Homily

Thirteenth Sunday in OT – B – 2018
Healing the sick and raising the dead
 
Today’s Scripture Readings speak of the gift of life, and of physical and spiritual wellness that God wants us to have. The readings also urge and challenge us to be grateful for our health in body and spirit and to use God’s gifts of life and health responsibly. The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, tells us that God gave us life and health and it was through sin that sickness and death entered the world.
 
The Gospel passage from St. Mark shows us Jesus healing the afflicted woman and raising the daughter of Jairus. These miracles point to what Jesus came for, to make humanity whole again. As we sang in the Responsorial Psalm, God hears the cry of those in need. Thus He heals the sick and raises the dead to life. Jesus suffered, died and rose from the dead so that we may rise with him to new life where there is no sickness or death.
 
The woman afflicted by hemorrhage was desperate because no physician could heal her. Jairus was desperate because he knew no human being could prevent his daughter’s death. Both of them came to Jesus with faith and hope and Jesus responded with love and compassion.
 
Human situation today: Naturally a question arises in our mind – “Why is it that when someone we know is diagnosed with terminal disease and not miraculously healed even after everyone praying for that person?” Or “why is it that a young child who died in an accident is not raised to life in spite of the heartfelt prayers of the parents?” “Isn’t Jesus who healed the sick and raised the dead truly present among us in the Eucharist and still our prayers are not answered?” We helplessly watch in pain as our dear ones depart from this life so suddenly.
 
We love our life so much that we hope and think we could live in this world forever. The first awareness we need to have is that we are not created with a body that can handle eternal life. We get sick because of various factors that exist on the earth and in our own body. It grows old and finally we come to a point when our bodies do not go where we want it to go or do what we want it to do. It has to die and eventually disintegrate. This tells us that we are not created for this world but for something beyond.
 
What is that beyond? No human intelligence can give a satisfactory answer, only God can. That is what St. Paul has said in 1 Corinthians 2, 9: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him." His assurance is based on the words of Jesus himself who spoke on various occasions about the meaning of life and death and what comes after death.
 
All the healing miracles and the raising of the dead Jesus did point to his power as Son of God who came to give us all new life with him in heaven. In John’s Gospel 10:10 we hear Jesus saying “I came so that you may have life, life in abundance.” It is also good to remember what St. James wrote in his letter 1:12: “Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
 
Remember, all the people Jesus healed and the three people he raised from the dead eventually died. Therefore his mission was not to give eternal life in this world but to lead us to eternal life. That is why when our prayers for healing are not answered or when we do not see our deceased brothers or sisters come back to life, we are not to lose hope. Instead, we should make our everyday choices according to God’s purpose for our life so that we may be with Him forever in heaven.
 
Message for life: Therefore the Scripture Readings proclaimed at our Mass today inspires us and the Sacrament of Eucharist nourishes us so that we may be able to live as God wants us to live. When afflictions strike us, instead of losing hope, we look beyond the sufferings and turn our life around to make the best out of our lives. Always we need to keep in mind what St. Paul said, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him."