Don’t Be Afraid, Only Keep On Believing.
Dear Parishioners,
Last Sunday’s gospel presents to us a powerful intervention of Jesus as he manifests his divine powers over the hostile forces and violent storm that almost overtook their boat while crossing the sea of Galilee. Today’s gospel highlights two miracles that have interesting interplays: the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter and the healing of the woman with hemorrhage. These events further reveal Jesus’ desire to make humanity whole. Suffering and death are not part of God’s plan. God made us to live freely and happy. Unfortunately, sin, suffering and death took over. Jesus takes the opportunity of the event before him to reinstate God’s plan of redemption and wholistic healing of our spiritual and physical body. Both miracles restored life.
The woman with hemorrhage was courageous. She did not allow anyone to intimidate her. She was focused and determined to touch the hem of Jesus’s garment. She was able to find life again after years of facing life slipping out of her. While distraught Father did not allow anyone to distract him from seeing to it that his daughter received the breath of life. Both the grieving father Jairus, and the woman with a chronic ailment shared a conviction that only Jesus can solve their problem. Their faith and boldness granted them access to the life-giving power of Jesus. Their strong faith in Jesus brought much desired healing and restoration of life. Yes, faith is a gift and a mystery. Faith creates communion and such quality of faith moves mountains.
We learn from this event that fear is useless; rather, trusting in the Lord is the key to achieving wholeness. Wisdom in today’s first reading tells us that God is the author of life and has given us a destiny that is immortal. He wants us to have faith in him and share in his life. For he is the God of the living. All things came from the hand of God are good. He endowed much of the world with life. For this reason, God sent his only begotten Son that anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. You can see that death is an aberration.
Everything connected with life is intimately bound up with God. Life is precious and must be protected. That is why murder was forbidden. In calming the stormy sea Jesus shows that he wishes life for us. While biological death is inevitable, the two miracles signify a life that Jesus has come to proclaim. For “God formed man to be imperishable,” and he does not “rejoice in all destruction of the living.”
No one is unrecognized before God. Every soul is important to God. The woman with illness was surprised when Jesus asked who touched him in the midst of the crowd. She acknowledged what she did in a humble confession. In response Jesus said to her “Daughter!” Your faith has cured you! Go, and be in good health, free from the trouble that was your scourge.”
Meanwhile, Jairus, the synagogue official whose daughter was dying, received a message not to trouble Jesus because she was dead and there is nothing anyone can do now. But Jesus overheard this sad message given to a distraught father and said to him “Don’t be afraid! Only keep on believing!” Jesus reveals to us another secret: perfect confidence and trust in God. I pray that you do not to hear the voice of despair, rather the voice of hope. What looks completely impossible with us is possible with God. These two miracles are testament.
Sincerely Yours in the Lord,
Fr. Vitalis Anyanike, Pastor
