Mark’s Gospel continues this Sunday with the story of the woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years and the synagogue official’s daughter who had died. Last week it was Jesus calming the Sea. It is as if Mark’s Gospel is a highlight tape of Jesus that includes His greatest hits. It’s short, fast-paced, and to the point, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple. Mark has layers that are deep to keep us thinking for hours and yet simple enough for a child; Mark is so deep we’ll never reach the bottom and there is a richness that should inspire us.
Our passage today has layers, like a sandwich. Two stories in one. And you can’t break it apart. Together, they teach one huge lesson. And what is that lesson? The most crucial element of our life is faith! As Martin Luther said, “Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it.”
Now faith isn’t a leap in the dark. It’s not just hoping something is there on the other side to catch you. Our faith is a complete trust in the trustworthy God who is there and who is not silent.
We see here how faith took Jairus from a life of fear to peace. We see how faith took the woman from a life of suffering to healing. But faith does more than just makes us feel better. It connects us to Jesus.
And right now, every one of us is on a faith journey—on a spectrum ranging from unfaith to faith — and my prayer is that each of us renews our faith and continues to build this wonderful place where everyone is welcome and where Jesus is felt every single day!
In Hope,
Monsignor +Jim