13^TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “NEARER TO THE HEALING TOUCH OF JESUS”

INTRODUCTION

The world is full of crowds of people wrapped in darkness, sickness, bondage and devil’s deceit. But those who have true faith in God find the courage and way to draw nearer to Jesus in order to stay within the reach of his healing hands which he extends to us. God knows our plight and sent his only begotten Son to heal our world, and when Jesus came, he affirmed that; “The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and sight to the blind; to free the oppressed…” (cf. Lk. 4: 18 // Is. 61: 1). Jesus went about doing good, healing many who are trapped by the envy of the devil, touching and changing lives. Many sought and drew near to touch him received their own healing as well.

 

THE FIRST READING (WIS. 1: 13 – 15; 2: 23 – 24)

In the first reading, we are meant to understand that God created the world without adding any sorrow, any poison, or any death. He created man for incorruption and eternity. But the envy and deceit of the devil brought death and sorrow into the world. The wisdom writer upheld that righteousness is immortal. And so with righteousness we remain close or nearer to the image of God (perfection), and farther from the destructive powers of sin. Righteousness therefore brings us nearer to the healing and saving grace/hands of God.

 

THE SECOND READING (2 COR. 8: 7. 9. 13 – 15)

To draw nearer to the healing hands of Jesus, St. Paul urges us to excel in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in love, and in gracious works; using our abundance to ease the want of others so that God would also use His own abundance to ease our own wants. Whoever does this is never far away from the healing and saving touch of Jesus all day!

 

THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 5: 21 – 43)

In the gospel reading, we saw Jairus maneuvered the crowd and came face to face with Jesus begging him to come and lay his healing hands on his dying daughter that she may be well again. As St. Paul recommended, his faith, knowledge and utterance were excellent. We also saw the woman with the flow of blood who also overcame the crowd to touch Jesus herself in order to be healed. Both of their healings came by virtue of their faith and their close contact with Jesus. They did not allow the crowd or their status to discourage them from getting nearer or close enough to Jesus their healer. Their strong faith was the driving force that drew them nearer to Jesus against all odds.

 

CONCLUSION

Like St. Paul rightly said; if we excel in faith, in knowledge, in love, in gracious works, and in righteousness, we are always a touch away from the healing hands of Jesus. With these virtues we can also subdue/overcome the envy, deceit and trap of the devil which draws us away from Jesus our healer and brings sickness upon our bodies and souls. In faith, righteousness and love, we pray and also invite Jesus today to lay his hands upon us that we may live graciously and freed from our diseases. May God touch us one more time and heal us by his love!

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 13th Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: God’s power over sickness, death and all obstacles to our joy

Readings: Wis 1:13-15;2:23-24; 2Cor 8:7. 9.13-15; Mk 5: 21-43

Dear friends in Christ, on this thirteenth Sunday, the Church reminds us that our God is the giver of life, the author of life and of good health. God created us to live, and it is his desire that we should prosper in good health of body and mind.

The first reading of today clearly captures this good intention of God for us. It reminds us of God’s good desire for His creatures to be alive and in good health. This plan of God has not changed at all. God still restores us when we fall ill, and He will never stop doing so. For this reason, He tells us through prophet Jeremiah that: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future...” (Jer 29:11). Also, God spoke to us through the letter of Saint John saying: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” (3Jn. 1:2). Yes, this is the desire of God for us. Whether we are alive or dead, the plan of God remains unchanged because He is a loving father.

This first reading, therefore, tells us that death is not among the desires of God for us, his creatures. It tells us that God created us for immortality, that he made us in his own image of eternity, and that death entered the world because of the envy of the devil. So, death comes as a destroyer of the good plan of God for us; it comes to snatch the joy of life and good health which God has ordained for us.

In the gospel of today, St. Mark beautifully tells the story of how death and sickness come to snatch the joy of our lives and how Jesus rescues us from the hand of death and sickness, so that we can fully enjoy God’s original plan for us. The first story tells us of Jairus and his little daughter, who died. Saint Mark said that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old, which means she was at the threshold of womanhood. So, death came to steal the joy of a little girl who was about to enter womanhood, as well as the joy her parents would have while watching their little girl grow into womanhood, because in the tradition of the Ancient Near East, at twelve years, girls are betrothed to their future husbands.

In the second story, St Mark told us how sickness snatched away or stole the joy of good health of a woman for twelve 12 years. This woman has spent all she resources just to get healing, but none came.

In the two scenes, St Mark showed us the power of Jesus over anything that poses as a barrier or a threat to the original plan of God for us, that is, God’s plan of life and good health for us. He showed us the power of Jesus over sickness and death: Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from death and also healed the sick woman of her serious sickness. Jesus has the power to handle whatever comes as a barrier between us and our good future, and between us and our joy. This is the power of God.

