THE WORD
1 Kgs 8,1-7.9-13 / Mk 6,53-56
After making the crossing, [Jesus and his disciples] came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
IN OTHER WORDS
I was sitting for lunch with my housekeeper when suddenly, the phone rang. My sacristan picked up the phone, and then said that a dying woman wanted to go to confession. I stood up, took my car keys and went. The daughter waited in front of the house and immediately pointed to me the room where the sick mother was lying. So I went inside. In the dimly lighted room was a small table with two lighted candles on each side and a cruci x and a bible in the middle. Beside the table lay the dying woman on her bed, well dressed for the burial, hands folded holding the rosary and both eyes closed. Not wanting to lose time, I began to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with the sign of the cross. Then suddenly, the supposedly dying woman sprang out of her bed and protested: “No, Father, not here!” I was frozen, shocked to death. Without minding what I felt, the “dying” led me to a more friendly, well lighted room and invited me to take a seat. She dropped on her knees and began her confession. Afterwards, I asked her if there was anything still that I could do. “Yes, she replied. “Please touch my head.” I lay both hands on her head in silent prayer.
We read Jesus hearing the voices of the sick begging him to allow them to touch even only the tassel of his cloak. Jesus readily obliged. And all who did it were healed.
My housekeeper reported: “The woman is dead.” It happened three hours after my visit. The daughter told me later that her mother had long suff ered severe pain in her head. But, on that day, after her confession, she felt no more pain and died peacefully. I thought, Jesus touched the woman in her confession. Or, maybe the woman touched the tassel of Jesus’ cloak during her confession and was healed.
- Fr. Roberto “Jun” C. Alda Jr., SVD | Missionhaus St. Wendel, Germany
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
