"Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." (Mk 5:34)
READING OF THE DAY
First reading from the Book of Wisdom
Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24
God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the netherworld on earth,
for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who belong to his company experience it.
Second reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians
2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15
Brothers and sisters:
As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43
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.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
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.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
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?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
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.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Mk 5:21-43
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In God's Word today, God the Father shows His power to humanity to see that God the Father can do all things. It is His love and power that shines down on humanity when creating humanity in the image of God the Father, which creates opportunities for mankind to live happily with Him forever. But, because of jealousy, disobedience to God the Father's will, along with weakness, humanity had not obeyed God the Father's will. Instead, followed Satan's temptation, that allowed them to rage on human souls and bodies.
Therefore, God the Father's mercy has loved and created opportunities for humans to repent of their sins and return to God the Father, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God the Father calls people to be alert to Satan's temptations. Do not disobey God the Father's will any longer, return to Him, worship Him, and believe in His love and mercy. Believing in His power and strength will bring eternal life and happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven to humans. He will lead humans back home to Him.
God the Father calls people to believe in the power, strength and love of Jesus Christ, God the Father's only Son coming to earth as a human. It was His power that dispelled Satan's imprisonment.
Through the image of Jesus Christ in today's Gospel, He had healed a woman who had been bleeding for 20 years, and He brought back to life a little girl, the daughter of a synagogue leader. By showing people, only God's power can banish death and Satan's imprisonment on humans. Besides Him, no one has the power to bring eternal life to humans. Besides Him, there is no other god who can dispel Satan's imprisonment on the soul and death of mankind. This is also what God wants everyone to know. In today's world, Satan is also imprisoning humanity in death, and is greatly controlling humanity's souls and bodies.
Thus, God the Father calls people to be awake and believe in God's power and strength, to run to Him through the light and grace that God the Father has bestowed on His only Son Jesus Christ. Believe absolutely: that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, eternal life will be brought to humans. Run to Him, because He is always with humanity through the Eucharist. Receive grace through the daily teachings of God's Word to fulfill the commandments God has given, to be vigilant against Satan's temptations, to eliminate all the filthy sins in the soul, and to put on the garment of God's love. Open your heart to receive the light of God's Word, and follow His ways. God the Father always opens His heart, always opens His soul, to await for all creatures to return to Him.
God is light and love. To return to God's loving embrace, which is eternal life, God the Father wants all of His children to discharge from Satan's sinful ways, stop worshiping them, and live with love, eliminating hatred. Believe, trust and rely on God's power. He can do everything. He drives out Satan to bring peace and happiness to our hearts. God the Father can do all things. He will bring eternal life to us. He is the only One who restores eternal life to us in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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