SPIRITUAL LIVING
Prayer and Devotions
Faith that Generates Miracles
by Father Paul Hubert, LC
Resolution: Do five acts of charity, seeing through faith that it is Christ you serve in the other person.
February 5, 2008
Saint Agatha, virgin. Memorial
Mark 5:21-43
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 and pressed upon 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.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, who should I turn to first but you? You have given me another day. This gift calls me to come to you first, to hear you first. My faith tells me there can be nothing better than to follow your plan; my hope is to bring you into my life and to other people; my love wants to be fuller and better — it wants to be like yours, Lord.
Petition: Lord help me to be guided by my faith. Let it be reflected in my actions, thoughts and word.
1. To Truly Touch Christ The crowds in this Gospel want to be with Jesus, to touch him physically. Yet Jesus is aware of one particular touch. The disciples respond, surprised, “The crowd presses you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” This passage shows that what is important is not physically touching Christ, as if it were something magic. What is important is an interior disposition of faith. Certainly, this woman was in the middle of the crowd, and she made a great effort to physically touch Jesus. Yet it was her faith that Jesus felt. We must strive in faith to obtain graces too. Faith is always based on the fact that God loves us and cares for us more than anyone else, even our own parents. God wants the best for us at all time. Lord, help me to live and pray with faith, leaving you free to do whatever you think is best. May I humbly do everything on my part to fulfill your will.
2. We Must Reach with Our Faith Faith brings the woman to reach for Jesus. Faith makes Jairus voice his request. Faith comes first; it is adherence to God who reveals himself. It is total adherence, not only of the intelligence, but of the whole person: the will, the heart, our feelings. Faith calls us out of ourselves; it calls us to leave behind our own familiar land – whose limits we know, whose security we feel – to go towards a place God will show us. It is not only the adherence to what is revealed, but also moves us to be attentive to the opportunities to love and serve, to be constantly thoughtful of others.
3. Do Not Be Afraid, Just Have Faith Christ encourages Jairus to believe in him, even though it seemed impossible to many Jews that someone could be raised from death. Christ left us his revelation, the key principles we need in order to be fulfilled, but he also expects us to look for the means to apply them. Our determination to do so must come from our faith, because faith makes us reach beyond the level of purely human affairs. That is why Christ asks Jairus to trust in his faith: not to believe the reports of his daughter’s death, but to believe that Christ can do all things.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, increase my faith and help me to show my faith in my deeds as the Virgin Mary did. Let my faith recognize you in my neighbor and serve you there. You have shown me that faith moves me to serve others in need; that faith recognizes possibilities to love and serve. Make the disposition to serve more present in my life.
Resolution: I will try to do five acts of charity, seeing through faith that it is Christ I serve in the other person.
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