“If you believe, then you shall live!” Saying (and praying) “I believe!” is something Catholic Christians do regularly. A single word says it in Latin: “Credo!”, leading directly to our English word “Creed.” It is the Nicene Creed we pray out loud at Mass. That text was fashioned in Nicaea by about 300 bishops whom the Emperor Constantine called together in synod in 325 AD. (Pope Leo included a pilgrimage to Nicaea – now in Turkey—during his recent first international trip. He celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the synod and the great foundational document it produced.)
Mark’s Gospel has two stories of deep belief (faith) in Jesus, our healing Messiah: Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead, and in the middle of that story is the healing of the woman suffering severe and frightening hemorrhages for 12 years.
The humble woman who has suffered so long wants only to touch Jesus’ clothes and be cured. The Lord accepts her story of deep faith and blesses her: “…your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured…”
Jairus is unwavering in his stalwart belief: Jesus is the true healer he must plead with for his daughter “that she may get well and live.” The Lord sees true faith and tells Jairus not to be afraid, even in the face of ridicule from those who think the girl is already dead. Jesus goes in, takes her hand, and calls her to arise. She does so at once and walks away from her sickbed.
Father Eymard says, “Surrender yourself ever to God’s holy Will for you.” May we show such true faith, real belief, and solid trust in our every prayer and action. The suffering woman and Jairus have shown us the way!
Let us pray:
Dear God, hear our pleas for help and healing. We come to you as penitents and true believers. We thank you for your unending gift we can never deserve: the precious Body and Blood of the Holy Eucharist. Amen.
