Daily Reflection – 1/31/2023
Sacred Scripture
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. ( Mark 5:21-43)
Reflection
Two people standing on the precipice of emptiness. Two people who wanted desperately to have the circumstances of their lives changed. Two people who believed, even before they experienced, that Jesus would change their lives.
What happened in their lives? What gave them hope when all around was despair? Those questions can and should be asked in the year, 2023.
Many are leading a life that is filled with blessings. Many feel spiritually empty. Many feel anger at the world in which they live.
Today’s scripture is a wake-up call. It reminds us that we need to do an inventory of our beliefs. It beckons us to live a life that is bound by His words. And it should present a case for not only believing in Jesus Christ but recognizing that we can’t live one way and say we are His follower. We can’t go to Church on a regular basis and then take to our laptops and spew anger. We can’t say that we live the teachings of Christ and then begin to distinguish people because of color or orientation.
No, we need to be filled with Jesus.
Jairus knew that. The hemorrhaging woman knew that. They believed without seeing. THAT’S where we need to be.
Filling ourselves with Jesus means that we have to have an encounter with Jesus. That happens when we set time aside each day to be with Him. To talk to Him. To acknowledge our frailties to Him. To understand that the emptiness we sometimes feel is because there is a void in our lives which only He can fill. To come to the realization that no matter how much we love people in our lives, there is one love greater than that.
Those are the hallmarks of a living faith.
The “reward” for living a life circumscribed by His teachings is that not only is our life filled. Not only do we positively affect the lives of others. We begin to know Jesus in our lives. To know Jesus.
Our role models in today’s Gospel knew Jesus. You can as well. It will give you a lamp in the darkness. It will cause you to joyfully life a life centered on another rather than your ego. It will allow you to make a positive change in the lives of those around you.
And when we are feeling lost or beleaguered or anxious, your faith will be there to steady you, to fill you and remind you that nothing is lost as long as we have Him in our lives.
Faith reminds us that love conquers all. If we just could reach out to touch Christ’s garment, if we could just bring Him to the place where we feel death is most real, like Jairus, then we will find healing. That is a faith that does whatever it takes to get to Christ for healing.
Prayer of The Day
Lord, you love each of us individually with a unique and personal love. Touch my life with your saving power, heal and restore me to fullness of life. Help me to give wholly of myself in loving service to others.
Daily Note
Do you have the faith to fight the crowds to get close to him? Do you believe that all one needs to do is reach out in faith and simply catch a thread of his garment, a strand from the vestment of the King, and that person will be healed? That is a faith that radically changes the world. That is the faith that can radically change us!
