Our Lord shows a remarkable blend of determination, flexibility and patience in his mission. This is especially evident in today's Gospel, in which we constantly see Jesus willing to go where he is asked, adapting his plans, without the slightest haste, but all inspired by a clear sense of following the Father's will.
Jesus knows what he wants to do and he does it calmly, never fidgeting. And yet, the crowds are buzzing around him, people are demanding his attention or touching him, the disciples are responding nervously to him, people are weeping and wailing aloud, or laughing at him.
Jesus has just cast thousands of demons out of a single person: a hard and exhausting battle. As he crosses by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathers around him. In the midst of that crowd, with Jesus no doubt ready to teach them, a certain Jairus begs him to come and cure his daughter. Jesus follows him without complaint.
On the way, another interruption occurs. A woman who had been suffering from a painful hemorrhage for twelve years touches him. Feeling his strength ebbing away, Jesus stops: healing the woman is not enough, he wants to help her grow in faith. That is why he tests her before healing her; there is even time for a discussion with his disciples. We can imagine Jairus' impatience while all this was going on. And then his worst fears are confirmed. He is told that his daughter is dead.
Jesus says to him: "Fear not; it is enough that you have faith.". He delays even longer, preventing all the others from accompanying him and allowing only Peter, James and John to do so. After having expelled from the house all those who were weeping (he takes more time), Jesus finally heals the child with great patience and gentleness: "I'm talking to you, girl, get up.". She does so, and we are even told that it occurs to Jesus to tell them to give him something to eat.
This is a great lesson for us. To be determined to do good and not let anything deter us, but with calm, patience and flexibility.
One of the reasons we lack mercy-and this may be a particular shortcoming of hard-working, motivated people-is that we have all kinds of things we want to do, perhaps very good things for the service of God, and we don't like to be interrupted.
What we should learn is that those interruptions could be Our Lord telling us what He wants us to do.
Homily on the readings of Sunday 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
