| Saturday, June 27th, 2015, 7:00 AM |
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Maranatha, Maranatha,
Come, Oh Lord.
And set us free!
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In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope) |
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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The Raising of Jairus' Daughter,
Edwin Longsden Long, 1889
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"Talitha koum,"
which means,
"Little girl, I say to you, arise!" |
| First Reading WIS 1:13-15; 2:23-24 God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the netherworld on earth,
for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who belong to his company experience it.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
"For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him." What in humankind's nature is made in God's own image? Is it true of all of humankind or just Christians?
2. The First Reading says this about God: "he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome." Do you and I have any responsibility to respect the whole of creation and keep wholesome everything fashioned by God? What can you do to protect our environment?
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| Second Reading 2 COR 8:7, 9, 13-15 Brothers and sisters:
As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Do you think the many poor people in the world respond better to a wealthy God or to a poor God? It could be either. Explain your answer. With which do you feel more comfortable? Why?
2. This reading is about sharing your abundance. What do you have that you can share? How much time are you willing to give to someone? Can you give some of your talents? How? How much of your treasure are you willing to share?
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| Alleluia, alleluia. CF. 2 TM 1:10 Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
Alleluia, alleluia. |
| Gospel MK 5:21-43 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat. The Gospel of the Lord |
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Discussion Questions:
1.
Was the woman with the hemorrhage shunned by others? Are there still people today who are avoided because of diseases? What about women who are oppressed in some cultures? Do children die because of malnutrition and disease in third world countries? What kinds of miracles or what kinds of small acts can you perform in Jesus' name to alleviate suffering?
2. Pope Francis mentions the woman with the hemorrhage in his homily about "first encounters" with Jesus. How would you answer the questions Francis asks you below?
... The "first encounter" with Jesus-(is) the encounter that "changes the life" of those who meet Him: John and Andrew, who stayed with the Master throughout the night; Simon who immediately became "the rock" of the new community; and then the Samaritan, the leper who returned to thank Jesus for healing him, the sick woman who was healed when she touched Christ's tunic: these, are decisive encounters that should prompt a Christian to never forget his own first encounter with Christ.
He never forgets, but we forget the encounter with Christ. And this would be a good assignment to do at home, to consider: 'When have I really felt that the Lord was close to me? When have I felt the need to change my life, or to become better, or to forgive someone? When have I felt the Lord asking something of me? When have I encountered the Lord?' Because our faith is an encounter with Jesus. This is the foundation of our faith: I have encountered Jesus, as Saul did."
Mass at Casa Santa Marta, April 24, 2015
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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"If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." ... He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
An official, Jairus, falls at your feet and pleads.
A woman boldly touches your cloak.
And you grant their wishes
through your
touch. Jesus,
let us believe.
And touch us wherever you find us:
in your poor, your sick, your flowers, birds, skies;
let us find you everywhere.
Touch us with your
grace.
Amen
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| For what are we born if not to aid one another? Ernest Hemingway "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace." By: Jimi Hendrix "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
1 John 4:12
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus God became human so that humans might become God (Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron) "The Glory of God is a human being fully alive." Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19). Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
God "dwells in us."
God's love is not meant for us alone;
we must give it away.
Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.
Give God Away Today!
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Help us then, Lord,
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.
You promise us much for this life
and for our eternal presence with You;
may we live into that promise
each day.
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An interesting thought:
The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.
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