DAILY- HOMILY

January 30, 2018 – TUESDAY, 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Green.

2 Sm 18: 9 - 10, 14b, 24-25a, 30- 19:3 / Mk 5: 21-43

FROM THE GOSPEL READING: Mk 5: 22- 31, 34 -36, 38- 42a

Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and seeing Jesus, threw himself at his feet and asked him earnestly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live."

Jesus went with him and many people followed, pressing from every side. Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse. Since she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind him and touched his cloak thinking, "If I just touch his clothing, I shall get well." Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint.

But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples answered, "You see how the people are crowding around you. Why do you ask who touched you?" ...

Then Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be free of this illness."

While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official's house to inform him, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?" But Jesus ignored what they said and told the official, "Do not fear. Just believe."

When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion with people weeping and wailing loudly.  Jesus entered and said to them, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."

They laughed at him. But Jesus sent them outside and went with the child's father and mother and his companions into the room where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha kumi!" which means: "Little girl, get up!"

The girl got up at once and began to walk around.. (She was twelve years old.)

REFLECTION

What is the meaning of faith?

Not too long ago I used to observe, with some snickering, devotees touching religious images and icons with handkerchiefs. All of us see this in the almost­ day-long return of the Black Nazarene from the Quirino grandstand at the Luneta to Quiapo church.  This was until I read today's Gospel reading and began to understand their faith and the unwavering faith of the woman suffering from hemorrhage and of the synagogue official Jairus who had a dying daughter.

These stories of faith bring  to mind another  story  of a man who got separated from his group while hiking in the mountains. It was getting dark and he encountered a deep ravine. Desperate, he got down on his knees and prayed to God to save him.  Miraculously he heard a voice in his head that led him to find a tree at the side of the cliff with a rope hanging down from it. The voice then commanded him to climb the tree to the rope and to descend on the rope. After some deliberation he climbed up the tree and slowly down the rope. It had gotten pitch dark and getting cold and he could not see below him.  The voice told him to let go of the rope.

Doubting he decided to hang on to the rope until daylight when he could see below.

Later in the day rescuers found a frozen body hanging on to the rope, three feet from the ground.

How much faith do we have?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Fr. Jose Ramon T. Vil!arin S.J. 

THANKSGIVING 

     Andrew Sinfuego

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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