Jesus was aware of a touch that was out of the ordinary, a touch of faith by a desperate woman. He stops to question, “Who touched me”? He knew power had gone out of Him and He had cured someone, but to Him it was not just a face in the crowd; He had cured a person. He had to meet her face to face, speak with her, reassure her, and comfort her. The woman comes forward; she is fearful and starting to tremble; she needs reassuring, needs kind words. She fell at the feet of Jesus. Jesus simply tells her, “It is your faith that has cured you; go in peace and be free of this illness.”

According to Jewish law, this woman was unclean because of her condition. Therefore, anyone she touched would likewise be rendered unclean. Jesus shows no concern for the ritual laws of purity. His only concern is for her. “Your faith has cured you.”

We also read about Jairus. He is an official of the synagogue, part of the establishment. He would normally regard Jesus as an outsider, a heretic, one to whom the synagogue doors would be closed. It is not faith that has brought him to Jesus, but desperation.

His child was ill, so he forgot his prejudices, his dignity, and pride. He throws himself at the feet of Jesus and begs, “My daughter is dying, come and cure her.” Then a message comes, and he is told, “Your daughter has died.” Jesus tries to build his faith. He tells him that fear is useless, what is needed is trust. Just as an aside—notice that the little girl is twelve years old, and the bleeding woman has suffered the same twelve years. The ruler calls his beloved child “daughter.” Jesus called the woman healed of the bleeding “daughter,” but in both cases, Jesus touched someone who was considered unclean. Their wholeness mattered more to Jesus than His reputation.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall also ask for His healing and divine touch in our daily lives. We shall ask ourselves how much trust do we have in the Lord whom you and I believe—who is the Master and Teacher to us? Do we keep any prejudice towards others in our daily lives? For Jesus what matters is the wholeness of the person, not the caste or creed he or she belongs to. We will ask the Good Lord to open our hearts and eyes to see the things of this world with Jesus’s eyes and Jesus’s heart always—that is with mercy, love, compassion, and kindness towards others.

With love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley