Monday 6th July 2020. Read Hosea 2:14-20, Psalm 145:2-9, Matthew
9:18-26.
“My
daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
(Matthew 9:18)
In
Mark’s version of the encounter between Jairus and Jesus, he reports that
Jairus came to Jesus when his daughter was critically ill and Jesus agreed to
accompany him to the house. On the way, some persons came to Jarius to say: “Do
not trouble the Master any more, your daughter has died already but Jesus
encouraged him saying: “The girl is only sleeping.”
According
to Matthew, Jarius came to Jesus after his daughter had died already saying:
“My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will
live.” This means that Jairus believed that Jesus had the power to raise the
dead to life just as the woman suffering from the issue of blood believed the
fringe of Jesus’ garment could heal her.
How
strong is my faith in God? Would I go to God to pray after hearing someone
close to me has died already? Do I believe there is such a thing as a
‘hopeless’ case? Can I say like the woman that “If only I touch the fringe of
Jesus garment” or “If only I touch Holy Communion, I shall be made well”?
Indeed,
as our Psalmist sings today, “the Lord is kind and full of compassion.” This is
something we must remember when we go to God in prayer, that God cares, that He
is ever ready to grant our intentions. People may sympathize with you, but only
God is truly compassionate; only God can ‘suffer-with’ us.
In
our first reading, God expresses his love for us using marital language: “I will
espouse you in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.”
If only we know how much love God feels towards us, we would not dare offend
Him for once.
Today,
we remember Saint Maria Goretti. Born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, in the
Kingdom of Italy. On July 5, 1902, eleven-year-old Maria was sitting on the
outside steps of her home, sewing one of Alessandro's shirts and watching
Teresa, while Alessandro was threshing beans in the barnyard. Knowing she would
be alone, he returned to the house and threatened to stab her with an awl if
she did not do what he said; he was intending to rape her.
She
would not submit, however, protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal
sin and warning him that he would go to Hell. She fought desperately and kept
screaming, “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” He first choked her, but
when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her
eleven times. She tried to reach the door, but he stopped her by stabbing her
three more times before running away.
As
we remember St. Maria Goretti, we pray against the spirit of rape in our world.
It is an irony what while we protest against this evil in our society, we
continue to celebrate an immoral lifestyle. For instance, we dance to music with
lucid lyrics that objectify the female body as something made only for sexual
pleasure, every tailor or fashion designer today makes clothes primarily to
emphasize shape and create sexual appeal, we do not censor what our children
are watching online and at home and in the quest to make ends meet, we no longer
have time to gather our children for moral instructions daily; we no longer
pray together as families.
Let
us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to trust in your infinite power and love you.
Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 14th Week in
Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Hosea 2:14-20, Psalm
145:2-9, Matthew 9:18-26).
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