Waiting on a Miracle
Jan 31: Memorial of Saint John Bosco
Today, we’ve got a Gospel that’s pretty obviously near to my heart, but I bet a lot of people can identify.
Sorry for the late post today, and missing yesterday! This weekend was kinda crazy, and I had to catch up.
If you want to catch up, you can read Monday’s post here:
Reading I
Heb 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
The “cloud of witnesses” are all those who passed before us, the saints as well as holy people who died before knowing Christ. Life can be hard, but look to their example, especially Jesus’.
You can never really tell how strong you are, until you’ve reached the point where you literally cannot do anymore, i.e. death. One reason Jesus died on the cross was to show how far one’s love could go. Obviously, we hope to not have to go that far.
But what we might.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
Before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
You wouldn’t know it reading just this part, but this is the last part of a longer Psalm of lament.1 The Psalmist's (usually considered David's) enemies surround him.
Here, he’s begging God for helping, and saying all the things he’ll do once God saves him. It could be read as making a deal— “Save me, and in exchange, I’ll praise you.”
More likely, it’s a prophesy. God will save me and I will sing his praise. He’s kind of thanking God in advance. After all, God isn’t confined by time the way we are, and knows everything that will happen as well as has happened.
In faith, you can thank Him now, and it’s all the same to Him.
Alleluia
Mt 8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus didn’t cure people just to cure people, but also so that others could learn about Him and come to faith. The people speaking here are spreading God’s word because of all He did for them.
Will you?
Gospel
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 crowd and 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.
Usually, I break longer passages up into more readable paragraphs, because it kinda annoys me when they just run on and on. But in this case, there’s value to calling attention to the three-part structure of the story.
When one story interrupts another, it’s called “intercalation.” We can’t just hear about Jairus’ daughter in isolation; we must also hear about the bleeding woman who stops Jesus on the way to Jairus’ house. Because of this delay, the little girl dies.
How can the miracle of curing the bleeding woman cause harm to the little girl? How can Jesus allow that?
After healing the bleeding woman, Jesus ignores the crowd’s objections and continues on to Jairus’ home. He takes the little girl’s hand and says “Talitha koum" - “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” And, of course, she does. Two miraculous healings in one day!
The point of the interruption is twofold, I think. First, just like the responsorial Psalm, it tells us that God works in His own time. It’s not that Jairus asks for help and Jesus just immediately does it, like a servant. Jesus took care of the daughter when the time was right.
Second, it shows that hope is never lost. The girl was dead. Just imagine how angry Jairus must’ve been, seeing the bleeding woman waylay Jesus.2 But Jesus made time for both the woman and the little girl.
It’s impossible for us, trapped in time as we are, to understand why Jesus seems to delay in answering our prayers. All we can do is hope and wait for the right time.
For any reader who’s not aware, my daughter is extremely sick, with an incurable and degenerative disease called Metachromatic Leukodystrophy. We pray for a miracle every day, but so far, Jesus has not said “Talitha koum.” Perhaps there’s a bleeding woman who needs his help right now, but from my perspective it’s definitely difficult to wait.
In fact, this is the Psalm (22:2) Jesus quotes on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Anger is supposedly the second stage of grief, but I can tell you from personal experience, it comes after the bargaining.