In a class reunion, three long lost friends were comparing personal experiences. “in our town,” said the first, “People call me Monsignor because I part-time as a Eucharistic minister.” The second said, ‘Well, I run a business but I’m an active charismatic leader. I give spiritual conferences; so everybody calls me, ‘Cardinal.’”
It was the turn of the third classmate who has been intently listening, to speak. ‘in my case, I’m a plain sales representative but calls ma, ‘Diyos ko’” Puzzled, his two curiously asked, “Why?” “You see, when I knock at the door of my customers’ houses they opened the door and exclaimed, ‘Dioys ko, ikaw na naman,” (Oh my God, you again)!
Since time immemorial, people have been struggling to know who God really is. That is why Jesus Christ became man to be able to reveal God in a human way. But not like the sales representative that people (his clients) was afraid of his god.
In this Sunday’s gospel, we find an important revelation about God as seen through the humanity of Jesus. he had scarcely begun instructing a group of listeners when Jairus, one of the officials of the synagogue, interrupted Him with an intense appeal to come down and cure his critically ill daughter. Then Jesus, without a word of complaint, willingly ands pariently accompanies Jairus to his home. Jesus’ response reveals a God filled with compassion and mercy for men, women and children. Jairus is pleading to Jesus with mercy and He answered his prayer.
We are so very lucky that we have a God who is just and knows everything. There is no need to tell Him on what to do. he knows what is the solution to our problems. So, how valuable is prayer to us? Do we really pray to Him or we pray because we are forced by circumstances? This is the food for our soul. This is more than the food that we eat for our body. This is our strength and hope. This is the whisper of our soul to Almighty to God. This is our heart-to-heart talk to our faithful friend who always helps us.
I read a story about how powerful prayer is. “You know ma’am, I wonder why we are still alive. We could hardly eat three times a day. All of us are jobless. Maybe ma’am, we are still alive because my mother, every night, is always praying to God. I think ma’am God is so good because the company I am applying now is asking me to submit NBI clearance, SSS number and Tax Identification Number (TIN). Is it powerful ma’am, a heart-to-heart talk with God?” These are the words of a graduating college student to his former teacher.
But when Jesus was prepared to follow Jairus he felt someone touched Him. It was a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years and for who the doctors could offer no relief. Instead of brushing the woman away as if to say, “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see, this important man wants me to save his daughter from death?” he took time and gently said: “Daughter, it is your faith that had cured you. Go in peace and be free of this illness.”
The woman was afraid that Jesus would get angry with her. But Jesus is not. What He wanted to say to us is, “Fear is useless, what is needed is trust.”
You know I heard so many comments which are not good about this certain priest here in the Diocese of Marbel. That he is so very strict, conservative and outdated. I really pity this priest because he is like a roasted pig gradually cooked in a very hot big oven.
These two periscopes tell us, through Jesus’ action, that God is compassionate, sensitive and caring. He has time for each one of us – big time people like Jairus and small time people like the unnamed woman.
According to Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD in his homily book, that this gospel passage says that when we talk to God about our problems and difficulties, we are afraid that He will reply, “I’m sorry that I just don’t have time; I am too busy looking after important people like the pope and the president.” But God is not like that. He has time for each one of us. God answers all our prayers but according to His will. If God says, “No,” this is also an answer.
To end this homily, I was talking to a certain woman who came to me for spiritual direction. I was guilty by what she said to me: “The priests, nuns and bishops have no time for us. You are so very busy.” I was guilty upon hearing all those words because there were times that I’m very much available, but when somebody wanted to talk to me, I just say, “I’m very busy.” But I did not realize that Jesus Christ even how busy He was, he gave time to all