Broken this barrier and transplanted the meaning of life – which is LOVE

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, Red Heb 12:1-4 / Ps 22:26b-27. 28 and 30. 31-32 / Mk 5:21-43

Gospel Mark 5:21-43

Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake, and while he was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and, seeing Jesus, threw himself at his feet, and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your arms on her, so that she may get well and live.”

Jesus went with him, and many people followed, pressing from every side. Among the crowd was a woman, who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors, and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse. Because she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind him and touched his cloak, thinking, “If I just touch his clothing, I shall get well.” Her flow of the blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint. But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples answered, “You see who the people are crowding around you. Why do you ask who touched you? But he kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, aware of what had happened, came forward trembling and afraid. She knelt before him, and told him the whole truth. Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be free of this illness.” While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him. “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?” But Jesus ignored what they said, and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” They laughed at him. So Jesus sent them outside, and went with the child’s father and mother and his companions into the room, where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha kumi!” which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) The parents were amazed, greatly amazed. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it; and he told them to give her something to eat.

Reflection

“It is clear in this Gospel that Christ has the power over life and death. Blood is a symbol of life, that’s why when we lose a lot of blood, we will eventually die. But the death that the Lord can overcome and heal us from is not only the physical death, which he has demonstrated, but also our ontological death – the death of our being, We have daily situations of death, when our plans don’t work, when our pride is pricked, when our feelings are hurt, when depression creeps in, and when frustration enters. All our being is attacked and our life loses meaning and thus we enter into a kind of spiritual death. Christ has overcome his death, too. By his death on the Cross, and by entering into the will of the Father, he has broken this barrier and transplanted the meaning of life – which is LOVE. With this love from Heaven, our lives receive a new transfusion, a new hope to continue with life, with the new ability to love as Christ has loved us. The Holy Spirit transfers this divine love to us that we are able to be happy and walk around in the midst of death – alive and renewed.