Touching the hem of His garment

Today’s gospel (Mark 6: 53-56) is very short and very simple, as are its implications for us. Where are we in these simple scenes that reveal a growing mass of people following Jesus and bringing the sick to him to be healed? We are perhaps there in three ways in this gospel.

Sometimes we are like those who bring the sick to Jesus. The older we get, the longer becomes our list of prayer intentions for others. We know more people who die, who are sick or who clearly need the balm of Jesus’ grace. We should bring them to Him in their droves; batter the door of His heart for their good. And include all those we have failed or led into sin ourselves. Whenever we failed in our vocation, we let down someone other than God, for then we missed the role Providence had assigned to us in their lives. Let us bring them to Him in all their need.

Sometimes we are also like the ones who are brought to Jesus. We may be barely conscious. We may feel like every move makes our wounds ache and our inner being revolt. But His is the healing touch. Here we are reminded of the sorrow that tinges the edges of the Presentation that we celebrated on Friday. The sword of sorrow is there for us all, and that is where our path often leads. We are disciples of a Lord who is only waiting to be lifted up on the cross to draw the world to Himself. If we are conformed to Him, there will be a share in that suffering.

And sometimes, I wonder finally if we are like the crowd who milled in Jesus’ sight, a mass of sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9: 36). For leadership in our time seems to fail in so many places. Our politicians make unspeakable laws and embrace unspeakable compromises, while for the last two decades our spiritual leaders have been beset by sexual scandal. Let our consolation be that Jesus looks upon us in this chaos with His deepest compassion. For those who love God all things work together unto good, says St Paul (even sin, adds St Augustine).

And all those who touched Him were cured, the gospel concludes. Well, we know what to do then, or we know what we need to aspire to.