(Audio recorded live, 27 June 2021)

Readings:

Wis. 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Ps. 30; 2 Cor. 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk. 5:21-24, 35b-43

Today, the Scriptures remind us that our God is God of the living. The Book of Wisdom contains many reflections to reinforce this, saying, “God did not make death.… For he fashioned all things that they might have being.” And the wisdom of St. Paul draws our attention to the gracious gift of Jesus Christ, namely, his Incarnation. Though he was rich in his Divinity, for our sake he became poor like us, so that by his poverty we might all become rich. Since he has taken upon himself our human nature, through baptism, we become his brothers and sisters. And in the Resurrection, he shows us that death is not the end. Therefore, the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter in today’s Gospel is not just a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own Resurrection, but a sign of the resurrection of the lost children of Israel.

At the heart of Jesus’ mission is restoration, drawing the people closer to the Father through his preaching and healing, and drawing the people together as children of God. The former deals with our relationship to the Father, and the latter with our relationship to one another. To accomplish this, Jesus calls us to repent and believe in the Good News. The kingdom of God is at hand! And this belief, Jesus spoke of as faith.

We might ask, well Jesus came to a people of faith, his followers were mostly devout Jews, even the early church continued attending Sabbath services while celebrating the Lord’s Day. But, perhaps this is indicative of how Jesus was restoring Israel. He was teaching them how they were to interpret the Scriptures, not heaping up heavy burdens, with all manner of extraneous ritual practices, but rather, showing them, with simple parables, how to appreciate the Word of God. That is why his parables continue to inspire us even today. And so, through the teaching of Jesus, many came to believe, many had faith. But, what does it mean to have faith?

Faith can be somewhat nebulous. It is not a feeling; it is not a thought; it is not knowledge; nor it is simply trust. Faith, as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. We see faith at work in Jairus, who, through the testimony of others, believes Jesus can heal his daughter. But, when his servants come telling him his daughter is dead, they ask, “Why trouble the teacher any longer?” Where did their faith go? Is Jesus to respond to someone’s faith and not follow through? Surely not, which is why he comforts Jairus with these words: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” In other words, what you hope for will be realized, and what you cannot see will be revealed.

That Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old should remind us of the twelve tribes of Israel, but that she is a young woman, with her whole life ahead of her, thanks to Jesus raising her to life, she represents the restoration of the children of Israel and the beginning of a new Church, formed after the heart of the teacher, and fashioned by the blood of a New Covenant.

And so, as we reflect upon the wonderful mysteries of our God, the God of the living, perhaps we may ask ourselves: What kind of faith do I have? Is it like that of Jairus, who heard about what Jesus could do, went to him and asked him for a miracle? Or is it like Jairus’ servants, who figure there is nothing more Jesus can do? If we are honest with ourselves, we have all been one or maybe even both of these at different times, but all that matters is what Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

May the faith we share today, that got us out of bed and into church, dispel all fear and continue to lead us to Christ, the source of our faith. And may the communion we receive be the realization of what we hope for, evidence of what is unseen.

Given during the COVID-19 pandemic.