TOUCHES THAT HEAL
Introduction
The prophet Hosea is the prophet of the tender, gratuitous love of God, who continues loving his people even when we are unfaithful, because he is God, and not like people (Hosea 11, 9). Hosea can describe this love well, for he had experienced it in his own life when his wife deserted him. He went to take her back and went on a new honeymoon with her. This is the kind of love God has for us.
God has made us for life. In Jesus he shows us that he wants us to be healed, that is, wholly and fully alive and raised from the dead, for by his resurrection Jesus defeats death in its roots. In this Eucharist we ask Jesus to raise us up, from the death of sin and ultimately from physical death.
1 Reading Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22
Thus says the LORD:
I will allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak to her heart.
She shall respond there as in the days of her youth,
when she came up from the land of Egypt.
On that day, says the LORD,
She shall call me “My husband,”
and never again “My baal.”
I will espouse you to me forever:
I will espouse you in right and in justice,
in love and in mercy;
I will espouse you in fidelity,
and you shall know the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
Generation after generation praises your works
They speak of the splendour of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
Alleluia 2 Timothy 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Saviour Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
“My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
“Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.”
And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
Commentary:
Touch heals. We find two instances of touch in today’s gospel. In the first event, the lady who had been suffering from haemorrhage reaches out and touches Jesus—she “touched the edge of his cloak”—and is instantly healed. In the case of the daughter of the synagogue official, Jesus reaches out and touches her—“he took the girl by the hand”—and she is healed immediately. When a Nigerian woman says the husband has not touched her since one week, then, there is serious problem. There are meanings behind this ‘touching satement’: value, worth, affection, healing love and satisfaction.
However, there might be times in our lives when we wait for God to take the first move and wonder why God is delaying His touch. At those moments, let the lady who bled become our model—let us reach out and grab God. But there might be moments when we have no energy left and are as good as dead—like the little girl. Be sure then that God will reach out and take us by our hands insofar as he has our invitation. But, whether we touch God or God touches us, the experience is one of healing and new life.
Blessing
God wants us to live to the full. That is why he lets his Son Jesus Christ heal and strengthen us with the food and drink of everlasting life. May almighty God bless and keep you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!