The WORD today reminds me how powerful our faith is.
Faith
is something close to my heart. A lot of times, situation seems hopeless. I
feel helpless. And it is my faith in God that somehow got me through. Faith. It
is simple. It is powerful. In the bible it says that faith can move mountains,
and that for those who have faith, nothing is impossible. I believe this is
true. And in the gospel, we see why.
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, so great
that she knew 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 when she admitted that she was the one who touched Jesus,
though she doesn’t know how Jesus would react on her admitting it. Jesus could
have gotten angry at her. But she was honest and brave. And we saw that 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 let the situation or other people dampen
your spirit. 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, by praying, reading his word, partaking of the
sacraments, so we would know him more and experience him more so our faith
would be strengthened.
How
is my faith in God? How do I live my faith? Do I have faith in God all the
time, or only when my situation looks easy? How can I improve my 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 on 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-
February 4 2020
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Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 324
Lectionary: 324
Reading
1 2 SM 18:9-10, 14B, 24-25A, 30–19:3
Absalom
unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.
Now
David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
“If he is alone, he has good news to report.”
The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.”
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
“Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you.”
But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!”
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
“If he is alone, he has good news to report.”
The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.”
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
“Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you.”
But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!”
The
king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!”
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!”
Joab
was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.
and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.
Responsorial
Psalm PS 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R.
(1a) Listen, Lord, and answer
me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Alleluia MT
8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
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.
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.”
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.
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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