TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (Mark 5:21-43) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
FIRST READING - 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
"If only I had died instead of you!"
A reading from the Second Book of Samuel
9 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large oak tree, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule under him kept going. 10 Someone saw this and reported to Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree.”
14 Joab replied, “I will not waste time with you in this way.” And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom. He was still alive in the tree.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout mounted to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked out and saw a man running all alone. 25 The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, “If he is alone, he has good news to report.” As he kept coming nearer,
30 The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.” So he stepped aside and remained there. 31 When the Cushite came in, he said, “Let my lord the king receive the good news that this day the Lord has freed you from the power of all who rose up against you.” 32 But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom all right?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young man!”
1 The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate and wept. He said as he wept, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom,” 3 and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army when they heard, “The king is grieving for his son.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 5:21-43
"Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
✠From the Gospel according to Mark
21 When Jesus had crossed again [in the boat] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. 22 One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her[a] that she may get well and live.” 24 He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
25 There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. 28 [b]She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” 29 Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” 31 But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
35 [c]While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 36 Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” 37 He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 [d]So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. 41 [e]He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” 42 The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. [At that] they were utterly astounded. 43 He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (Mark 5:21-43)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today's Word of God, God shows all humanity how great His power and might are.
Only God the Father can raise the dead, and no one else can do what He does.
God wants all humanity to know that anyone who has absolute faith in the Most High God will receive grace and healing.
Whatever they ask for, He will bestow grace and blessings upon them according to their faith in God.
Through this, He wants humanity to see the power of faith; when people place their faith in God, they will be healed both in body and soul, as the Word of God in today's Gospel shows: a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years, upon hearing the holy name of Jesus, sought to touch His cloak, hoping and asking Him to heal the illness she had suffered for so long, an illness that no medicine could cure. She only trusted in God alone.
Because of this faith, she overcame all fear and obstacles to touch Jesus; it was because of her faith that she was touched by God and received healing.
The special message in today's Gospel is that God wants to tell all humanity that only God can raise the dead; no one else can do this, because God is the God of life; He has power over everything concerning humanity, for He is the Creator of humanity.
No one has power over life and death except the Most High God alone. Therefore, it is God's power to decide who lives and who dies.
Those who trust in Him and call upon His holy name will receive His grace.
In today's Gospel, God the Father wishes to emphasize eternal life. God calls upon humanity to live in a way that allows Him to heal both their souls and bodies, so that they may receive eternal life.
The main purpose that humanity needs to achieve and strive for is happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, as shown in today's Gospel where Jesus raised a child from the dead.
God also wants to emphasize to humanity that He came into the world not for people to live forever on this earth, but to save their souls, so that after God the Father calls everyone from this world, He will save their souls so that they may have eternal life.
This is the power of God, the one who controls life, who controls both the soul and body of all humanity.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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