Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

July 1, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Wisdom 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24

Psalm: 30

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8: 7, 9, 13-15

Gospel reading according to Mark 5:21-43 (or 5: 21-24, 35b-43

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Homily:

Jesus continued his journey.  He did not stop journeying just to bring the good news everywhere and to as many people as he can reach. “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” (Mk. 5: 21).  Anywhere he went people in large number who heard his coming they were flocking around him.  Some in the crowds have different purposes in seeing Jesus, some of them were sick and ill, others have different needs, others to catch gossip, and others were truly and willingly to listen to the good news he was giving through his preaching.  Some people in the crowds were synagogue officials, scribes and Pharisees, high ranking officials, rich and poor alike, others were ordinary people.  Because of the crowds, he might be pressed and crushed by them; so he remained in the boat yet near the seashore so that when he preaches people can still hear him.  The crowd brought to the attention of Jesus their wants and needs.  One of them was the synagogue official.  “One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward” (Mk. 5: 22).  This time, a synagogue official, a leader in managing the flow of worship and preparing the readings from the Scriptures in the synagogue (like our small chapel), and he was highly respected by his community members, came to Jesus and begged Jesus on his knees.  “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’.” (Mk. 5: 22-23).  As a good father of the family, Jairus, will do anything to heal and live his twelve years old daughter or any members of his family, even following Jesus outside of his community and as far as he can find Jesus.  Maybe he heard many good things Jesus performed, and faith and belief were springing in him toward this Jesus of Nazareth, as other towns and cities said, “Is there something good coming from Nazareth?”  Jairus has big faith in Jesus.  That’s why he came to Jesus, and when he saw him, knelt down on his feet, and expressed his purpose for coming to him.  His twelve years old daughter was at the verge of death.  Just mere touch of his hand and his daughter shall get well and live.  See how big Jairus’s faith in Jesus was.  Because of what he showed, he was granted and received from Jesus what he desired of his heart.  Jesus with compassionate heart and felt the heavy burden this father was carrying went off the boat and accompanied Jairus in his house. “He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him” (Mk. 5: 24).  This was the chance of so many sick people in the crowd to press Jesus so that they may touch him, as what we are doing in our saints in their altars, (punupunasan natin sila), we wipe the hands and legs and feet, and dress of the saints and rub it all over to our sick body parts.

There was another person in the crowd, an unknown woman.  “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” (Mk. 5: 25-26), a woman who had bleedings for almost twelve years, like the dying twelve-year old girl, who spent all her savings and sold all her property to pay for different doctors she consulted to cure her infection but nothing happened rather she became poorer and worse than before, she suffered a lot and her bleedings continued.  When you come closer to her, you can smell the bad odor coming out from her body.  She’s skinny and dirty with lots of blood stain in her clothes.  Maybe she had no better hygiene nor taking a bath or cleansing her body and wound.  Nobody is taking care of her maybe because her husband and children abandoned her, even her relatives and friends left her because of her physical condition, and in relation to her community and in the synagogue maybe they disowned her and driven out for that’s the Law of Moses.  Nobody can touch her or else he or she can also be contaminated by her disease and experience the same fate of rejection.  But what she was doing in the crowd following Jesus?  And why the crowd did not drive her away nor mind her?  Maybe because all of them are sick and need healing of mind and body, soul and spirit.  “She had heard about Jesus” (Mk. 5: 27).  Like Jairus, she also heard about Jesus that he healed many kind of sicknesses, illnesses and diseases.  She took her chance inspite of her condition and weak body but with strong determination; and she tried also if Jesus can heal her, anyway nothing will lose if she tries.  “. . .  and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.  She said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured’.” (Mk. 5: 27-28).  She tried her best to come closer to Jesus despite of the crowd and said to herself, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”  This was her personal conviction and belief.  There is faith and confidence in her, for this is her last chance.  She initiated to come at the back of Jesus and reached the edge of his clothes and with firm faith and resolved that she will be cured; she dared to touch even the edge of clothes of Jesus and even without asking permission.  “Immediately her flow of blood dried up.  She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction” (Mk. 5: 29).  As usual, she received what she wanted from Jesus Christ instantaneously.  She was cured.  Her flow of blood stopped and it dried up.  She was totally healed for she felt the healing power of Jesus Christ even by mere touching his clothes.  When we pray hard and sincere for whatever we need and desire for our good (like that woman with hemorrhages) and the good of others (like Jairus for his daughter), God will listen and grant our prayers.

