ANGELUS TODAY
'Jesus heals body and spirit
and asks us for our faith'
July 1, 2012
In his Angelus reflection today, the Holy Father spoke about the two miracles performed by Jesus in today’s Gospel. In English, he said:
In today’s Gospel, Jesus restores life to a little girl in response to the faith-filled prayer of her father. In this miracle may we see an invitation to grow in our own faith, to trust in the Lord’s promise of abundant life, and to pray for all those in need of his healing touch. Upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of wisdom, joy and peace!
Here is a translation of the Pope's full message:
This Sunday, the evangelist Mark presents us with the stories of two miraculous healings that Jesus performs for two women: the daughter of Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue; and a woman who suffered from a hemorrhage (cf. Mk 5 21-43).
These two episodes have two levels of interpretation – the purely physical - Jesus bends down to meet human suffering and heals the body; and the spiritual - Jesus came to heal the human heart and to give salvation, and He asks for faith in Him.
In the first episode, in fact, at the news that the daughter of Jairus was dead, Jesus says to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, but have faith!” (v. 36). Jesus goes with him to where the girl was, and exclaims: “Little girl, I say to you: Get up!” (v. 41). And she got up and walked.
St. Jerome comments on these words, emphasizing the saving power of Jesus: “Little girl, get up through Me: not on account of your own merits, but through My grace. Rise, therefore, through Me: being cured does not depend on your virtue” (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark, 3).
The second episode, about the woman suffering from a hemorrhage, re-emphasizes how Jesus came to liberate the human being in his entirety. Indeed, the miracle takes place in two phases: the first is the physical healing, which is closely tied to deeper healing, that which bestows the grace of God to those who are open to Him in faith. Jesus tells her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mk 5,34).
These two stories of healing are an invitation for us to overcome a purely horizontal and materialistic view of life. Too often we ask God to cure our problems, to alleviate our concrete needs – and this is right. But what we should ask for even more is an ever stronger faith so that the Lord may renew our lives, and a firm trust in His love, in His providence, that never abandons us.
Jesus, in his attention to human suffering, also makes us think of all those who help the sick to carry their crosses, especially physicians, other health care professionals and those who provide pastoral care in nursing homes. They are “reservoirs of love,” who bring peace and hope to the suffering.
In the Encyclical Deus Caritas est, I noted that, in this invaluable service, one must first be professionally competent - it is a primary, fundamental requirement - but this alone is not enough. This service, in fact, is first and foremost, about human beings who need human and heartfelt attention.
“Therefore, in addition to professional training, a certain ‘formation of the heart’ is necessary above all for such workers: This should lead them to that encounter with God in Christ that sustains love in them, and opens their soul to others” (No. 31).
Let us call upon the Virgin Mary to accompany our journey of faith and our commitment to practical love, especially to those in need, as we invoke her maternal intercession for our brothers who live with suffering in body or spirit.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 02/07/2012 03:44]