Homily: 14th Week of Ordinary Time - Monday - "Your faith has saved you!"

On Friday, Pope Francis issued his first encyclical, entitled, Lumen Fidei, “The Light of Faith”.  In it he talks about faith that is capable of illuminating every aspect of our life—every aspect of human existence is meant to be guided by faith that helps us know God’s love for us, how he has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ, and how we are to conform our life to him.

In today’s Gospel we hear how Jesus enters in to two desperate situations.  Jewish purity laws forbid anyone from having any physical contact with corpses or people with hemorrhages.  Instead of recoiling from the woman’s touch, instead of Jesus considering himself defiled by the woman’s uncleanness, his divine power transforms her condition.  She is healed and made clean by contact with Jesus, contact made possible by faith.  “Your faith has saved you!” Jesus proclaims.

And instead of recoiling from the impurity of the dead young girl, he takes her by the hand, and instead of becoming ritually unclean through his contact with the dead body, Christ’s power goes out from him to raise the child from the dead.  The faith of the royal official acted like a bridge between Jesus and this dead young girl. 

Through faith in Jesus Christ we can encounter the healing and mercy that God desire for us.  There is no situation on earth so desperate that God cannot enter in and transform.  I think particularly of the faith of Saint Monica, who for years prayed and wept for her son who had fallen away from God.  It was the light of faith that guided her through long years of prayers and penances, trust that God could transform the life of her son who had fallen so far. And after long years of prayers and penances, Augustine came to conversion. 

May we allow Christian faith to guide every aspect of our lives, and guide our hearts to pray for and care for those in need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.