Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Powerful Faith


The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/013117.cfm) reminds me how powerful faith is. 

The gospel today tells us of two stories of faith and healing and miracles. The first one was the woman with hemorrhage She had great faith in Jesus, that she knew that even a touch on his cloak would save and heal her. Probably this is what most of us Filipinos feel and think, when we touch the image of Christ. We do not say that the image itself has power, same as the woman not saying that the cloak itself has power. It is Jesus, whom the cloak (and image) represents who has power and who we have faith into, that heals us. And the woman was brave, admitting that she was the one who touched Jesus, though she doesn’t know how Jesus would react upon her admitting it. Jesus affirmed her and said that “Daughter…your faith has saved you…be cured..”

The second story is about Jairus daughter. Jesus was on the way to heal her when they were told she is dead. We feel like this a lot of times, when we are told situation is hopeless and we cannot do anything about it anymore. Jesus is telling us today what He told Jairus. Do not listen to them. “Do not be afraid; just have faith” Simple words. Powerful words. Jesus is asking us, like he asked Jairus, to not mind other people telling us bad things, or making us feel down. Do not let the world bring you down. Do not be afraid of what is happening. Just focus on me. Have faith in me. And as we do so, we will surely be pleasantly surprised like Jairus when the seemingly hopeless situation would be turned around by God’s grace, power, and love.

Jesus appreciates our faith, and rewards us for it.

In both circumstances, Jesus tells us how important faith is. “Daughter, your faith has saved you, go in peace and be cured of your affliction” and “Do not be afraid, just have faith.” These words of Jesus should remind us how important faith is, and inspire us to have faith in Jesus, no matter what the situation may be. This should encourage us to build and strengthen our faith, and the first reading tells us one way how – by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.

May we be inspired and moved into action.


Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder how important and powerful faith is. Lord, I am sorry for the times I doubt. Sorry for the times I give in to the temptation and power of the world. Sorry for the times I let the situation bring me down and doubt you. Lord, I pray that you give me faith – faith that would heal, faith that would work miracles, faith that would just focus on you in the midst of all that is happening around me. May you be happy with my faith, as I wait for the day you will tell me “my Child your faith has saved you…” Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflection:


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January 31, 2017
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Lectionary: 324



Reading 1 Heb 12:1-4


Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.



Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32


R. (see 27b) They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
Before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.



Alleluia Mt 8:17


R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.



Gospel Mk 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.

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.

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