Homily: Tuesday - 4th Week in Ordinary Time - Healing Miracles

Yesterday, as I visited the school and the PSR for the throat blessings, we talked about how Saint Blaise was a very holy man, and like Jesus became a well-known worker of miracles, particularly healing miracles.  And the kids did a pretty good job at naming a number of Jesus’ healing miracles found in the Gospels.

Through his healing miracles, Jesus shows that God is a lover of health and life.  Jesus shows his healing power over blindness, deafness, paralysis, leprosy, and unknown disease, he casts out multitudes of demons, and even raised Lazarus from the dead  

Many people came to Jesus, or brought their loved ones to Jesus, for healing.  Today’s Gospel highlights the importance of faith in receiving Jesus’ healing gifts.

The people from Jairus’ synagogue thought  the healing of Jarius’ daughter beyond Jesus’ power. “Why trouble the teacher any longer” they said.  What if Jairus went to Jesus and then Jesus didn’t heal his daughter?  He’d have a dead daughter, and might have been laughed out of the synagogue as well.

Yet he decided to risk his reputation and take that leap of faith in Jesus. He fell at the feat of the master and pleaded with him.  This coming to Jesus, bringing his greatest suffering to Jesus, the death of his daughter, was the catalyst for the healing and life giving power of Jesus to be unleashed in his family.

We must never think that any situation we are facing is “too much” for Jesus to handle.  He can handle difficult bosses and co-workers. He can handle fallen-away family members who continue to make horrible decisions with their life.  He can handle our darkest temptations.  But we must bring them to him. 

Is every petition answered as we wish? No.  We will probably only see just how God answered every one of our petitions in eternity.  But we mustn’t fail to bring our petitions to Jesus because they seem “too big” or they are something we have to do “on our own”. 

All of our decisions should be brought to Jesus to be blessed, and all of our hurts should be brought to Jesus to be healed.  That he may truly be Lord of our Life, may we bring and surrender everything to Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.