Sunday, June 30, 2024
From the beginning of the Bible, in the Book of Genesis, we learn about creation and life. We read that God created each day and declared it to be good. Our first reading today from the Book of Wisdom says that God did not make death. Death is not natural, and it does not come from Him. God created life, Adam and Eve, and gave them all the sustenance they would need or want to live imperishably. Death came as a subsequence of sin coming into the world. However, as soon as temptation, sin, and death came into the world, God countered by promising eternal life through a savior, which was fulfilled by the incarnation, death, and resurrection of His son, Jesus. Jesus wipes away sin, restores us to the love of God, and gives believers eternal life.
The Gospel reading for today is filled with suffering and sadness as Jesus interacts with two very different people, as described by St. Mark. There is Jairus, a synagogue official who’s undoubtedly well-respected among the people. This noble person learns of his daughter’s death after he pleads earnestly with Jesus to make her well. We can relate to the plight of Jairus, who turned to God asking for the healing of a sick loved one. Then there is the unclean woman afflicted with hemorrhages who, for 12 years, spent all her money on doctors only for her condition to worsen. Indeed, she was an outcast in society, excluded from fellowship with others and worship in the temple because of her affliction. We can also relate to this woman whose pain drives her to seek and touch Jesus, looking for that elusive healing. The two people are joined in their grief, extraordinary suffering, faith, and trust in the healing power of Jesus. With compassion, Jesus responds to both healing the afflicted woman and raising the child from death. This demonstrates that the mercy of God is for everyone regardless of their social or economic standings. Sometimes, we succumb to despair amid our sufferings, but as we learn in today’s Gospel, faith in God means we are not without hope. Trust in Christ brings hope and healing even when our situation is dire. God turns desperation into hope, anguish into joy, and death into life.
The stories of the two women reveal to us what the Lord calls us to do. He calls us to have the faith and trust of the woman with hemorrhages: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). And by asking that the risen child be given something to eat, He invites us to partake in the Eucharist: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (John 6:54).
As we face hardships and predicaments in life, let us resolve to trust in God regardless of our circumstances. Let us faithfully submit to His wisdom and seek His consolation and healing.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.