session. God sometimes acts that way. But
most often he uses ordinary means. He often heals by assisting the
skills and of physicians and nurses in treating patients. Doctors treat
and cures, but it is God who heals.
In today's Gospel reading, the sick woman trusts that Jesus could heal
her. But she did not just wait for Jesus to come to her. She worked her
way to touch Jesus even if just the cloak.
Likewise, Jairus also trusts that Jesus can heal his sick daughter. But
Jairus does not just sit and trust in Jesus. He travels a long way to
ask Jesus to come and lay hands on his daughter. The two people in
today's Gospel do more than just trust in Jesus. They go a step
farther. They do their part. They make use of the ordinary means God
gave them to obtain the healing they needed.
This leads us to the question of our prayer life. How do we pray? Do we
pray expecting God to do everything for us? Do we consider that doing
our part is as important as praying? Our prayer should lead us to
actions in response to the needs of others. And our actions should
drive us to more intense prayer.
Jesus Christ is here, present among us. His living presence makes it
possible for us to reach out to him, to touch him. If we do, he turns
to us, looks for us, wanting us to know him more; he yearns to live in
us. The faith we show in touching him begins to make us whole.
This touch of Christ finds a physical reflection in our sacramental
system. Here is a continuous touching that gives life, that heals, that
makes two one.
The touch of Christ and the sacramental touch should be reflected in
our human exchange, in the touch of this Christian body. We must love
one another as Jesus loves us.
This demands that we take the initiative in loving. It is our Christian
responsibility, our Christian calling to reach out and touch another
living person. The physical touch, a reaching out, a smile, a
handshake, a hug should be expressive of something deeper, fuller, and
richer: It is a symbol of self - I touch you not simply my hand. I am
touching you - with my love, I am touching you - with the love of
Christ.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the continued recovery of Aida.
- for the speedy recovery of Cadio.
- for the speedy recovery of Ben de Jesus.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Hermelinda Dizon. Eternal
rest grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she
and all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Nelia Acosta. Eternal rest
grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she and
all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for the speedy and full recovery of the Mom of Gay.
- for the personal intentions of RR.
- for the continued recovery of Tito Cale.
- for the personal intentions of Fely,
- for the personal intentions of JR.
- for the early recovery of Deng de Leon and Elen.
- for the speedy recovery of Felicitas Simeon.
- for guidance and discernment of Nitz.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Napoleon Go Co
- In Memoriam (+): Edward Robert Yu
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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