The loss of a child to
illness or accident is every parent’s worst nightmare, a tragedy almost beyond
imaging. The pain of loss never goes
away. My sister Jean and her husband Bob
lost their daughter Kara in a most tragic accident. This happened back in 2001. The grief my sister Jean carries with her
never goes away.
In today’s Gospel, there is a
girl of 12 years of age who is near death, struck down by an unknown illness,
driving her father to extremes in his desperate search for help in going to
Jesus. Jairus risks being ridiculed and
risks missing the last precious minutes in his daughter’s life. When the news of his daughter’s death
arrives, Jesus preaches the shortest sermon of his career. He simply says: “Do not fear, but believe.” That sermon Jesus preaches to us as well who
suffer from those human conditions in which we cannot control. Do not fear but believe.
You are most welcome to
ignore my lengthier homily and simply remember the powerful words of Jesus: “Do not fear but believe.” God has not intended our world to be filled
with anxiety and fear. May we transform
our fear into trust and faith that Jesus is with us as healer and Lord.
Trust me, l get it then after
experiencing so painful a loss as the death of your child, it’s much easier to
say the words of Jesus that to really believe, as you are caught in the
paralysis of your grief. Yet, may we
bring our grief into the heart of God’s love for us.
When Jesus arrived at the
house of Jairus, he put the crowd
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 koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!”
As we pray over today’s
Gospel, may we be reminded that Jairus’ daughter lies dying today in little
girls jeopardized by illness, lack of food and water and the necessities of
life, the safety and the security they deserve.
Jairus’s daughter can be found in the children of Haiti, the children
who live in Iraq and Afghanistan, the immigrant children at our border and all the
children in need who live in this the wealthiest nation on the planet.
What sort of miracle would it
take for us to transform the world’s systems and the hearts of its people so
that all children in need can rise up to new life? What would it take?
Yes, we are overwhelmed by
the suffering of children around the world.
We may feel overwhelmed and helpless.
Yet, there can be no doubt that these children are very much the concern
of God. The question we need to ask
ourselves is whether they are outside of our concern. Rather, we pray that the concerns of God are
very much our concerns as well.
We need to be able to see as
God sees. We need to have the heart of
God. As in the case of the woman who
been afflicted hemorrhages for twelve years in today’s Gospel, Jesus did not
see an unclean woman with uncontrollable bleeding, he saw a beloved daughter of
God who is suffering. May we too see in
those who are suffering God’s beloved sons and daughters.
We may ask ourselves at times
what keeps us from recognizing people in need as God’s beloved sons and
daughters. I find the words of Mother
Theresa as very helpful. Mother Theresa
says: “When our hearts area filled with
judgments about others, there is no room left for love.” May we repent of our judgments so that we may
be able to love others as God loves them.
Another take-home message to
today’s Scriptures that in our personal suffering, may we hold onto our
spiritual identity as did this woman.
Her deeper spiritual identity gave her the courage to reach for God’s
love as it was manifesting itself in Jesus.
God’s love is for God’s children, and she is one of God’s children. This is her faith. She can go now in peace.
She touched the clothes of
Jesus and was healed. Do you believe
that the healing touch of Jesus is meant for you as well? What area of your physical, emotional or
spiritual life stands in need of the healing power of Jesus? What stress or fear or anxiety do you wish to
experience a healing? Maybe in some
relationship of your life there is a healing for the healing grace of
forgiveness. What addiction in your life
gets the best of you at times? In what
area of your life is Jesus not yet Lord?
This week’s Gospel speaks of
the healing of two women. It tells two
different stories that are woven into one.
They both involve women in crisis.
We don’t know them by name, just by their need.
If you will, imagine
ourselves as that 12 year old girl and Jesus taking us by our hand and telling
us to rise and live: “Talitha
koum.” Jesus gives life not only to the dead but to
those of us who are only partially alive.
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves because of some illness or
setback, may we hear the healing of Jesus being spoken to us. In deep gratitude, enjoy the blessedness and
giftedness of this day and make a difference in someone’s life as a way of
sharing your giftedness with people in need.
Our life really, really is a gift of God.
May you hear the words of
Jesus spoken to you: “Talitha koum” and
“Do not fear but believe.” Jesus is here
today, and you have a chance to touch not only his clothes but his very body. This is what we are privileged to do in the
Eucharist. Let us put our heart and soul
into that privilege. May we trust that
the healing grace is meant for. you and me.
Have a Blessed Day.
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