Greeting (see second reading)
We are gathered in the name of Jesus: he was rich but became poor for our sake to make us rich out of his poverty. He brought us life and healing. May his life and grace be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction
1. God Is Pro-Life
Two great enemies in life are death and illness. Almost every one of us is scared of them. Are we convinced that God too is pro-life, that he is an enemy of death? Even the Old Testament assures us: “Death is not of God’s making.” Jesus’ resurrection is the sign that death has been overcome in its roots. It is the gate to life. In this Eucharist we express our faith that we believe in Jesus as the Lord of life.
2. Life Is Victorious
Almost everyone fears death and has a hard time to deal with it in faith. Life is a beautiful gift from God but it is brittle; sickness is a normal share of it and death comes as an inescapable reality. How can we reconcile this with faith in a God who has made us for life? We do not always see clearly, but we know at least this: since Christ rose from the dead, death has been overcome; it is not the end. We ask Jesus here in the Eucharist to touch us with his power of life.
Penitential Act
Let us now seek the Lord’s forgiveness for the illness and death of sin which we have brought at times on ourselves. (pause)
Lord Jesus, when you died for us you defeated death once and for all by rising from the dead: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you are the giver of life: you restored the sick to health and raised up the dead: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are the defender of life: you healed those wounded by sin and gave them back their hope and trust: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
May the Lord who overcame sin take all our sins away and restore us to the fullness of life. May he lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to our God of the living (pause)
Father of all that breathes and lives, your Son Jesus Christ touched people and they were healed and they lived. Let him take us by the hand and raise us up from sin and discouragement. Let him touch us with his body and blood and make us fresh and new again to live his life and to go his way to you. Let him touch us with the warmth of his love that our love may revive others, especially the poor and those who suffer. All this we ask through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24: The God of Life Made Us Imperishably
God made us for life; it was sin that brought death into the world. But Christ will make life triumph over death.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15: Sharing and Solidarity in the Church
Local churches that are better off should help the poorer ones, just as Christ made himself poor to make us rich.
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 OR 5:21-24,35B-43: Jesus Has the Power to Give Life
The power of resurrection is at work in Jesus: he restores the sick to fuller life, he brings the dead back to life.
Intercessions
We believe in a God who created us for life. Let us trustingly bring before him all the pains and illnesses of the world and of God’s people, and let us say:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
– That the Church may continue with compassion Jesus’ healing ministry, that the sick may be comforted, the downtrodden set free, and the poor and the weak be protected, let us pray:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
– That in this world of hunger for food and spiritual values, affluent churches and nations may share generously with those who have less, let us pray:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
– That doctors and nurses and all others who care for the ill and the handicapped may have a great respect for life and be inspired in their task by the love of Christ, let us pray:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
– That the faith and the hope of the sick and the dying may be firmly anchored in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; that with him they may accept their pains with patience and when the time comes also accept death as the gateway to full life, let us pray:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
– That in our Christian communities we may be concerned about one another as the Lord is solicitous about us, and that we may enrich one another with every good gift of heart and mind, let us pray:
R/ God of life, hear our prayer.
God, to you we owe our existence; from you comes all that is good. Help us to overcome death and evil through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, almighty Father, accept the gifts we bring before you and fill them with the power of your Holy Spirit, that they may become for us the bread of resurrection and life of Jesus Christ your Son. Through this sacrament change us into people of joy and hope, that together we may go the way of life of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
In the Eucharistic prayer we express our belief that our life comes from the resurrection of Jesus our Lord. Let us thank and praise the Father with Jesus that he wants us to live for ever.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray to our heavenly Father the prayer of Jesus, who became poor to make us rich and give us his life: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from the forces of evil that cast a dark shadow on life: from wars and hatred, from fear and violence, and from the ultimate enemy, death. Let the power of resurrection work in us, that we may overcome sin and go forward together with joy and hope toward our permanent encounter with him who overcame death, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord, the resurrection and the life. Happy are we to be invited to eat the bread that sustains us and assures us of everlasting life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, almighty Father, you have given us here the body and blood of your Son as a source of life-giving power. Do not allow us to leave it idle but help us to use it as a force to uplift the people around us and to build together a world of reconciliation, compassion and justice. May thus the risen life of Jesus work among us already now, until you raise us up on the last day through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
We have broken bread with the Lord and we remember his words: Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have everlasting life and I will raise them up on the last day. God wants us to live and Jesus nourishes this life with the food of his own body. Ah, we are the living! Let us live this life to the full and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace of the Lord and bring his peace
and healing to one another. R/ Thanks be to God.
