One of the synagogue officials?fell at his feet. ? Mark 5:22

Robby was 11 when he enrolled in Mildred?s piano class. At the beginning, no matter how he tried, Robby lacked a sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. Even after months passed, Robby didn?t improve. But at the end of each lesson, he would always say, ?My mom?s going to hear me play someday.? One day Robby stopped coming to his lessons. But later he asked if he could be in the recital. Recital night came and Mildred placed Robby up last in the program. When Robby came up the stage, he began to play Mozart?s Concerto #21 in C Major quite impressively. Mildred had never heard a Mozart piece being played so well by a boy his age. After his performance, Mildred exclaimed, ?How?d you do it?? ?Remember I told you my mom was sick?? explained Robby, ?She passed away this morning. She was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special.? Mildred never had the pleasure of having a prot?g?. And that night, the teacher became the prot?g?. Judith C.

REFLECTION:
The synagogue official? and Mildred? were willing to consider themselves students in the art of loving. Are you?

May my heart never be too proud to acknowledge that others may be better at loving than I am.

2Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3

In the same way as with Saul, David does not wish harm to come to his
  son, Absalom, even though the latter would willingly kill the former, if given
  the opportunity. On hearing of the death of Absalom, David goes into mourning
  for the life of his son just as he did for Saul. The day?s military victory is
  a hollow one for David. Similarly with us, let us not wish any sort of evil
  upon our enemies but rather their return to the truth. Let us pray that they,
  too, will turn to Jesus and be saved!

9 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David?s servants. He was mounted
  on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
  his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the
  mule he had been riding ran off. 10 Someone saw this and reported to Joab that
  he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth. 14 And taking three pikes in hand,
  he thrust for the heart of Absalom, still hanging from the tree alive. 24 Now
  David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout mounted to the roof of
  the gate above the city wall, where he looked about and saw a man running all
  alone. 25 The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, ?If he is
  alone, he has good news to report.? 30 The king said, ?Step aside
  and remain in attendance here.? So he stepped aside and remained there.
  31 When the Cushite came in, he said, ?Let my lord the king receive the
  good news that this day the LORD has taken your part, freeing you from the grasp
  of all who rebelled against you.? 32 But the king asked the Cushite, ?Is
  young Absalom safe?? The Cushite replied, ?May the enemies of my
  lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young
  man!? 19: 1 The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
  He said as he wept, ?My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died
  instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!? 2 Joab was told that the king was weeping
  and mourning for Absalom; 3 and that day?s victory was turned into mourning for the
  whole army when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.

Psalm

Psalm 86:1-3a, 3b-4, 5-6

R: Listen, Lord, and answer me.

1 Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me, for I am afflicted and poor. 2 Keep
  my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. 3 You
  are my God. (R) Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call
  all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift
  up my soul. (R) 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
  abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. 6 Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
  and attend to the sound of my pleading. (R)

Gospel

Mark 5:21-43

We have here a classical example of an inclusion ? the story of the
  woman with a hemorrhage sandwiched between the healing of Jairus? daughter.
  This structure is deliberate as it is the woman?s faith that is the model
  of faith that results in the healing of Jairus? daughter. Mark is telling
  us that if Jairus? daughter is to be healed, Jairus will have to have
  the faith of the woman with the hemorrhage who was healed. Likewise, we too
  should pray for an increase in faith so that such miracles might be done with
  us as the instruments. 21 When Jesus had crossed again [in the boat] to the
  other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
  22 One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he
  fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, ?My daughter is at the point
  of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.?
  24 He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
  25 There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had
  suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she
  was not helped but only grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus and came up
  behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. 28 She said, ?If I but touch his clothes, I
  shall be cured.? 29 Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she
 was healed of her affliction. 30 Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
 turned around in the crowd and asked, ?Who has touched my clothes?? 31 But his
 disciples said to him, ?You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you
  ask, ?Who touched me??? 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 The
 woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell
  down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, ?Daughter, your
  faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.? 35 While he was
  still speaking, people from the synagogue official?s house arrived and said, ?Your
  daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?? 36 Disregarding the message
  that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, ?Do not be afraid; just have faith.?
  37 He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John,
  the brother of James. 38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he
  caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 So he went in and
  said to them, ?Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.?
  40 And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child?s
  father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the
  child was. 41 He took the child by the hand and said to her, ?Talitha koum,?
  which means, ?Little girl, I say to you, arise!? 42 The girl, a child of twelve, arose
  immediately and walked around. [At that] they were utterly astounded. 43 He gave strict
  orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

 

  My Reflections: Think: Let us not wish any sort of evil upon
  our enemies but rather their return to the truth.

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  TODAY'S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________________________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Leviticus 25-27

Jesus often exhorted His followers not to fear. It is also often coupled with
  the call to have faith. What does the uniting of these two exhortations mean
  for us today? So often children experience fear when they are in a position
  that they have not encountered before. They are afraid of the unknown. This
  is also a common experience as people approach death. For some, the encounter
  with the unknown is a source of excitement ?? for others a source
  of dread. I wonder if it is faith that makes the difference between a life of
  anticipation and expectation, and a life of fear and dread? I think there is
  a definite link between faith and peace of mind and heart. Insofar as it is
  peace that drives out all fear, we can safely conclude that a person of faith
  is far more likely to approach different experiences in life without being afraid.
  This is how I want to live my life. It is the best way to enjoy all the good
  things that life has to offer. It is also very comforting to know through faith
  that we never have to face our hardships and struggles without the grace and
  presence of the Holy Spirit! It would seem to me that it make a lot of sense
  to live a life of faith in comparison to a life apart from the grace of God. Jesus
  tells the father of Jairus to have faith and cease being afraid for the health
  of his daughter. The great benefit of faith is that, whatever happens, we can
  know that the hand of the Lord is in control and that He will bring the best
  possible outcome for all. We may not always understand the reasons behind the
  actions of God in our lives but with faith, we can trust that He knows best.
  This is not ?copping out? of the problem but putting the question
  of God?s will in its proper perspective. It means trusting in the wisdom
  of God, not just on our limited understanding of life and all that it means.
  Jesus assures that the person of faith has nothing to fear because God will
  always be there to care for them and lead them towards eternal life. This
  does not banish fear from our lives per se but it does give us good reason
  to live a life free from the dread of fear. Fr. Steve T.

 

  REFLECTION QUESTION:

Am I a person who experiences fear, anxiety or panic attacks? How can I bring
  these areas of my life more fully under my faith in God?

Lord Jesus, You gift me with faith but sometimes it does not seem to be
  strong enough to overcome all my fears. Increase my faith so that I will leave
  fear and useless anxiety behind and fully embrace a life of trust in You.