💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 30 💖

First Reading - 2 Samuel 18:9-30,19:3

Gospel - Mark 5:21-43

Our technological advancement is a great pride for us because they can bring healing and speedy recovery in the case of illness, comfort and convenient lifestyle in the case of gadgets, vehicles, houses etc. Though we have advanced a lot in many ways but we are not eternal and permanent and this reminds us that our means also are not perfect but imperfect like us. Thus we need the help and mercy of God in our lives. The readings remind us today that we need to grow in our faith to experience the compassion and mercy of God in our lives.

In the first reading, we see David mourns over the death of his son Absalom. David had a typical nature as contrary to one can imagine. Usually the death of an enemy brings joy and smile on the face of a person but David feels sad about the death of Absalom who wanted to kill him for the throne. This typical nature of David reflects his compassionate character and tender nature even for son turned enemy. 

The gospel passage of today displays the power of Jesus over sickness and death. The major theme in the miracle stories of healing of the woman with a haemorrhage and raising of Jairus daughter beacon at the result of strong faith, thus healing and salvation by faith. Both bring out the compassion of Jesus for those who had a lowly place in Jewish society: two females, one of whom was a child, the other an outcast due to her continuing state of ritual impurity. Jesus didn't neglect the needs of a lowly women to impress an influential religious official. Both incidents show that when human means have failed, God through Jesus can succeed. The juxtaposition of the faith of a humble woman and that of a religious official reinforces the importance of faith. All must have it!

Dear friends, the word 'compassion' (Latin words 'cum' - with, 'passio' - to suffer, thus to suffer with) refers to the very nature of God where He is able to put Himself in our shoes and feel what we feel. The first highlights a glimpse of the compassion of God through David who is able to feels sorrow even about the death of so-called enemy. David evinces the nature of compassion where he wants good despite the evil desired for him by Absalom. We are also invited today to wear the nature of compassionate love for even our arch-enemy. This kind of compassionate nature will be our participation in the very compassionate nature of God.

Jesus unpacks his compassionate nature to the woman who was suffering from the haemorrhage and Jairus' daughter who was on the verge of death and later had died. The compassion of Jesus flows as a result of the faith shown by the woman and Jairus. We need to approach God in faith and our faith in Him can never deceive us. Our human efforts can fail, our scientific technology can betray us but our reliance on God cannot as is manifested by Jesus.

Let's reinforce our faith everyday by our prayers and personal relationship with God.