Commentary: Life
Today's gospel passage narrates two healings performed by Jesus: the one of the woman who touched his garment and was healed, and then the resuscitation of the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue of Capernaum. These two healings have in common references to biblical images. It is about two women; therefore, the immediate reference is to life. In the book of Genesis, the man gave a name to his wife, he called her 'favá. He called her thus because she is the mother of all living.
What about these two women in the gospel passage? The first one has had blood-loss for 12 years; therefore, she is impure; she cannot generate life. The young daughter of Jairus is of marriageable age at 12. But in her, life is interrupted, she dies.
These two women represent Israel. The first one refers to Israel being the bride of the Lord, who abandoned her husband, became impure. She cannot generate life. Only when this wife finds Christ will she be cured of her illness, she will be able to be fertile again.
The daughter of Jairus also refers to Israel. We know that Israel is the bride of the Lord but if she is not taken by the hand of her husband, if the bridegroom does not raise her up, she remains dead. This young woman is of marriageable age, of being able to generate life but, now she is dead.
Let's keep in mind that these are two women who have no name; they represent the condition of each one of us who is called to build life. In the Bible blood indicates life. To lose blood means to lose life. From the moment we are born, every moment that passes is a loss of life. try to hold on to it a little longer; we run to doctors, but still, life is gone. And all the attempts of humanity, with all its capacity, cannot end this loss of life.
People are willing to give all their money not to lose their lives, but as Psalm 49 says, 'No matter how much you pay, it will never be enough to redeem your life and live forever.' This woman has heard of one who can stop the loss of life; she believes in him and says to herself: 'If I succeed, even if only to touch his mantle, I will be saved.” She does not say 'healed' but 'saved.' Salvation means no more loss of life.
In the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to touch him and in the lives of all the people around us we have the opportunity to touch the image of God. To be saved, all we need to do is to touch Him in the sacraments, in the Word of God and in the lives of people around us.
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30 June 2024
Mk 5:21-43
Touch and be saved!
Today's gospel passage beautifully illustrates the transformative power of faith in the healing process. We witness two healings performed by Jesus. First, a woman who had been suffering from blood loss for 12 years, touches the garment of Jesus and is healed. The second healing is the resuscitation of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official of Capernaum, a testament to the power of faith in the face of death.
The first woman stands for Israel, the wife of the Lord, who has gone away from her husband and becomes impure. It is only when she returns to her husband - the impure woman touching Christ - that she will be healed of her impurities and be fruitful again. This woman believes in Christ and says to herself: 'If I succeed, even if only to touch his mantle, I will be saved.” She does not say 'healed' but 'saved.' Salvation means no more loss of life.
The daughter of Jairus is also a representation of Israel. Israel, who fails to accept her Master, is like a dead person, and if the bridegroom does not raise her up, she will remain lifeless. Jesus, the Master lifts her up by hand and brings her back to life.
It's important to remember that these two women represent each one of us, who, like them, are called to build life. In the Eucharist, we are given the opportunity to touch Him, to connect with His divine presence. In the lives of all the people around us, we have the opportunity to touch the image of God. To be saved, all we need to do is to reach out and touch Him in the sacraments, in the Word of God, and in the lives of people around us. This accessibility of salvation is our hope.