Hence, God’s plan for us remains unchanged: It is life not death, good health not sickness, peace not war, unity not division, love not hatred, and many more good things. We only need to follow Him with faith. Because of God’s plan for us, St Paul reminded us in today’s second reading that: “The Lord Jesus was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.” The scripture also tells us that: “God did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all” to free us from the power of darkness (Rom. 8:32). Dear friends, to fulfil His plan for us, God is ready to sacrifice anything, even His only Son.  

The miracles of today’s gospel tell us that we must demonstrate a strong faith as we call on Christ to intervene in our problems or in anything that seeks to steal our joy. In both cases, we saw faith in action: the sick woman demonstrated her faith by believing that only touching the garment of Jesus will heal her. She was also active in her faith by not giving up despite the crowd that made it almost impossible to reach Jesus. Also, Jairus demonstrated his faith on behalf of his daughter by inviting Christ and by believing in Jesus even when he heard that her daughter had died. Both Jairus and the woman never gave up, instead, they waited patiently until the plan of God was fulfilled for them.

Dear friends, we must learn that it is God’s plan for us to prosper both in body and soul, but we must be patient and walk into this plan with faith. Also, we have a role to play in God’s plan towards others, as Jairus did for his daughter. So, while Christ seeks our welfare every day, we too must constantly seek the welfare of others.

Peace be with you

Fr Isaac Chima

 13^th Sunday, Year B: Reflection by Fr Julian Ekeh

THEME: WAKE UP THE SLEEPING CHILD IN YOU: TALITHA CUMI

(Mark 5:21-43)

Jesus, in the gospel of today, did two great miracles. The first was the healing of the woman who had suffered the issue of blood for twelve years and then the raising of the twelve years old girl who was dead.

 Let us focus on the second miracle with an eye too on the first.

 

THE LITTLE GIRL

The little girl represents youthfulness, dreams, passion, zeal, hope, and a bright future. But here is she, down with fever, sick and helpless. She can't move, she can't do anything for herself, she can no longer play, her talents are latent. She now depends totally on people. Her dreams may no longer come true. Oh, what an ugly situation! This is the fate of many of our youths today. They do not know which way to go. They are confused. They are just there. They are exploited, they learn to exploit, and they do not live a life of value anymore. Life in themselves and others make no sense. It is sad.

 

WHERE ARE THE WAKERS?

The sick sleeping child had guardians. These guardians may not necessarily be parents. But in a situation today where no one wants the teachers, the good neighbours, and moral voices to correct and keep their wards conscious, the youths mess up and perish messing up.

Glory to God for the man Jarius, in today's gospel. He did not come to exploit. He did not want to take advantage of the helpless girl. He did not want to allow her to die.

The sick girl maybe an alcoholic, she maybe a sex addict, she may not be just under-aged in number of years but 'under-graced', 'under-faith' naive about life, myopic in issues of relationship, just sick about many things.

  

TAKE THE RIGHT STEP

Go to Jesus. Invite Jesus for that sick person who lacks knowledge of how to handle his or her problems, who is lying on the ruins of money-making madness, moral decadence, and faithlessness.

Jesus may seem to delay. Listen as He tells you today: Don't give up on him or her.

At a time, Jarius thought that the girl was totally dead. He thought there was no more remedy to her issue. In the same vein, a good number of moral voices of our land are thinking that it will take only God to remedy the plight of our sleeping sick youths of this generation. This is true, but let's not give up on playing our little roles to wake the sleeping child in us and in our people.

 

Some parents have stopped making any effort to wake their children from their slumbers. Don't give up. Take them to Jesus and take Jesus to them.

 

FAILED GUARDIANS

Many young little boys and girls are lying sick because they have failed wakers. They are faced towards the wrong things of life. These supposed wakers are busy pursuing money, being entertained, and playing away. They choose to send back the children to school for lesson during the holidays. They do not watch them grow. They may have been infected by fellow students, social media or society. But lack of proper supervision makes these children mature with sick orientation and eventually die with it.

Because of improper training and not knowing where to run to for guardians.

Dear parents and guardians, let us catch them young. Those of you who have got it wrong already, let us redress. Have you spent all you have, your time, and your energy on the wrong things? Run to Jesus for healing.

God alone is the solution for both the young and the old.

The elderly ones should encourage the younger ones to take the word of God seriously, to eat the body and blood of Christ as a heavenly remedy, to stop going for the perishing things of this passing life, to confess their sins, and touch Jesus to receive grace, mercy and holiness. May Jesus help you to be awake and active in all good works.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Oh God, we thank You for the miracles of raising us from our fallen states. We pray You to give us the grace and zeal to carry out our responsibilities with passion, to rise in holiness, draw closer to You and to help bring others to You through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday to you

(13th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr. B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh