Daily Gospel Reflection for February 5, 2019

Today's Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 - Memorial of St. Agatha Today’s Gospel passage is the tale of two healings. First is the woman with the hemorrhage. She suffered for 12 years, sought healing and treatment from countless doctors, and wound up isolated and alone. But she didn’t give up. “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” And so it was. “Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes?’” Suffering from my own chronic illness, I often wonder, “If only I had this woman’s faith, if only I could touch Jesus’ clothes, I would finally be cured.” And then I remember that I have something better than His clothes. I have His body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. And through the Holy Eucharist, He comes to rest with me in the midst of my suffering, reminding me that I am never alone. But why have I not received healing when I ask? When I try to do everything right? This brings us to the second person in today’s reading. Notice how the story starts with her … but Jesus doesn’t go to her immediately. She waits for her healing. Sometimes Jesus heals immediately. And sometimes healing happens over time. In the first healing, she sought the Lord. In the second, she kept still, waiting for Him to approach. No matter how it happens, when we encounter Jesus, He heals. It might not be what we expect. But we can trust it will be better, because it comes from Him, the One who loves us more than we could ever imagine. “He took the child by the hand and said to her, ’Talitha koum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’”