OMELIE / Omelie EN

30 giu 2024

30/06/2024 - 13th Sunday in O. T. - B

30/06/2024 - 13^th Sunday in O. T. - B

Reading 1 WIS 1,13-15;2,23-24 Psalm 29 Reading 2 2COR 8,7.9.13-15 Gospel MK 5,21-43

Peter’s Pence Day!

Saint Paul is trying to convince the Corinthians to join joyfully and generously in the monetary donations he is raising for the poor of Jerusalem. The apostles had recommended him to always remember the poor, and he had promised so solemnly. He had not forgotten, even if many years had passed: now he is doing it.

The reason for being generous towards our brethren in the faith who are poor, but eager to live following Jesus’s teachings, says the apostle, has to be found in the Lord’s very own example. In fact, “though he was rich, for your sake he became poor”.

There are two types of wealth: the proper material one, which is given us to practice the brotherly love in being detached from worldly things so we can enjoy the other wealth, which is spiritual.

The spiritual wealth is the faith and everything which comes from the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is giving us His life, magnificent richness, which is allowing us to always feel full of every blessing!

In this very day we too take part in the money collection of the whole Catholic Church, which wants to give the proceedings to the Pope, so he can come to the aid of the poor in the world who, through the bishops, plead with him. We too should try to be generous, knowing that our generosity in material help will be rewarded by God Himself with the spiritual help we are in need of.

The Gospel let us see Jesus while He addresses the needs of men. The latter go to Him showing a trust they express in different ways.

Jairus shows his faith in Jesus’s love using words: he invites Him to visit the dying little daughter and lay one hand on her forehead. The woman who suffers from hemorrhages instead wants to show the same faith with a hidden action, just touching His cloak.

Both of them show a faith which is not shared by anyone else.

Those gathered around Jairus’ house make fun of Jesus.

The woman, to avoid being made fun of, takes action in secret.

However Jesus is not afraid of the men’s reactions: He throws out those who make fun of Him and makes the woman clearly show her faith in Him, facing the risk of being laughed at.

Let us learn then that the faith does not have to be about looking for people’s approval. The woman has been suffering for twelve years and the little girl dies at twelve. After twelve years of suffering or of a life which is going to end in death, the meeting with Jesus happens and, therefore, the beginning of a new life. The number of years makes us understand that we should never give up hope.

When He was twelve, Jesus had shown publicly that His life was the Father’s. He told so to His parents with such a conviction that they did not know how to answer. From that moment His life, so His relationship with His parents and His relatives, changed completely, even if everything stayed as it was: He way obedient to the parents, but He knew that in this way He was obeying the Father who is in heaven.

He was sent for our salvation, so we might be freed from the power of our selfishness, so the devil. Only Jesus, nobody else, can help us, so we should continue to trust Him. God loves us and His love is His only Son among us.

Jesus Himself told the man, to whom everyone were saying that was useless to ask for health because nothing could be done after death was upon them: “Do not be afraid; just have faith!”.

This invitation is addressed to us too. Let us continue to have faith, showing it also by taking upon us the sufferings of the brethren, both the close ones and those who live far.