First Reading (Hebrews 12:1-4).
Reading of the Letter to the Hebrews.
Brothers, surrounded as we are by such a multitude of witnesses, let us leave aside what weighs us down and the sin that involves us. Let us commit ourselves with perseverance to the battle that is proposed to us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, who begins and completes the work of faith in us. In view of the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, not caring about the infamy, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Think therefore of him who faced such opposition from sinners, so that you do not allow yourself to be overcome by discouragement. You have not yet resisted even blood in your struggle against sin.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Mark 5,21-43).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus crossed again, in a boat, to the other bank. A large crowd gathered around him, and Jesus remained on the beach. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue, named Jairus, approached. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and asked insistently: “My little daughter is on her last legs. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may heal and live!” Jesus then accompanied him. A large crowd followed him and pressed him. Now there was a woman there who had been suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years; he had suffered at the hands of many doctors, spent everything he had, and, instead of getting better, he got worse and worse. When he heard about Jesus, he approached him from behind, in the crowd, and touched his clothes. She thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be cured.” The bleeding stopped immediately, and the woman felt within herself that she was cured of the disease. Jesus soon realized that a strength had come out of him. And turning around in the crowd, he asked, “Who touched my clothes?” The disciples said, “Do you see the crowd pressing in on you and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?'” But he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, full of fear and trembling, realizing what had happened to her, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, and told him the whole truth. He said to her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be healed of this illness.” He was still speaking, when some came from the house of the leader of the synagogue, and said to Jairus: “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the master any longer?” Jesus heard the news and said to the leader of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!” And he did not allow anyone to accompany him, except Peter, James and his brother John. When they arrived at the house of the leader of the synagogue, Jesus saw the confusion and how they were crying and shouting. Then he came in and said, “Why this confusion and crying? The child is not dead, but he is sleeping.” Then they started to make fun of him. But he ordered everyone to leave, except the girl’s father and mother, and the three disciples who accompanied him. Then they entered the room where the child was. Jesus took the girl’s hand and said: “Talita cum” – which means: “Girl, get up!” She got up immediately and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And everyone was amazed. He insistently recommended that no one find out about it. And he ordered the girl to be fed.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are times in our lives when the weight of the journey seems unbearable. Moments when pain, illness, despair or tiredness threaten to make us give up. Today’s readings speak directly to us about perseverance and faith in the midst of adversity, about the courage to continue even when everything seems lost.
In the letter to the Hebrews, we find a powerful image: a “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us. Imagine a heavenly stadium, filled with saints and martyrs, with men and women of faith who have already run their race and now watch us, cheering us on as we run our own spiritual marathon.
The author exhorts us: “Let us free ourselves from every weight and from the sin that entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the test that is set before us.” What valuable advice! How often do we burden ourselves with unnecessary weights – excessive worries, old grudges, material attachments – that make our race more difficult?
And so we are reminded to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, “the author and finisher of faith.” Why? Because He faced the cross, endured the shame, and now sits at the right hand of God. If Jesus persevered through the most extreme suffering, shouldn’t we also persevere through our lesser struggles?
This message of perseverance finds a powerful echo in today’s Gospel, where we see two stories of extraordinary faith masterfully intertwined. First, Jairus, a synagogue leader, prostrates himself at Jesus’ feet, begging for the life of his dying daughter. Then, a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years risks everything just to touch Jesus’ clothes.
Think about Jairo’s courage. As a religious leader, he risks his reputation by publicly seeking help from Jesus. And think about the determination of the woman with hemorrhage. After twelve years of suffering, after spending everything she had on doctors, she still has enough hope to believe that a simple touch of Jesus’ clothes could heal her.
Both faced significant obstacles. For Jairo, the devastating news that his daughter had died could have been the end of his faith. For the woman, the crowd separating her from Jesus, her “unclean” status under the law, could have prevented her from approaching.
But they persevered. The woman struggled to make her way through the crowd. Jairo continued to trust even when everything seemed lost. And in both cases, their faith was rewarded in extraordinary ways.
The woman is healed instantly, and Jesus calls her “daughter,” restoring not only her health, but her dignity and place in the community. Jairus’ daughter is resurrected with the simple words: “Girl, I tell you, get up!”
These stories teach us precious lessons about faith and perseverance. First, that faith often requires courageous action. Both Jairus and the woman had to overcome significant obstacles to reach Jesus. Second, that Jesus responds to persistent faith. And third, that the power of Christ can transform even the most desperate situations.
My brothers and sisters, what challenges do you face today? What “weights” are making your run harder? What “bleeds” in their lives seem incurable? What situations seem as dead as Jairus’ daughter?
Today’s readings invite us to persevere, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, to continue believing even when everything seems lost. They remind us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who encourage us to keep running our race.
But more than that, they remind us that we serve a God who still performs miracles, who still heals, who still resurrects what is dead in our lives. A God who sees our persistent faith and responds with power and compassion.
May we, like the bleeding woman, have the courage to reach out and touch Jesus, even when it seems impossible. May we, like Jairo, continue to trust even when we receive the worst news. And may we, like the first Christians to whom the letter to the Hebrews was written, run with perseverance the race that is set before us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
May the Lord give us strength to persevere, faith to continue believing, and courage to act according to our faith. Amen.
