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THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – 27/6/2021

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – 27/6/2021

READINGS. 1st Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24: Jesus takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.

Resp. Psalm: 29(30):2,4-6,11-13: I will praise you O Lord, you have rescued me.

2nd Reading 2 Corinthians 8:7,9 13-15: The Lord Jesus became poor for your sake , to make you rich.

Gospel: Mark5:21-43: Little girl, I tell you to get up.

REFLECTION

From time to time the evangelists tell us that people came to see Jesus because they had heard of his miracles and wanted to see these wonderful works for themselves. The sick were in search of relief from pain and release from disabilities. Some had faith while others turned to Jesus for less spiritual reasons. The congregation around Our Lord for these healings was a very mixed one.

Today’s gospel continues the theme and quest of faith. In last week sunday’s gospel,we are told that, Jesus after calming the storm asked his disciples why they are frightened and he pointed out the lack of faith expressed on their part. Today, however, St. Mark recounts a small but significant detail in today’s incident. After Jesus had crossed to the other side of the sea, as he was at the lakeside attending to the crowd gathered around him, a synagogue official by name-Jairo’s, came before Him and requested that Jesus should come and lay his hand on his desperately sick daughter.

Amidst the crowd, there was a woman with a hemorrhage whom the medical profession of the time had failed. She reached out as Our Lord passed and touched his cloak. He was immediately aware that power had gone out from Him and turned round to ask who touched him.
This small detail opens up the riches of the Church’s understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ. When the woman with the hemorrhage touched our Lord’s cloak her faith and divine power interacted to release her from the pain and sickness she suffered.

At the same time Our Lord in his humanity experienced the knowledge that something had happened, someone had touched him, and expresses the natural human reaction-a desire to find out who it was and what it was and what she wanted of Him. Saint Mark is bearing witness to fundamental Christian belief. Jesus is God made Man. The two miracles in today’s gospel incident offers us very important words of faith from Christ Himself. Jesus spoke words to the sick person Little girl , arise-‘Talitha Kim’ but with the woman, Our Lord’s words–“my daughter, your faith has restored you to health”-merely state what has already happened. In both ways, the miracles are signs of the divine order in the midst of human chaos.

Read More: SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUShttps://agnesisika.com/solemnity-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/

In the Old Testament reading for today’s Mass taken from the Book of Wisdom, the writer reflects on the story of the Fall of man through disobedience found in the Book of Genesis. Man was made in God’s image and likeness; it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world…” physical or mental illness, stress and the effects of age in hare the consequence of the Fall. Our own individual sins make our sickly state worse, but we are all sick because human nature is Fallen from the Norm.

In Heaven, sin, death and sickness have no place. Christ came into the world so that he can restore us back to normality. Through the Sacraments, we gain eternal life. We can ask for the Sacrament of the Sick in times of serious illness: before a surgery or any major treatment, at the onset of a perennial illness, when we have a physical or mental crisis. We do not have to be dying or be at the hour of death before we call for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. However, the sacrament is not for colds or toothache. Our approach to the sacrament is an approach to Our Lord Himself, and so must be made seriously, in penitence and faith.

May the Lord In his infinite love and mercy continue to rescue us from sin and may he grant us the desire to seek and attain the higher virtues of faith, hope and love, patience and humility. generosity and obedience. Amen.

Have a nice day and stay safe.
Peace

Fr. Joseph OSJ.

 

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