Today’s Gospel is for Women

Greetings on this the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43

Format Change for today

I want to focus on the gospel message today and this marvelous expression of the divine love for women. Guys, in today’s gospel portion we are reduced to spectators.

Read with the love of women you can see the ordinary male cluelessness to address all that is feminine and the marvel of the divine in the feminine or more specifically the femininity of the divine. Male Spectators – by our stubbornness and self-exaltation.

Spectators

Old Woman

1. 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 Jesus, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?'”
2. Which do you think? Did Jesus not already know who touched him or is the problem the disciples did not realize who was healed? Disciples are thinking crowd control. Jesus is thinking she needs to hear: “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Little Girl

1. He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
2. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.
3. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was.

Women Totality – Young and Old – Tweleve in Numerology (All Tribes, All People, All Women!)

Old woman

1. The story of the old woman is an intercalation to the story of the little girl. That is because the OLD WOMAN is every little girl and the LITTLE GIRL is in every old woman. These are not seemly unrelated stories. They are in fact the SAME story of the loving presence of the divine throughout the life of women.
2. Twelve years hemorrhaging.

Little Girl

1. Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
2. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
3. Twelve years old.

Woman Issues

Old woman

1. Jesus isn’t afraid to discuss woman issues in front of ANYONE.
2. Jesus isn’t scandalized by blood flow, ritual impurity (BTW not properly understood anyway).
3. Jesus is AFFIRMING and RESTORING the beauty and divine imprint of femininity!
4. We don’t know if she was of late child-bearing age, menopausal, post-menopausal. It doesn’t matter. She is!
5. The totality of her femininity is restored in the eyes of men and the sight of God.

Little Girl

1. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

Pretense and HYPOCRISY

Old Woman

1. But his disciples said to Jesus, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?'”

Little Girl

1. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping?

Love of Women – Faith in Divine Love

Old Woman

1. 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.
2. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling.
3. 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.”

Little Girl

1. 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.”
2. [Jesus] said that she should be given something to eat.

Summary

The full gospel story is below. I wanted my notes before you read it. Read the gospel with a heart of love.

Reflection

Daughter and little girl. These are the ways Jesus spoke to the women. These are term of endearment and said in love. You old? No, you aren’t old in the depletion use of the word. You are DAUGHTER and GIRL of the MOST HIGH.

Personal Reflection

Pope Francis is so right that the feminine voice within the Church is muted. Men: can we move from Spectators to partnership? This gospel message today is an elevation of the feminine and a warning to our stubbornness and self-exaltation.

Yet…

Once I went to a Church meeting and I was the only guy entering the room and I exclaimed: “Hi, Girls!”. One woman was pissed off. “I’m not a girl, I’m a woman.” I was thunderstruck. I thought is was a casual and friendly greeting. Another woman said to me: “You just go right ahead and call me a girl. I am a girl first and foremost. And I’m not too old to forget it!”

A thirty-three day reflection for women: http://deacongerrypalermo.blog/2024/05/28/thirty-three-days-of-affirmation-for-women-journey-of-spirituality-and-empowerment/

Ditto.

Sacred Readings Today

Full link: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/063024.cfm

Gospel

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 and pressed upon 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 Jesus, “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.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.

He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry