The earlier part of Today’s Reading let us know that we are all being continually observed. All that we say, think, or do that hurts or helps our neighbors is recorded. Can any of us escape the punishment we deserve?
Consider the hopeful part of today’s Gospel Reading, Mark 5:21-43:
“When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and He stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing Him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with Him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed Him.
“There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd
and touched His cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from Him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to Him,
“You see how the crowd is pressing upon You,
and yet You ask, Who touched Me?”
And He looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told Him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
Jesus had gone off to help the synagogue official. He is part of the established religion into which Jesus had been born of Mary and The Holy Spirit. Those with Him in the crowd were disciples and followers. Some of them may be seen as the first Christians, the earliest Catholics.
The woman, however, was not part of the Jerusalem Establishment. Nor was she numbered among Christ’s believers. She was an individual who needed help. She was inspired by The Holy Spirit. He let her know that if she only touched Jesus’ clothes, she would be healed. She did so, despite the crowd.
He knew what had happened, and asked who had accessed and downloaded His power to restore human programs. She admitted having done so. Jesus, in a less obvious part of this Miracle, seems to divide believers from followers, saying to believing non-Catholics of every age: “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
Why, then, if each similarly believing non-Catholic is to “go in peace and be cured of your affliction”, should anyone become Catholic? Think a minute, before continuing. It’s a harder question than may initially appear.
Each believer should move from merely being a “believer” to being a Catholic because the blessing was limited. “Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” does not have the fullness of being cured of . That is why those blessed with belief should take the necessary steps to progress from believer to Roman Catholic.
If we do not become Catholic, we have to literally “touch His clothes” every time something goes wrong. For many, that may turn into an endless process that soon becomes boring and leads to apostasy.
