Homily: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Mark 5:21-42
30 June 2024
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez
Parish Priest, The Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy
My friend had an aunt who migrated to the US and became a doctor. She was very successful and she became active in many Filipino-American organisations and an avid volunteer at her Church. She had the perfect life for a single woman but she was so insistent on getting married, that she dove into a string of doomed relationships. At fifty (50), she finally married a much younger unemployed man from the province (probinsyano) who did not love her but saw her as his ticket to a better life in the US. He struggled so much with English that he was unemployable. He became fully dependent on her. Nonetheless, she supported him and spoiled him with a full designer wardrobe and lavish trips around the world. She couldn’t retire comfortably since she felt she had to sustain the life her husband had grown accustomed to. Sadly, when she got sick in her old age, he abandoned her. She suffered throughout her married life but refused to admit it to friends and family out of shame. After all, she went all out to find a husband; she could not fail her marriage.
All of us at different moments of our lives must have struggled with a weakness or we have borne a cross that we are afraid to acknowledge to God, let alone to other people. Maybe, we have a secret addiction to alcohol or gambling or pornography or gaming, or even online shopping. Or perhaps, we struggle with a character flaw such as being gullible, or easily angered or being irresponsible. Maybe, we can’t find the words to express our shame, guilt and pain to God even in the silence of our hearts in prayer. We are much less hesitant to share it with others for fear of being judged, misunderstood and ostracised. We are afraid to be cut off from the Lord and separated from family and friends.
If this is the case, we can relate with the woman healed of her bleeding problem by Jesus in today’s gospel. By Jewish law, she had to live apart from society because her bleeding made her unclean and unfit to associate with others. In the passage, we are told that Jesus was on his way to bring life back to the daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, an important man, but Jesus stopped to engage with a woman considered an outcast; someone from completely the opposite end of the social order. He is not in a hurry. He gives her his time. He gives His full attention. Nothing is as important to Jesus as that moment that He is connecting with those in need. He wants to hear their whole story. Jesus wants to bring healing to their souls, to their very being — restoring them to wholeness, calling them as God’s “daughters”, calling them as God’s “sons”.
The woman in our gospel was sick for twelve (12) years. She most likely went to every doctor available to find a cure. Sometimes, we try to solve our problems ourselves and fail. Sometimes we think we are making progress but fall right back into our self-destructive behaviours. Whatever it is that we struggle with, we should follow this woman’s example. She acknowledged that Jesus was the answer. He was the key to healing and wholeness. She took a risk to reach Jesus but only managed to touch the hem of His garment but she believed that would be enough! We too must reach out to Christ for mercy, healing, strength, and forgiveness as best we can. Jesus will not embarrass us or send us away. Instead, He will respond graciously, as He always did to humble, sincere people who came to Him with faith, love, and repentance.
Brothers and sisters, whatever our story, whatever our journey through life has been up to this point, let us reach out and touch Jesus in faith, and let Him minister to us — to bring healing to us, to restore us, to welcome us into God’s family. We have a brother who is always waiting for us to come home to God, our Father.
Howard Lyon/A thread of faith
Sunday Gospel Reflections 