Today's Gospel

Clarify Your Life

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where each day we explore the genius of the Gospel. Today's reading is from the Gospel of Mark 5: 21 - 43. And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jarius by name. And seeing him, he fell at his feet and [besoared?] him saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be made well and live." And Jesus went with him and a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she had and was no better but rather growing worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased. And she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone forth from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you and yet you say, "Who touched me?" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her daughter, "Your faith has made you well, go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house, some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear. Only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult and people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. And he put them all aside and took the children's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. And taking her by the hand, he said to her, Talithicum, which means little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up and walked for she was 12 years old. And immediately, they were overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat. Another long reading today but what jumps out at you? We have these stories of faith. Incredible faith, really. The ruler of the synagogue. So you can imagine the ridicule this guy is going to get and probably was getting. His daughter is dying and his friends, the scribes and the Pharisees, they're trying to take down Jesus but you see the truth when these sorts of things happen. I've used the example before. You could be the best football player in the world. [inaudible] I mean the best football player in the world. And if you're the best football player in the world, probably your whole world is football. And understandably. If you're the best football player in the world and your five-year-old daughter gets cancer, how much does football matter then? And the answer is zero. You would quit football. You would agree never to play football ever again if that would heal your daughter. And so these things clarify what matters most. And the rule of the synagogue is like, "My daughter is dying, and this guy is a healer. He's a miracle worker. I don't care what my friends say, scribes and Pharisees. I'm going to find Jesus, and I'm going to ask Him to heal my daughter."

And so [inaudible] these moments of clarity in these people's lives, just as there's moments of clarity in our lives. And then you have this woman who-- wow, she's one of my favorite people in the Gospels. I mean, she's a legend. She has this incredible faith. She's like, "If I could just touch His garments, I'm going to be healed." That is extraordinary faith. Now, juxtapose that against the fact that you and I could go to mass and receive Jesus in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. And what is the power of that? What is the power of the Eucharist? If this woman can be healed of this hemorrhage that's been going on for 12 years just by touching Jesus' garment, what is the actual power of the Eucharist, and how far are we from really perceiving the power of the Eucharist? Have a great day, and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic