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| “The Martyrdom of St Agatha” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1756 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:1-4
Commentary on Heb 12:1-4
Speaking to the Hebrews, St. Paul exhorts them to follow the example of witnesses both ancient (from the Old Testament) and contemporary. He uses Christ as the banner of steadfast faith, who, seeing the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven, endured the Cross for the sake of salvation for the people.
The author returns to his principal theme in this selection. He encourages the faithful to redouble their zeal for the faith. It is interesting that the author mentions specifically how the community (cloud of witnesses) strengthens the faith. The reading goes on to place Christ’s passion as a model of steadfastness, encouraging the faithful to resist against all opposition. This resistance, says the author, should include shedding one’s own blood for the faith.
CCC: Heb 12:1-2 165; Heb 12:1 1161, 2683; Heb 12:2 147; Heb 12:3 569, 598
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
R. (see 27b) They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
Commentary on Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
Psalm 22 is an individual lament. The psalmist, in unusually passionate terms, describes the devotion of the faithful and the trust that God’s rule over all will be just. The final strophe is a pledge of faithfulness for all generations to come. The psalmist gives the response to God’s covenant. It supports the idea from Hebrews 12:1-4 that this act of worship is done in community by the individual. In fact, the song presumes a communal worship of God. (“Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.”)
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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; it was as if her faith reached out and touched Jesus. This was 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. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI expressed 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. “[4]
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 the Holy Father said, 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 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 used today is “The Martyrdom of St Agatha” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1756.
[4] Spe Salvi, II, 38.
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