Readings of today’s Mass with Reflections
Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Reading 1 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.
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.
Responsorial Psalm They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
I will fulfil 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.
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.
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.
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.
Gospel Mark 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.
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 haemorrhages 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.”
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.
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.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second
typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee
on English in the Liturgy, Inc.
Do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith or
with scepticism and doubt?
People in desperate or
helpless circumstances were not disappointed when they sought Jesus out. What
drew them to Jesus? Was it hope for a miracle or a word of comfort in their
affliction? What did the elderly woman who had suffered greatly for twelve
years expect Jesus to do for her? And what did a grieving father expect Jesus
to do about his beloved lost daughter? Jesus gave hope where there seemed to be
no human cause for it because his hope was directed to God. He spoke words of
hope to the woman (Take heart, daughter!) to ignite the spark of faith in her
(your faith has made you well!).
A 4th century church father,
Ephrem the Syrian, comments on this miracle:
“Glory to you, hidden Son of
God, because your healing power is proclaimed through the hidden suffering of
the afflicted woman. Through this woman whom they could see, the witnesses were
enabled to behold the divinity that cannot be seen. Through the Son’s own
healing power his divinity became known. Through the afflicted women being
healed her faith was made manifest. She caused him to be proclaimed, and indeed
was honoured with him. For truth was being proclaimed together with its
heralds. If she was a witness to his divinity, he in turn was a witness to her
faith...He saw through to her hidden faith, and gave her a visible healing.”
Jesus also gave divine hope
to a father who had just lost a beloved child. It took considerable courage and
risk for the ruler of a synagogue to openly go to Jesus and to invite the scorn
of his neighbours and kin. Even the hired mourners laughed at him in scorn.
Their grief was devoid of any hope. Nonetheless, Jesus took the girl by the
hand and delivered her from the grasp of death. Peter Chrysologus, a 5th
century church father comments on this miracle: “This man was a ruler of the
synagogue, and versed in the law. He had surely read that while God created all
other things by his word, man had been created by the hand of God. He trusted
therefore
in God that his daughter
would be recreated, and restored to life by that same hand which, he knew, had
created her...He who laid hands on her to form her from nothing, once more lays
hands upon her to reform her from what had perished.”
In both instances we see
Jesus' personal concern for the needs of others and his readiness to heal and
restore life. In Jesus we see the infinite love of God extending to each and
every individual as he gives freely and wholly of himself to each person he
meets. Do you approach our Lord with confident expectation that he will hear
your request and act?
"Lord Jesus, you love
each of us individually with a unique and personal love. Touch my life with
your saving power, heal and restore me to fullness of life. Help me to give
wholly of myself in loving service to others."
The following reflection is
courtesy of Presentation Ministries (c) 2013. Their website is located at
presentationministries.com
APPROACH WITH GREAT AWE
"Fearful and beginning
to tremble now as she realized what had happened..." —Mark 5:33
I had a good laugh the other
day when I passed by a church sign that said, "NOW OPEN BETWEEN CHRISTMAS
AND EASTER!" The parish was clearly targeting the once-or-twice a year
church attendee by copying a common retail marketing idiom, and it seemed
humorous in front of a church. Of course they are open! Why aren't people
flocking there every week of the year? There was some deep theology worth
contemplating in that simple sign. After laughing about it last week, the Holy
Spirit brought this memory back as I listened to today's Gospel. We can learn
so much from the haemorrhaging woman's expectant faith (Mk 5:28) as we approach
the sacraments, especially the amazing gift of the Holy Eucharist. We can
either be like the crowd, which pushes in on Jesus to try to get something from
Him (Mk 5:31), or we can approach Jesus like the faith-filled woman. Approach
the sacraments with trembling, awe, and expectant faith (Mk 5:33). Through the
sacraments, Jesus will help you in ways that transcend the ways of the crowd and
the world.
Prayer: Jesus, You did
something amazing all because of the expectant faith of that woman in the
Gospel. Give me increased and expectant faith (Lk 17:5).
Promise:
"Daughter, it is your
faith that has cured you. Go in peace and be free of this illness." Mk
5:34
Praise: Even while enduring tortures, St. Agatha remained faithful to her Bridegroom, Jesus.
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