Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 4, 2020
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.
Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age).
At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
There are many characters in these two interwoven stories. In observing these people and how they interact with Jesus, two themes arise: the importance of faith, and Jesus’ preference for the vulnerable and suffering.
I often joke about Jesus asking, “Who touched my clothes?” when he was surrounded by a mass of people, but the question makes me wonder what was different about this person from the others in the crowd. It is the woman’s faith in Jesus—this is what heals her merely by touching him. The woman venerates him and shares her story, and Jesus tells her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
The crowds also must have worn on Jairus as he tried to reach Jesus, and we can imagine that he had grown weary and frustrated from the strain of his daughter’s critical illness. Then comes news that Jairus’ daughter was thought to be dead. Jesus again affirms the importance of trust—“Do not be afraid; just have faith”—and he brings Jairus’ daughter back to life.
While both these people were in extraordinary need of healing, we can assume they were people who grew in faith over a lifetime. The woman who was bleeding never despaired in spite of 12 years of suffering; and Jairus was a leader in the synagogue who was open to encountering God outside of his place of worship. They must have nurtured their faith until they had the opportunity to find healing. How might we do the same? How may we grow towards having deeper faith and trust in God?
Another theme distinguishes the woman who was hemorrhaging and Jairus from the crowds. Within this mass of people, Jesus focuses on encountering those who are vulnerable and suffering. These people would have been overlooked and unattended without Jesus’ encounter. As members of the Body of Christ, we are charged to do the same.
Inspired by St. John Bosco, who educated those who were poor and vulnerable, how might God be asking us to seek out people who are suffering and share with them Jesus’ healing touch?
Prayer
Christ the healer, you returned Jairus’ daughter to wholeness, as she lay on the brink of death. You healed the hemorrhaging woman when all the doctors had failed. We pray today for the healing that only you can give—the healing of our souls, the very center of our being, which is totally dependent on you. Open us to your healing presence in our lives. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph of Leonessa clung to the cross of Christ as his only strength in life, and it gave him great perseverance and hope.
Eufranio Deseridi was born in Leonessa, Italy, in 1556, and was orphaned at the age of 12. He was raised by an uncle, who arranged a marriage for him that Eufranio declined because he felt a call to religious life.
He met a group of Capuchin monks, and was impressed by their life together. He joined them at the age of 18, taking the name Joseph. He was known for the intensity of his prayer, and he was ordained a priest.
As a priest, he preached throughout the region, always holding a crucifix. His words were so interesting that he once converted a gang of 50 highway bandits who came to listen to his homilies out of curiosity.
He was assigned as a missionary in a suburb of Constantinople, and became a chaplain to a group of 4,000 Christian galley slaves. He continued to preach, and his words comforted the imprisoned Christians and even converted some of their guards.
His zeal landed him in prison twice, and he was even tortured for demanding an audience with the sultan—he was hung by hooks over a smoky fire for three days. When released, he returned to Italy to continue his life as a wandering preacher.
Joseph was a tireless advocate for the poor, and established hospitals, homeless shelters, and food banks to serve them. He was known to wade into gang fights and brawls to preach peace, carrying nothing but the crucifix he kept with him.
In his 50s, he was struck with cancer. He underwent several painful operations without anesthesia in an attempt to remove the disease. He was asked if he wanted to be bound, but he pointed to his crucifix and replied, “This is the strongest bond—this will hold me better than any ropes could.” He died at the age of 58. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica.
St. Joseph of Leonessa, who helped the poor, preached peace, and served enslaved Christians, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Joseph of Leonessa is in the public domain. Last accessed December 5, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
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