Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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June 25, 2021June 27, 2021
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24
2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15
Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43
GROW: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” It’s likely we’ve heard and seen Jesus’ reassuring words or even shared them with others. When I read the story of Jairus and his daughter, I thought of a man with whom I spoke recently. As his lungs failed him during a bout with coronavirus, doctors advised him to say good-bye to his wife and daughters before they placed him on a ventilator. “I was expecting to wake up in heaven,” he said, recalling the moment not as one of fear or panic, but of deep peace. In today’s Gospel passage, Jairus had that kind of “fearless faith” as well, placing his daughter’s life wholly in Jesus’ hands even as others in the crowd ridiculed him. When we pray or ask for God’s healing, we can’t know the outcome. But we can pray for the gifts of faith and courage, placing our lives in God’s loving hands.
GO: When I was a child, my aunt would always encourage us to make the sign of the cross when we passed an ambulance or accident scene. In her concern for the strangers at the side of the road, my aunt was giving us a lesson in compassion, which stands in marked contrast to the crowds who ridiculed Jairus as he desperately sought help for his daughter. The Church has a rich tradition of intercessory prayer, encouraging us to pray for the needs of others. Today’s readings remind me that we can share our faith by praying for others who are sick, dying, grieving, or struggling in some way. Likewise, we can ask others to pray for us, trusting that God will hear our prayers.
PRAY: Do you ever offer to pray for someone and then completely forget? Try writing each person’s name on a Post-it and placing it on your bedside table. Other ideas: Pray the Rosary while driving or exercising, devoting a decade to each person; include prayers for others when you say Grace before meals; as soon as you offer to pray for someone, drop everything and do it!
