Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 4, 2025
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.
Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid and have faith,” are a great reminder that we should have no fear but fear of the Lord. I remember learning the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as a child and always being a little bit shocked that the fear of the Lord was one. This gift, commonly misunderstood, is important to reflect upon, and today’s reading is a great witness of two people who demonstrated it well.
Thomas Aquinas describes this gift as a fear of separation from God, as God is the perfect fulfillment of our desires. I have found it hard to place all my trust and dependence on God, especially when our society emphasizes the importance of self-reliance.
The desire to control everything in our lives bristles and strains against the truth that we need God in all his power and majesty. A simple example from my life is my academic work from my first semester of college. I placed a lot of stress on myself to achieve high grades. After some reflection on just how much pressure I was putting on myself and how bad it made me feel, I turned to prayer. I learned that putting your best foot forward while trusting in God when faced with any challenge in your life brings so much peace and avoids all the worry and anxiety that can dishearten us. I simply need to do my best, and whatever grades I receive, I trust that God will take care of the rest.
Let us reflect on our lives and think of new ways to practice radical faith, like the woman and Jarius. May we trust God throughout our lives with the gift of fear of the Lord, bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit.
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.