13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wis 1:13-15,2:23-24
2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15
Mk 5:21-43
“Do not be afraid; only have faith.”
These are the words spoken by Jesus to the synagogue official named Jairus. Jairus’ daughter is desperately ill and at death’s door. Jesus is surrounded by a crowd and can only move slowly through the throng of people pressing upon him.
Then, a woman who was haemorrhaging for twelve years and who had exhausted all avenues to find healing, desperately wanted to be healed so she no longer had to be separated or segregated anymore and be able to worship at the temple with others; with great hope and anticipation, she approached Jesus and touched his cloak, believing that she could be healed, simply by touching Him
Jesus, acutely aware that someone had touched his clothes and that power had gone out of Him, looked for the woman. When the woman, with great trepidation, came forward to confess, Jesus, filled with compassion, tells her that her faith has restored her to health and to go in peace.
Then, as Jairus and the crowd were slowly making their way to Jairus’ house with Jesus, they were informed that Jairus’ daughter was dead. Imagine how Jairus felt at that moment. Jesus, fully aware of the pain, the disbelief, the fear, the sadness and the helplessness that must have been storming within Jairus simply told him, “Do not be afraid, only have faith.”
We know the rest of the story, Jesus ‘woke up’ the little girl and brought her back to life, gave her back to her parents, who were filled with joy.
Let us look at the encounters with Jesus in today’s Gospel. First, the crowd. They followed Jesus because they heard of the miracles and healings Jesus performed. They all wanted to be healed from mostly physical ailments and perhaps some spiritual ones. They were a people lost and clinging to anyone who could offer them a glimpse of hope. Their faith may not have been a deep one; perhaps they were curious and simply followed each other, much like the mob mentality of today.
The woman who sought healing had a pondering faith. She heard about Jesus and thought she could be healed simply by touching Him. This takes a certain amount of faith. She had to approach the crowd and blend in as they would ostracize her due to her ‘uncleanliness’. In other words, she had to put herself at risk of being rejected, in order to get to Jesus.
Now consider Jairus, a synagogue official, publicly admitting that Jesus had the ability to save his daughter, despite all the chastisement and hostility the Pharisees and other synagogue officials expressed against Jesus. In publicly begging Jesus for the healing of his daughter, Jairus demonstrates his great faith, even in the face of opposition. In truth, he had the courage to go against the tide of opinion from his peers; what a scary thought — but what a brave thing to do.
These three scenarios display faith in varying degrees and in increasing intensity. In each case, where there is increased faith, it requires us to put ourselves at risk of being ridiculed, or shunned; to have courage to stand up for the truth, even when it is not the popular choice. With each step we take towards greater faith in our Lord, we are given additional graces like healing, freedom from death and eternal life.
Brothers and sisters, whenever you start to withdraw back into yourself, remember what Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, only have faith”, for He has conquered the world and is victorious in the end. Have faith in our Lord, trust that He has our best interests at heart and that He has our backs.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Winnie Kung)
Prayer: My most merciful Lord, grant us the grace to walk in faith every day; confident in Your love and mercy. Help us to be courageous and trust in You, even during life’s many challenges.
Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for loving us, for giving us the gift of faith, and for the gift of your only Son.
OXYGEN 
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