9781644135945

The Time After Pentecost
put forth, He went in and took her by the hand. And the maid arose” (Gospel). How kind and
merciful the Lord is! How effective was the prayer of Jairus and the woman afflicted with the
issue of blood! Jesus is the Lord of life and death.
For the liturgy the dead girl is a symbol of the people of Israel, dead to the graces of
salvation since they rejected the Lord (Mt 27:20–25). The Lord, however, “thinks thoughts
of peace” (Introit), thoughts of mercy and salvation. When appealed to, He rises and goes
to restore an unhappy people again to the life of grace. While He is on His way to restore
life to the dead girl, an ailing woman intervenes. In the mind of the liturgy the woman with
the issue of blood represents the pagans who come to Christ. The Lord pauses to cure the
ailing woman before He enters the house of Jairus to restore life to his daughter. The liturgy
implies that the pagans will receive salvation through Christ first, and then only will the people
of Israel submit to Him. “For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, . . .
that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come
in” (Rom 11:25). But God “will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth” (1 Tm 2:4). Men are guilty of innumerable sins and defects; but at the end of time
there will be peace. The Lord will forgive the sins of His children, and they shall return to
the house of their Father. “You shall call upon me and I will hear you; and I will bring back
your captivity from all places” (Introit). How good and how merciful is our God!
“I think thoughts of peace,” thoughts of mercy, reconciliation, and salvation, although the
people have been unfaithful and have crucified and rejected their high priest, Jesus Christ. These
words apply to us the baptized, who are represented in the Gospel by the woman who was
troubled with the issue of blood. How many and what rich graces have been given to us during
the year of grace which is now drawing to an end! Our conscience urges us to repentance for
our lack of cooperation with these graces. How negligent we have been in the use of the rich
graces that have been given to us! Has God not had ample reason for rejecting us, as He once
rejected His chosen people? But He has not done so, and He gives us the assurance: “I think
thoughts of peace and not of affliction” (Introit). In spite of the vast number of sins, negligences,
and faults of the past year, we still hear His message of peace. The Lord will forgive us all our
sins if we but call upon Him.
“You shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all
places.” Our plea is for mercy and for forgiveness. With penitent and contrite hearts we cry out:
“Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer; out of the depths I have
cried out to Thee” (Offertory). Without contrition and penance on our part, the Lord cannot
grant us the forgiveness we seek.
“If I shall touch only His garment, I shall be healed.” We touch the hem of His garment as often
as we contritely confess our sins to His representative, the priest. We touch Him, His very flesh
and blood, when we receive Holy Communion. How fortunate we are in being members of the
Church of the New Testament! We are healed of our infirmities and receive the gift of eternal life.
On this day we pray with Holy Mother the Church: “Remit, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
the sins of Thy people, that by Thy kindness we may be delivered from the trammels of our
sins, in which through our frailty we have become entangled. Through Christ our Lord.” At the
moment of Holy Communion the Lord unites us to Himself. He prays in us and in His holy
Church, to whom He gives the assurance: “Amen I say to you, whatsoever you ask when you
667