Tuesday February 1

Tuesday of 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Power Went Out From Him

 

Absalom is defeated and killed. The victory of the king’s army turns into a party of mourning, for notwithstanding Absalom’s rebellion, David still loved him very much.

Jesus uses his power to do good and to give an object lesson on faith to his disciples and to the people. It is a power that gives health and life. When the woman touches Jesus with a sort of magic belief in his power, he insists on faith; so he does when, as a sign of his own resurrection, he brings Jairus’ daughter back to life. Should power in us not mean also a power that lifts up, a power of resurrection?

               

First Reading: 2 Samuel 18:9-10; 14-15;18:24-26

Absalom ran into David’s men, but was out in front of them riding his mule, when the mule ran under the branches of a huge oak tree. Absalom’s head was caught in the oak and he was left dangling between heaven and earth, the mule running right out from under him. A solitary soldier saw him and reported it to Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!”

            Joab said, “I can’t waste my time with you.” He then grabbed three knives and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive in the tree; by then Absalom was surrounded by ten of Joab’s armor bearers; they hacked away at him and killed him.

David was sitting between the two gates. The sentry had gone up to the top of the gate on the wall and looked around. He saw a solitary runner. The sentry called down and told the king. The king said, “If he’s alone, it must be good news!”

As the runner came closer, the sentry saw another runner and called down to the gate, “Another runner all by himself.”

And the king said, “This also must be good news.”

 

Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 

After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.” Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.

A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.

 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

 His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”

But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.

 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”

 

Prayer

Almighty Father,
often we hunger for power
when we don’t have it,
we ask for more when we possess it,
and then we don’t know how to use it well.
Help us always to accept the power
of our influence, our potentials and talents
as gifts coming from your hands
and to use them for the good of others,
to heal and to forgive,
to bring life and to build up,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you for ever. Amen.

 

Reflection:

1 February 2022
[Gospel for the Chinese New Year is John 1:1-12]

To touch the image of God

Mark 5:21-43

For the Chinese people and for those in the South East Asia, today is the Chinese New Year of the Tiger according to the Lunar Calendar. The Lunar New Year reminds us of our culture, traditions and common origin; It is time to honour the ancestors, to give thanks for the past year and to pray for our land and its people. Let this New Year enable us to open up to God and to our brothers and sisters in love and mutual concern and service.

Jesus was in the midst of the crowd. The word ‘crowd’ is used five times in this passage. Jesus was constantly among the people. While in their midst, Jesus raises the question: “Who touched me?”. Jesus not only understands the crowd, he also feels the crowd. He hears the heart beats of each one. He cares for each one who stretches out to touch him, always!
A similar situation happens when the ruler of the Synagogue approaches Jesus to tell Him about his gravely ill little daughter. And He leaves everything else to attend to this one: he is accessible to the great and to the small, always!

What about these two women in the gospel passage? The first one has had a blood-loss for
12 years. As per their law, flow of blood makes her impure; she cannot generate life. The second woman – the young daughter of Jairus – is of marriageable age of 12. But in her, life is interrupted, she is dead. The number twelve in these two instances is not just a coincidence. It refers to the 12 tribes – the whole Israel.

These women represent Israel. Israel, although the bride of the Lord, but abandoned her husband and became impure. She cannot generate life. This woman comes across Jesus and believes in him and says to herself: ‘If I succeed, even to touch his mantle, I will be saved.” Only when she finds Christ and touches him – Israel falls into the hands of her husband – she is made pure and she is saved.

The daughter of Jairus also refers to Israel. Israel, the bride of the Lord is dying. But when the Lord, her groom takes her by his hand, and raises her up, she comes alive.

In the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to touch him. In the lives of all the people around us we have the opportunity to touch the image of God. To be saved, all that we need to do is to touch Him in the sacraments, in the Word of God and in the lives of people around us.

 

Video available on Youtube: To touch the image of God