Help of the helpless, O abide with me!

Mark 5:21-43

21 After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. 22 One of the meeting- place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, 23 beside himself as he begged, "My dear daughter is at death's door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live." 24 Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.25 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years-- 26 a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before-- 27 had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. 28 She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." 29 The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. 30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" 31 His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!" 32 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.

34 Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague." 35 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader's house and told him, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?" 36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, "Don't listen to them; ONLY have faith." 37 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. 38 They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. 39 Jesus was abrupt: "Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping." 40

Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn't know what he was talking about. But when he had sent them all out, he took the child's father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child's room. 41 He clasped the girl's hand and said, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, get up." 42 At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. 43 He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, "Give her something to eat."

Food for thought!

Yesterday, Jesus showed us what he can do with our hopelessness and helplessness; he turned a madman into a mademan. Today, he continues. If yesterday's situation was spiritual (mad man), today's is physical. Someone is dead. Another one is dying. Today, Jesus shows us that he is the solution to both to our spiritual and physical desperate situations.

A desperate father, named Jairus came to Jesus and fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, "My dear daughter is at death's door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live." This man was helpless and he came to Jesus for help. And got it. Jesus agreed to go with him. But even as he was going with Jesus, tragedy struck; his daughter died. Lesson: tragedy hits everybody including those walking and working with Jesus. So don't ever think that because you pray every day, because you go to Mass every Sunday or even everyday, that tragedies will not come your way. Even followers of Jesus get tragedies.

Jesus told this man what he tells all those people in hopeless situations: DO NOT BE AFRAID. ONLY HAVE FAITH! This is the only thing Jesus asks of us, only one, just this one: only have faith. The rest is his.

Another hopeless situation was of a woman who came to Jesus, as Jesus was on his way to a hopeless situation. She came to Jesus in a helpless situation; everything else had failed. The gospel says that "a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before." As we said yesterday, there are situations in life that nobody can handle except Jesus. 

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 18:6 

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.