XIII Sunday in OT:2012:Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24;IICor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk5:21-43

XIII Sunday in OT:2012:Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24;IICor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk5:21-43

Introduction: Today’s readings speak of the gift of life, both physical and spiritual, that God has given us. They urge and challenge us to be grateful for our health in body and soul and to use God’s gifts of life and health responsibly.

Scripture lessons: The first reading from the Book of Wisdom tells us that God gave us life and health and it was the jealousy of the Satan that produced illness and death. The reading also suggests that the goal of our lives on earth is to know, to love and to serve God here with perfect health in body and soul, and to share God’s immortal life forever.

In the second reading, St. Paul asks the Corinthian Christian community to show the kindness and compassion which Jesus expressed in his healing ministry to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem living in poverty and sickness, by raising a fund for them.  The generosity of Jesus is the central theme here also, because Paul describes Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as “the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Today’s gospel describes two of our Lord's miracles, the healing of a woman from her chronic bleeding disease and the revival of the dead daughter of Jairus to life.   These healings teach us that Jesus willed life, and willed full life for all God’s children.  The two healings also reveal Jesus as a generous, kind and compassionate God Who wills that men should live their wholesome lives fully. They also give us further proof of the divine power and the infinite mercy of our Savior. These miracles were worked by Jesus as reward for the trusting faith of a synagogue ruler and of a woman with a hemorrhage, although the faith of the ruler may have been defective and the woman’s faith may have been a bit superstitious. But Jesus amply rewarded their defective faith by granting them health and life. 

Anecdote:  "This is where I found Christ." Here is a beautiful old story about Zacchaeus, the tax collector. It tells how in later years, he rose early every morning and left his house. His wife, curious, followed him one morning. At the town well he filled a bucket... and he walked until he came to a sycamore tree. There, setting down the bucket, he began to clean away the stones, the branches, and the rubbish from around the base of the tree. Having done that, he poured water on the roots and stood there in silence, gently caressing the trunk with both of his hands. When his amazed wife came out of hiding and asked what he was doing, Zacchaeus replied simply, "This is where I found Christ." I can just imagine that for the rest of their lives, that woman who touched the tassel of Jesus' robe that day on the street... and the daughter of Jairus who was raised up in that room in her home, continually brought people back to those sacred spots and said, "This is where I found Christ! This is where Christ loved me into life!" Do you have a sacred spot like that? This is the Good News of our Christian faith, isn't it? Love has the power to heal, to reconcile, and to redeem.

Joke:  One Sunday at Mass as the priest was giving his homily, a little baby in the front row suddenly started crying loudly.  The mother did her best to pacify the child but nothing worked.  So finally she got up and started to walk down the aisle to take the baby into the cry room.  The priest stopped his preaching, and very compassionately called out to the mother, "That's OK!  You don't have to leave.  The child isn't disturbing me."  The young woman turned around and said, "No, pardon me Father, but you're disturbing my child!"

Life Message: We need to continue the healing mission of the Church: As members of the Church, we are not excused from our vocation to be healers.  We do our share of Christ’s healing mission by visiting the sick, by praying for their healing, and by boosting their morale with our loving presence, words of encouragement and inspiration. Thus, we may enable them to experience the compassion of Jesus.

Introduction : XIII Sunday in Ordinary time;

Message: Because of sin, sickness and death have entered the world, but are overcome through the resurrection of Jesus.  He hears the cry of those in need, healing the sick and raising the dead to life.  He made himself poor that we might become rich.

Saints in this week: Tue-3: Saint Thomas, Apostle, Patron saint of India. Wed-4: Independence Day. Thu-5: Saint Anthony Zaccaria, priest; Saint Elizabeth of Portugal(USA). Fri-6: Saint Maria Goretti, virgin, martyr