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Gospel Reading for February 03, 2026 – Mark 5: 21-43
NOT BLIND BELIEF
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. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet 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.” He went off with him and a large crowd followed him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 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. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
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?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 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. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
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The synagogue official had great faith in Jesus. He firmly believed that Jesus could restore his daughter to life. Likewise, the woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years believed that merely touching the clothes of Jesus would make her well. She did not even need to ask him for healing.
Such is the kind of faith that all of us Christians are called to have. It is NOT BLIND BELIEF, but a grace that engages both the mind and the heart, and is a prerequisite for salvation—of both body and soul.
Faith is an essential virtue because it is a habitual disposition of the soul that moves us to trust God no matter the circumstances. It must be dynamic, not stagnant. Faith grows stronger when we remember the times God calmed the storms in our lives, saved us from imminent danger, healed us of serious illnesses, and provided for us when we had nothing.
Lord Jesus, help us not allow doubt and distrust to seep into our hearts when our prayers are not answered in the way we desire!
