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 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 Jesus, “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.
Homily
I remember hearing a young man suffering from the HIV infection, lamenting his state and saying “No one loves me.” He had been abandoned by all his friends; his family did not want him. He was alone, cut off from all community.
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There are many ways of exclusion from the community or communities to which we belong. We are cut off by death and we are cut off by being actively excluded because of being considered unclean by the society to which we belong. In the Gospel passage given to us for our meditation this weekend we are given the example of two persons who are excluded from the community; one by death and the other by being rendered unclean because of her illness, and their reintegration into the community because of Jesus and their faith in HIM.
In the ancient middle east the condition of the hemorrhaging woman would render her ritually unclean and not only prevented her from entering the Temple but also required that she remove herself from the community, the equivalent of social death in the Mediterranean world. Because the faith of the woman impelled her to touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment, the condition no longer existed. The woman could be welcomed back into the community. She could enter the temple again and do the things that a faithful daughter ofZionwas supposed to do.
The second incident in the Gospel reading for this weekend is that of Jairus’ daughter. She has died. Jesus restores her to life, and commands that she be given something to eat. She is in fact restored to her rightful place in her family. She is the living daughter of the family of Jairus, the synagogue official, and so can eat with them. In both episodes Jesus restores people who have lost it, through no fault of their own, to communal solidarity.
Today we thank God for the disciples of Jesus who restore people to their rightful place in society. We thank God for the disciples of Jesus who bring others back into communal solidarity.
We live in a world in which persons lose their rightful place in business, public life, politics and sport through the intrigues, machinations, and envy of others. We live in a world in which persons are excluded from community solidarity because of poverty [street dwellers], illness [HIV and Aids], and addictions. As persons whose vocation it is to imitate Jesus, we are called to do all in our power, whether we are asked to or not [the woman with the hemorrhage did not ask Jesus for anything, she merely touch his cloak], to restore persons who have lost it to their rightful place in society and to communal solidarity. We remember with gratitude persons who work with and for street dwellers, and HIV – Aids patients. We remember those working to give marginalized and excluded indigenous peoples throughout the world a place in society. Such persons live the values of Jesus which you and I are also called to live.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, it was and is your plan that all peoples and every person be given their rightful place in society and live in communal solidarity. Unfortunately sin entered the world and your plan was derailed. You have called us Lord to restore your plan, to. Help us Lord to overcome the envy and greed which are obstacles to your plan. Through your Spirit Lord, embed this plan of communal solidarity deep in all hearts so that together we may strive to ensure that all persons retain their dignity as your sons and daughters and take their rightful place in this world which you have gifted to all. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and your Son Jesus, our model and guide. Amen
