Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Mass Readings
How tragic it is for us read the very last statement of the gospel reading: “So he (Jesus) was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk 6:5-6). Jesus, the Son of God, the one whom even the evil spirits recognized, the one whom they acknowledged as the “Holy One of God” (Mk 1:24), this same Jesus was “unable” to perform any mighty deeds because of the lack of faith of the people. This indeed is tragic. No wonder, then, that the author of the letter to the Hebrews, in today’s first reading, exhorts his readers to fervent faith. The reason is simple, if we follow the story of Jesus, many a times the people who sought healing experienced wholeness because of their own faith. And Jesus praised them for their faith. Just yesterday, we heard two stories of healing. In the story of the woman with hemorrhage Jesus declared in the end, “Daughter, your faith has saved you” (Mk 5:34), and to Jairus he said, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mk 5:36). In fact, he put the faithless people out the room of the Jairus’ dead daughter before he raised her to life (Mk 5:40).
Coming back to the first reading from Hebrews, hear again what the author says, “So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed” (Heb 12:12-13). Once again the connection between fervent faith and healing is emphasized. The only difference is that here the connection is not just between faith in Christ and physical healing but between faith, fervor, discipline, peace on the one side and wholeness in life as the result of these things.
With the economic situation becoming worse each day, there are many reports that people are encountering the crisis with faith. (Do a google search with the words “faith and economic crisis” and you will see the results). In the larger context we can see that the economic crisis is a clear message that greed and godlessness can only lead human beings to misery. Only a return to God and faith (Christian values of justice, self-sacrifice, love, and compassion) will heal our nation, the world, and our economic system. On a more personal level, perhaps our faith can help us to find the strength to manage our stress and anxiety.
What is true of the economic crisis is also true of each human life. Ultimately wholeness and healing comes from faith in God. If we do not have faith in God, even God is unable to work miracles for us. I suggest that we make an act of faith in the words of Ps 103, which is the Psalm response for today’s first reading.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
- Fr. Satish Joseph