The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the image of great crowds that witness love, compassion, and healing as the mark of our relationship with Christ.
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews presents the example of the witness of Jesus.
* [12:1–13] Christian life is to be inspired not only by the Old Testament men and women of faith (Heb 12:1) but above all by Jesus. As the architect of Christian faith, he had himself to endure the cross before receiving the glory of his triumph (Heb 12:2). Reflection on his sufferings should give his followers courage to continue the struggle, if necessary even to the shedding of blood (Heb 12:3–4). Christians should regard their own sufferings as the affectionate correction of the Lord, who loves them as a father loves his children.
* [12:1] That clings to us: the meaning is uncertain, since the Greek word euperistatos, translated cling, occurs only here. The papyrus P46 and one minuscule read euperispastos, “easily distracting,” which also makes good sense. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 22 is a plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility.
* [Psalm 22] A lament unusual in structure and in intensity of feeling. The psalmist’s present distress is contrasted with God’s past mercy in Ps 22:2–12. In Ps 22:13–22 enemies surround the psalmist. The last third is an invitation to praise God (Ps 22:23–27), becoming a universal chorus of praise (Ps 22:28–31). The Psalm is important in the New Testament. Its opening words occur on the lips of the crucified Jesus (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46), and several other verses are quoted, or at least alluded to, in the accounts of Jesus’ passion (Mt 27:35, 43; Jn 19:24). (Psalms, PSALM 22 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, a girl is restored to Life and a Woman is healed.
* [5:21–43] The story of the raising to life of Jairus’s daughter is divided into two parts: Mk 5:21–24; 5:35–43. Between these two separated parts the account of the cure of the hemorrhage victim (Mk 5:25–34) is interposed. This technique of intercalating or sandwiching one story within another occurs several times in Mk 3:19b–21; Mk 3:22–30; 3:31–35; 6:6b–13; 6:14–29; 6:30; 11:12–14; 11:15–19; 11:20–25; 14:53; 14:54; 14:55–65; 14:66–73.
* [5:23] Lay your hands on her: this act for the purpose of healing is frequent in Mk 6:5; 7:32–35; 8:23–25; 16:18 and is also found in Mt 9:18; Lk 4:40; 13:13; Acts 9:17; 28:8.
* [5:28] Both in the case of Jairus and his daughter (Mk 5:23) and in the case of the hemorrhage victim, the inner conviction that physical contact (Mk 5:30) accompanied by faith in Jesus’ saving power could effect a cure was rewarded.
* [5:35] The faith of Jairus was put to a twofold test: (1) that his daughter might be cured and, now that she had died, (2) that she might be restored to life. His faith contrasts with the lack of faith of the crowd.
* [5:39] Not dead but asleep: the New Testament often refers to death as sleep (Mt 27:52; Jn 11:11; 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thes 4:13–15); see note on Mt 9:24.
* [5:41] Arise: the Greek verb egeirein is the verb generally used to express resurrection from death (Mk 6:14, 16; Mt 11:5; Lk 7:14) and Jesus’ own resurrection (Mk 16:6; Mt 28:6; Lk 24:6). (Mark, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
Suzanne Braddock cannot separate faith from hope; they seem to be two children walking gently hand in hand. The faith and hope of the old woman “if I but touch his cloak I will be healed” and Jairus seeking out Jesus, asking him to come and heal his daughter who “is at the point of death.” Both faith and hope.
Interestingly, Jesus dismisses the crowd before entering the room of the sick child, taking only his close followers and the girl’s parents. Those who believe and those who hope.
Do I dismiss the “crowd of distracting thoughts” before I ask for Jesus' presence?
Do I surround myself with those who are believers, those who hope when I am asking for God’s special grace? (and those who doubt can be those who hope)
Do I, in times of doubt, cast aside negative thoughts and make room for those two children of faith and hope?
Knowing doubt can walk with faith and doubt can walk with hope, do I proceed and respond to the needs of the others around me despite any doubts I may have . (Braddock, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “The long-suffering of parents,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).
"Let us, if it is pleasing to you, speak for a moment of the pains and anxieties which parents take upon themselves and endure in patience out of love and affection for their children. Here, surrounded by her family and by the sympathy and affection of her relations, a daughter lies upon her bed of suffering. She is fading in body. Her father's mind and spirit are worn with grief. She is suffering the inward pangs of her sickness. He, unwashed, unkempt, is absorbed wholly in sorrow. He suffers and endures before the eyes of the world. She is sinking into the quiet of death... Alas! why are children indifferent to these things! Why are they not mindful of them? Why are they not eager to make a return to their parents for them? But the love of parents goes on nevertheless; and whatever parents bestow upon their children, God, the parent of us all, will duly repay." (excerpt from SERMON 33.2)
[Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 AD, was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century]. (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 12:1-4 comments that, like Jesus, the saints also saw their difficulties in light of the joy that lay before them. They had the joy of knowing they were redeemed and beloved of God! They had the joy of knowing that their lives of prayer and service were building the kingdom of God. And they had the joyful hope of heaven.
Is something weighing you down today? Try taking up what the responsorial psalm urges: “May your hearts be ever merry!” (Psalm 22:27). This doesn’t mean making light of your suffering. It means that by looking to Jesus and the saints, you can find greater confidence in your calling and joy in your destiny.
Just for a little while, let your burdens slide off your shoulders and look up with delight to behold Jesus and all of his “merry” friends.
“Jesus, help me to raise my eyes to you. Thank you for all your joyful followers, here on earth and in heaven above.” (Meditation on Hebrews 12:1-4, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the exhortation in the Letter to the Hebrews that we should be willing like Jesus to proclaim glory through suffering and obedience. The miracle series in Mark presents Jesus' acts in nature, exorcism, and healing. The Markan sandwich technique is seen in the texts today. Friar Jude reminds us that the daughter of Jarius is “reanimated” not resurrected as she will eventually die again.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Mirabai Starr who describes grief as the thread which draws together the work of prophets and mystics. Fr. Richard Rohr has often declared that the most important word in the title of the organization he founded, the Center for Action and Contemplation, is “and.” We are activists and contemplatives. We are prophets and mystics. We access momentary nondual states, especially in silence, and we carry the fruits we harvest in such moments back into the world to nourish ourselves and feed the hungry.
Many years ago, my friend [Fr.] William Hart McNichols (quoting the wild woman theologian Adrienne von Speyr) told me that “the prophets are inconsolable.” I will never forget that. At the time, I still harbored a dualistic sense of political versus spiritual and fancied myself more a contemplative than an activist, even though I grew up in a family that was passionately engaged in protesting the Vietnam War. In our secular Jewish family, the Berrigan brothers, radical Catholic priests dedicated to peace and justice, were revered as heroes, on the same level as Abraham Joshua Heschel or Angela Davis. While I was never at home in the political arena, with its absolute judgments of right and wrong and fixed delineations between victims and perpetrators, I was proud of my parents’ social conscience. But it all felt somewhat disconnected from the heart. Then, years later, Fr. Bill built that bridge for me. The prophets, like the mystics, responded from the holy ground of the broken heart. (Rohr, n.d.)
We are truly surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to the power of the Spirit to motivate love and action in our environment through faith and hope.
References
Braddock, S. (2025, February 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/020425.html
Hebrews, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/12?1
Mark, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/5?
Meditation on Hebrews 12:1-4. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/02/04/1195230/
Psalms, PSALM 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/22?26
Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Prophet-Mystic. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-prophet-mystic/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=feb4
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