Keep the faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer an opportunity to review and extend our experience and understanding of the role faith plays in our lives. The opening line from the twelfth chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews invokes an image of the “so great a cloud of witnesses” which was part of a local chapel. This line has been imaged by many artists and photographers. Friar Jude Winkler conveys the idea that the image is of the community of saints which Christians proclaim in the Creed to be a community that transcends physical death. The experience of closeness to diseased family and friends is our faith tying us to this wealth of support through love which never dies. The psalmist speaks about the families of the earth who receive their support and deliverance from God who hears them even from their sleep in the earth. Friar Jude notes the technique used by Mark to interrupt one story about Jesus with a story within the story. The daughter of the synagogue official is declared by Jesus to be asleep. Friar Jude offers the comparison of this statement to how a child often understands death. The conviction from the young that the love experienced in relationship with the diseased is only interrupted is recommended to us as our consolation. Our faith will support this position and the distress we experience in mourning is an example of the struggle from which our faith will draw us to healing. The inner story in the Gospel of Mark contains the revelation that Jesus was aware of the power for healing leaving Him though He was unaware of who had touched Him. Friar Jude suggests that the faith of the woman with the hemorrhage was the key to her healing. Faith was declared by Jesus as responsible for making her well. Faith prompted action and faith brought healing. Keep the faith.