Holding Fast to God in Faith!

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

2 Sm 18:9-10,14,24-25,30:19:3; Mk 5:21-43

In today’s Gospel, we come across two healing narratives. 

The first is the healing of a woman afflicted with hemorrhage for twelve years. When we analyze the healing, we cannot help but admire her faith. In those days, when physical illness was understood as a curse from God, the woman did not blame God for all her sufferings. Others would have certainly directed her thoughts in this direction. However, it is amazing to see that she does not even think that God is the problem. That is why she voluntarily approaches Jesus, telling herself, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.’ She had every reason to blame God. Instead, she is full of faith in God. 

Secondly, in the healing narrative of Jairus’ daughter, we encounter another ‘hopeless’ situation. The people coming from his house discourage Jairus, saying, ‘Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?’ Jairus could have left Jesus’ presence immediately. But Jairus stays with the Lord. No discouragement removes him from the presence of God. 

The woman as well as Jairus teach us that, ‘If or where there is faith, we can witness God’s power. No situation could be an exception.’ 

Looking at both, we can understand that they are not just healed by faith but live by faith. 

They teach us that discovering faith is discovering life. 

Because faith is the way to God, losing faith is equivalent to losing God. 

They demonstrate the magic of holding fast to God in faith, even when we are surrounded by despair and discouragement. 

In their lives, we find something: ‘With faith, we keep the door open for God to enter in.’ 

Let us pray that our faith becomes our anchor to hold fast to God!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar