“Letting go of every ‘Fear’ in our lives, by having deeper ‘Faith’ in the Lord!”

(Based on Heb 12:1-4 and Mk 5:21-43 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Here is a story of a mother and her little four-year-old daughter were getting ready to retire for the night.

The child was afraid of darkness.

The mother, alone with the child, felt a little fearful as well.

When the room lights were put off, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window.

“Mother,” she asked with innocence, “is the moon, God’s light?”

“Yes, my child” said the mother “God’s light is always shining.”

The next doubt was, “Will God blow out His light and go to sleep?”

The mother smiled at her and replied, “No, my child. God never goes to sleep.”

Then out of the simplicity of a child’s faith, she said that which gave reassurance to the fearful mother: “Well, so long as God is awake, I am not afraid!”

The assurance that God was with them, made the little child courageous and strong!

Deep faith casts away every fear…!

The Gospel of the Day is a wonderful journey, with Jesus, in this movement from “Fear” through “Faith”…
… Jairus, whose daughter was at the point of death, is led from the “fear of death and hopelessness” through “faith” to experience the miracle of restoration of life
… The woman with haemorrhage for twelve years is led from the “fear of shame and depression” through “faith” to experience the miracle of cleansing and wholeness of life.

The Gospel passage of the day is one of the many “sandwich” passages in the Gospel of St Mark.

“Sandwich” stories are a literary technique in which the narration of one story begins…
… but is interrupted by another story, before finishing the first one.

Some of the examples of these “sandwich stories” are…

In Mk 3: 20-35, we have…

Mk 3:20-22: Jesus’ family members set out to seize Him
Mk 3: 23-30: Jesus speaks to the Pharisees on their accusation of Him
Mk 3: 31-35: Jesus family comes to meet Him

In Mk 6: 7-33, we have…

Mk 6: 7-13: The disciples sent on a mission
Mk 6: 14-29: Herod’s opinion on John the Baptist and the narrative of the beheading.
Mk 6: 30-33: The disciples return from the mission

In Mk 11: 12-25, we have…

Mk 11: 12-14: Jesus cursing the fig tree
Mk 11: 15-19: Jesus cleansing the Temple
Mk 11: 20-24: Jesus’ teaching on the withered fig tree

In Mk 14: 1-11, we have…

Mk 14: 1-2: The Conspiracy against Jesus
Mk 14: 3-9: The anointing of Jesus at Bethany
Mk 14: 10-11: The conspiracy plan by Judas to betray Jesus

Such kind of “sandwich” layers illustrates points for reflection by showing ..
… similarities and contrasts between the outside and the inside layers.
… the first and the last as “the bread”‘ and the centre one as the “filling” of the sandwich!

Today’s Gospel also follows this “sandwich-story” structure… Mk 5: 21-43

Mk 5: 21-24: Jesus is pleaded by Jairus to heal his daughter
Mk 5: 25-34: The woman suffering from haemorrhage is healed
Mk 5: 35-43: Jesus heals the daughter of Jairus

There are many similarities and contrasts between the “bread” – the outside layers and the “filling” – the inside layers in this ‘sandwich’ passage…

Age:

Jairus’ daughter is 12 years
The woman was suffering from haemorrhage for 12 years

Description of the Condition:

Jairus’ daughter at the point of death
The woman at the point of utter hopelessness

Status of the person:

Jairus is the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue
The woman with the problem of bleeding is an old widow

The support system for the suffering one:

Jairus’ daughter has many people to mourn – to weep and wail loudly
The widow is all alone in her suffering and agony

The place:

Jairus’ daughter is in her room, in the house
The woman with the haemorrhage is out on the crowded street

The mode of healing:

Jairus’ daughter is healed with a word, “Talitha Koum”
The suffering woman was healed by a “touch”

The title used by Jesus:

Jairus’ daughter is called by Jesus as ‘Little Girl’
The suffering woman is called by Jesus as ‘Daughter’

Some of the key messages of both these stories invite us to reflect on our own life…

1. Emphasis on Faith

Jairus, the father of the sick child, as well as the suffering woman display a tremendous faith and trust in Jesus

Do I also put my trust and hope in the Lord…
… even when situations are “dead-like” and there seems no hope in life?

2. Acts of humility

Jairus, as well as the suffering woman, make acts of humility, by falling at the feet of Jesus and pleading for mercy and help

Am I able to let go of my egoistic tendencies and be ready to fall at the feet of the Lord…
… seeking for His mercy, compassion and help?

3. The Lord being in perfect control

Jairus, as well as the suffering woman experience the charismatic power and control that Jesus displays even when throngs of pain, suffering and death are surrounding him.

Do I realise that even if there are crowds of humiliation and shame around me or mourners of discouragement and despair wailing loudly in my life…
… the Lord is still in perfect charge, if I surrender and offer my life to His tremendous power?

The “sandwich stories” of the day are a great invitation for us to move from a “Life of Fear” to a “Life of Faith”, trusting and putting our hope in the Lord and in His Mighty Power.

It is to be also noted that after the cure of Jairus’ daughter, the Lord asked her parents to “give her something to eat” (Mk 5: 43)

This is a strong reminder for us that after moving from a “Life of Fear” to a “Life of Faith”…
… we also need to sustain and nourish it by eating and consuming of the “Life of Fullness” in the Most Holy Eucharist!

Let us let go of every “Fear” in our lives, by having deeper “Faith” in the Lord…
… and enjoying the “Fullness” of healing and happiness!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

Respect for His Name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God Himself…
… and to the whole sacred reality It evokes.

The sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion. (CCC # 2143)

“Growing in our conviction of our ‘belongingness’ to the Lord and being fearless and courageous in giving ‘external expression to our Faith!’”

(Based on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – Day of Consecrated Life)

In a session, for a gathering of priests and religious – as part of the Day of Consecrated Life – the speaker asked:
“Can anyone please tell me in a word, what your idea of consecration is?”

An elderly sister, sitting right on the first row, stood up…

The speaker motioned to her… to answer

The sister – who had much experience in life working in mission areas- held out a blank sheet of paper…

And replied: “Consecration is nothing but to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet of paper…
… and let God fill it in, as He will
… and be joyful and at peace!”

That is indeed a beautiful way of understanding Consecration, isn’t it?

A total surrender to God’s Will and being joyful

A complete submission to God’s Ways and remaining at peace!

Today on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord…
As Christians, we are reminded to grow in our “conviction of belonging to the Lord”…
… and to be fearless and courageous in allowing God to take complete control of our lives!

Today is also a day when we celebrate the ‘Consecrated Way of Life.’

Consecration is giving oneself to the Lord wholly.

Consecration is seeking to be pure – completely – in heart and mind.

The Gospel of the Day presents St Joseph and Mother Mary presenting Jesus in the Temple.
“When the days were completed for their purification, according to the Law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord” (Lk 2:22)

We are on the 40th Day after Christmas, the Nativity of Jesus.

The Book of Exodus spoke of the need of this presentation and consecration of the first-born child…
“Consecrate to me every first-born that opens the womb…

If your son ask you later on, ‘What does this mean’, you shall tell him, ‘ With a strong hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the land of slavery….'” (Ex 12: 2, 14)

The act of presentation in the Temple…
… represented fulfilling of God’s command
… recalled God’s deed of deliverance from slavery
… reminded the deep love of God for His people

The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, is also another reminder of the “ordinariness” of the Lord, in His Incarnation…

Jesus was known as the child of “ordinary” human parents!

He took birth and grew up in “ordinary” conditions and circumstances!
He lived His life in an “ordinary” family situation!

By Baptism, all of us are also consecrated to the Lord…

Some of us, have also made a deeper consecration by the profession of vows…

The meaning of this consecration, also, derives from the Consecration of the Lord…

We are “ordinary” by our sinful nature…
… yet the Lord exalts us to live a pure and holy life.

We are “ordinary” by our human nature…
… yet the Lord wishes to join with His Divine nature

We are “ordinary” in our deeds and works…
… yet the Lord wants to be His Kingdom partners

Our consecration…
… is a deep call and invitation to live a Holy Life
… is a loving obligation and sacred duty to be fully committed to Him

Each of us – whether single or in family life, whether a priest or a religious –
… ought to BELONG TO THE LORD AND TO HIM ALONE!

We are all consecrated and offered to the Lord.

Let us hold the hands of St Joseph and Mamma Mary, and renew our consecration to the Lord.

This is a day…
… to renew our commitment and zeal for the Lord
… to rekindle the fire of our love and faith in the Lord
… to restore our initial enthusiasm and interest for the Lord
… to revitalize our knowledge and comprehension of the Lord

Life will constantly take us to situations where we will face tough and hard moments.

Can we allow the Lord to fill the “papers of our life” – the canvas of our life – the way He wishes…
… and bowing before His Holy Will – say Yes to Him – and live in joy and peace?

May we grow in our conviction of our “belongingness” to the Lord…
… and be fearless and courageous in giving “external expression to our Faith!”

Yes, let us pray: “Lord, I belong to You and to You alone, Amen!”

Happy Feast to all of us, who are consecrated to the Lord, by our Baptism…
… specially to the Consecrated, by virtue of the evangelical vows!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: The Revealed Name of God.

God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. (CCC # 2143)