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“Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck 1815
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Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
Commentary on 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
The tale of King David’s family continues with these verses. They describe the death of the king’s rebellious son, Absalom. It certainly must have felt like divine intervention that the leader of the rebel forces was accidentally caught by the hair as he passed under a tree. The end of Absalom was also against King David’s explicit orders. When Joab, the leader of King David’s forces, ordered the trapped prince to be killed, he did so in violation of his orders and, as we see, caused his king great grief.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1a) Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Commentary on Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Psalm 86 is an individual lament. It asks for mercy from God. The psalmist sings of an afflicted life, and asks God to give his servant relief. The song indicates the faithfulness of the singer, even in times of distress.
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Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
Commentary on Mk 5:21-43
This selection from Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus continuing his journey of healing. The passage relates two interwoven examples of the power of faith in healing. First the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter is presented. This is important from the standpoint that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would only consult with one widely recognized as an authority in spiritual matters.
On the way to the little girl, a woman with a hemorrhage that had been incurable by local physicians pressed in close and touched his cloak. She was cured and it was as if her faith reached out and touched Jesus, unlike the others crowded around because he felt her touch among all the others. He turned and was able to specifically identify her. The Lord’s words to her were: “…your faith has saved you.”
Arriving at the synagogue official's house, Jairus’ faith was tested a second time as he was informed his daughter had died. Jesus ignored these reports and proceeded to reward Jairus’ faith by bringing his daughter back from death, a sign of his mission to all mankind.
CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:25-34 548; Mk 5:28 2616; Mk 5:34 1504; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
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Reflection:
One of the many rewards of faith in a loving and merciful God is the consolation of Christ in times of grief. The Holy Father, Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI, expresses this much better than I could in his encyclical Spe Salvi:
“Indeed, to accept the 'other' who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio, ‘consolation’, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” (Spe Salvi, II, 38.)
In simple language, the grief or sorrow we experience, especially at the loss of a loved one, a friend, or even a relationship, is indeed the feeling of being alone, deprived of the person whose loss we have suffered. Into this void comes Jesus, his loving hand outstretched, bridging the gap between life and death. In him we are never alone. It is his consolation that lifts us out of hopelessness and gives us grace to overcome even the greatest of obstacles.
As Pope-Emeritus Benedict says, Christ’s consolation is expressed most visibly though his followers (that would be us). Our compassion for those who suffer becomes a miracle in itself. It is not easy to accept another’s suffering though, is it? Accepting that burden necessarily means to experience the pain felt by the one who suffers. That pain, we submit, is quantifiable. That is, there is only so much to go around and the more who share in that suffering, the less burdensome it becomes to the group within which it is shared. It is Christ’s (con-solatio) consolation – we are no longer alone.
Today as we think about the grief of King David who endures the loss of a son and Jairus, who briefly was stabbed with the pain of losing a daughter, let us remember those who grieve the loss of those they love: husbands, wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. May all those who suffer the loss be blessed with Christ’s steadfast presence and our offer to share their suffering so it might be lessened though the consolation and mercy of God.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck 1815
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