“Jesus aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who had touched my clothes?’” (Mk. 5: 30).  A sensitive person to the needs of others can sense that something comes out from within him/herself.  He or she can feel the goodness coming out from him/her.  Despite of so many people, Jesus can sense that someone in the crowd touched him, for power released in him, and immediately healing came.  Jesus healed for he was aware of it for he felt it.  “But his disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  There is a good sense to what his disciples thought about the question of Jesus.  It was true that there were many people pressing Jesus and how did he said, “Who touched me?”  But he who was sensitive to the needs of others can also feel the empathy to other himself.  This may have some reference to the resurrection event when Mary Magdalene clings to Jesus’ feet who said, “Do not touch me. ....”

He did not mind what his disciples said but instead his eyes were searching in the crowd.  “And he looked around to see who had done it” (Mk. 5: 32).  He would like to find out who he/she was.  “The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling.  She felt down before Jesus and told him the whole truth” (Mk. 5: 33).  The woman, after receiving healing, instead of leaving the crowd and going home, she remained and followed Jesus Christ.  Maybe she was waiting an occasion or opportunity where she can say and give thanks to Jesus.  As one who received graces, her heart was full of gratitude and at the same time fear for what she had done.  She came forward “in fear and trembling,” after she heard Jesus said, “Who touched me,” felt down on her knees and told the whole truth.  Jesus, like a good father, understood her and the more he loved her that’s why he called this woman without a name – my daughter.  “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be cured of your affliction’.” (Mk. 5: 34). 

While still talking to that unnamed woman and approaching the house of the synagogue official, some people came and announced that Jairus’ daughter had passed away. “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?’” (Mk. 5: 35).  They told also not to bother the teacher, Jesus, any longer. Here comes again the “pakialamero” and the “pakialamera” (the preponderant and the chatters), as if they know everything.  They even stopped Jesus to wake up the sleeping child, and letting her father losing his faith in God’s grace.  But Jesus knew the heart of this father and immediately came to the rescue by encouraging him to trust in the Lord God.  “Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid, just have faith’.” (Mk 5: 36).  Jesus did not mind nor give importance to the message reported, he disregarded it for it was not true and correct (we called it “fake news”), but rather he said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, just have faith’,” for unlike the woman who suffered hemorrhages for twelve years but full of trust and have faith that saved her. 

They continued their walking towards the house of the synagogue official.  They found out more people were there, weeping and wailing loudly, for they were paid criers.  These people were not relatives of the deceased.  They are paid to cry and to give an atmosphere of bereft for the dead loved one.  “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’.” (Mk. 5: 37-39).  He only allowed coming with him his three apostles, Peter, James and John, and the parents of the deceased young girl, while the rest of the people he sent them away.   When he said that “the child is not dead but asleep,” they made fun of him.  “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” (Mk 5: 40).

Although the little girl was already dead, “He took the child by hand and said to her, ‘Talitha kaum!,’ which means, ‘Little child, I say to you, arise!’  The girl, a child of twelve, aroused immediately and walked around.  At that they were utterly astounded” (Mk. 5: 41-42).  In just holding the child’s hand and saying mere words, “Little child, I say to you, arise!,”  the girl rose immediately, she got well and live, and as if nothing had happened.  How happy the father seeing his daughter rose and walked.  Maybe there were lots of praises and thanksgiving in that house on that day.  As usual, “He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat” (Mk. 5: 43).  Thanks be to God.