January 30, 2018

Gospel: Mk 5:21-43*
(…) 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 hands on her, so that she may get well and live. “Jesus went with him, and many people followed, pressing around him. Among the crowd was a woman, who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. (…) 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 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?“ (…) 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.“ (…) 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.)

Reflections
YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU
In all the miracles Jesus performed, he would inevitably say after the cure: YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU. What is this power within us that has tremendous effects? Is this real? I must say that in my life, I am amazed at how many of my dreams (projects) have come true. The material and human resources simply appeared when they were needed. In human terms, faith can mean this daring to dream, focusing on something, gathering all one’s inner energies in realizing one’s dream. I can give many examples. The latest is when a bishop of a very poor diocese asked me (when I was Prioress) to put a hospital in their area because people just die on the way to the hospital which is 6 hours away. Believe it or not somebody
donated to us 3 and a half hectares of land as site of the hospital. And a former scholar of ours, who is now CEO of an automobile company which had a foundation for social responsibility, undertook the construction of the hospital for free. We got a mobile clinic for free. That is why when I was giving a homily in a New York parish to fund-raise for the endowment fund of the hospital, I said: “To put up a hospital is no joke. But I learned two things in undertaking this project. First, that miracles do happen today not to saints but to ordinary people like us. And second, it pays to dream and to dream big, because if our dream is for people and is worthwhile fulfilling, all the forces of the universe will align themselves to make our dream come true. As Jesus said: If you have a faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018