... and as many as touched it were healed. – Mark 6:56

       In 1966, I became an exchange student under the American Field Service International Scholarship program. I stayed with an American family and studied in a senior high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was only 16 years old, the first in my family to ever set foot in the United States, so it was kind of big deal for us.

       When I came back home a year later, some relatives and friends rubbed my arms or touched my dress, saying in jest, “Oooh, let me have a feel of America!”

         But the hullabaloo naturally died down after a few days as we all just went on living the daily grind.

          It’s not like when the people touched the edge of the cloak of Jesus as we read in today’s Gospel.

         No matter how light or fleeting that touch was, it was enough to heal because of the faith of the people.

       Despite all that Jesus had done and continues to do for us, we still need to touch, to feel God from time to time, to be assured of His presence. Blessed are those who do not see, or hear, or touch Him, yet still believe and trust our faithful God. Chay Santiago (cusantiago@gmail.com)

Reflection:When did you last touch God, or when did He last touch you?

Sts. Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs, pray for us.

When God created the world, He turned chaos into order. The account of creation reminds us that everything in creation is deliberate and part of the will of God. We need to experience God’s creation if we want to fully enjoy it.

1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed — the first day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: 7 God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. 8 God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed — the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. 10 God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: 12 the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. 13 Evening came, and morning followed — the third day. 14 Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, 15 and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: 16 God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. 19 Evening came, and morning followed — the fourth day.

R: May the Lord be glad in his works.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are  great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 5 You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever; 6 with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood. (R) 10 You sent forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains. 12 Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song. (R) 24 How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all — the earth is full of your creatures; 35 Bless the Lord, O my soul! Alleluia. (R)

People are attracted to Jesus because He does not have any hidden agenda. Jesus is clear about what He expects from us as His disciples. This way we know our part in the walk of faith. God is faithful to us. What is questionable is our faithfulness to Him.

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.

53 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. 54 As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. 55 They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 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. 

think: What area in your life needs to be healed? Place it in the Divine Healer’s hands. Believe that He will heal you.

Read the Bible in one year  Romans 5-8

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

THEY RECOGNIZED HIM

These people were smart. As Jesus crossed to the other side with His Apostles, they were already on the other side, watching and waiting. As soon as Jesus appeared, they recognized Him. We read in the Gospel many accounts where  the people recognized Jesus. In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God. The disciples recognized Him and followed Him. Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree and recognized Jesus. The woman who wiped the feet of Jesus with her tears recognized Him at the house of the Pharisee. Mary Magdalene recognized Him when He called her name.

       Mother Teresa of Calcutta recognized Jesus in the poor. Francis of Assisi recognized Him in the leper. Countless people through the ages have recognized Jesus. In the Gospel of John, to see or recognize Jesus is to believe in Him. Many times, He reveals Himself to us, but our hearts are closed to recognize Him. Do we recognize Him every day in the bread and wine consecrated as His own Body and Blood?

      The people in the Gospel accounts recognize Jesus as a wonder worker, a healer and a prophet. But did they recognize Him as Lord and Savior? This is the test of our faith. We, too, can be caught up in the wonder of miracles, the power of healing, and the faith-inspired teaching. All of this is good as they help us come to the Lord and experience Him. But it must go deeper than this. We need to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior — the only One who can save us and lead us to His Kingdom.

       Too often, we look for other things to save us. We have our habitual sins, outbursts of violence and anger, uncontrolled drinking and eating habits — using these to escape from life’s burdens.

       Let us place our lives and our needs at the feet of Jesus — our one and only true Lord and Savior. When we do, we will recognize Him more in our daily life and we will be surprised at the way He makes Himself known to us. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Do you recognize Jesus in your life? In what ways does He reveal Himself to you?

Lord, help me to recognize You in my daily life. How wonderful are all Your works, Lord. In every age, You have been our refuge and strength. Amen.