13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Mark 5:21-43

Faith in Action

Chapel, Magdala

There’s a story about a little girl living on a farm with her family.  One morning, before sunrise, her dad asks her to go out to the bar to milk the cows.  She was terrified!  She was afraid of the dark and making that long walk to the barn.  So her dad gave her a lantern to light her way.  And he gave her these simple instructions – just go as far as the light will take you!  Don’t worry about the entire journey to the barn; just follow the light and it will guide your way.

Just have a little faith!  And isn’t that what today’s Gospel is all about?  Faith!  And wasn’t that the same message of last week’s Gospel as well?  But what a contrast!  Last week, the Apostles lost faith while they were in the midst of the storm on the Sea of Galilee.  Even though Jesus was right there with them, they feared for their lives.

And in today’s Gospel, we hear of 2 separate instances of people who kept the faith!  Jairus whose daughter was dying and the woman with the 12 year-long hemorrhage.  In both Gospels, there was the reality of death facing the people!  And yet such a contrast in response!  The Apostles – fearful and reprimanded by Jesus for their lack of faith!  And Jairus and the sick woman – so full of faith that they acted on that faith!  They went out of their way and approached Jesus and asked for His help.  Not just faith!  But they put their faith in action!

What about us?  When the storms of life and loss, of illness and uncertainty hit us smack in the face, how do we respond?  Do we cower in the darkness and lose faith and hope?  Or do we seek the light and put our trust in the Creator?  And perhaps that is our challenge today!  To not just believe, to have faith!  But, most importantly, to put that faith into action!  To take that first step out of the darkness (of life) and follow the Light!

 

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