jan 31 2006

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 crowdand 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.
"Talitha koum" is Aramaic. It is a point of miraculous healing. The synagogue official is told to not be afraid and to have faith. The daughter of Jairus who was thought dead by some is healed. The one healed is the woman who had been hemmoraging who touched the garment of Jesus. She is told by Jesus that her faith has healed her. I need to remember to not be afraid but only have faith. There are times that I think of what could happen and have fears but I know that I am first in the hand of God and belong to God. I need to remember that everything comes after belonging to God and being in God's care. I pray that my faith remove all fear in my life.

I remember from one of Father Rich's homilies about six years ago the three places in the Bible that Aramaic is used. The reading here, the healing of the deaf man and on the cross. I think that all can be seen as points of healing and drawing closer to God. On the cross, Jesus is giving the greatest gift of love of total self for the salvation and healing of humankind. A total gift of self is not an easy gift but one of complete love. The other two healings give strength to the intrepretation of the sacrafice on the cross, the Passion being a healing also.