Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
My good friend asked me to pray for her niece and new baby recently. He was born prematurely weighing only 2 pounds with many critical health issues. There have been a couple times he was near death. I can only imagine the pain and suffering his parents are going through. Regardless of the outcome with this precious child, there are many people that are, as my friend says, ‘storming heaven’ with prayer and the deepest of pleading for his complete health and recovery. My friend’s phrase ‘storming heaven’ has stuck with me. I cannot stop imagining what that really means. Frankly, it has led me to ask myself, “How deep is my faith?” Do I really believe that if I approach Jesus and essentially demand this child be healed that Jesus will hear me? Will Jesus do what I ask of Him? What If I pray my heart out and things do not turn out the way I have asked of Him? And as I ask myself that question, I realize it is one of the ‘perennial questions’ Christians (and probably everyone else) has pondered since the dawn of time.
Today’s Gospel from Matthew relates the stories of two healings, both of which we find in Mark’s Gospel as well. The passage begins with the official coming, on his knees, and asking Jesus to raise his daughter from death. Smack dab in the middle of this story is the compelling passage of the woman, suffering with hemorrhaging for many years, approaching Jesus from behind, certain that merely touching Jesus’ garment will cure her. These two characters, the official and the woman, act boldly and without reservation when they approach Jesus. Before they even encounter Jesus, they are sure that Jesus is capable and willing to grant the healing they need; their faith is fixed. In other words, they have no doubt that Jesus is the solution. When I have prayed about this tiny, afflicted baby do I have the depth of faith they did? Yes, God may have a different plan in this particular situation that I incapable of understanding. On the other hand, it may be my faith itself that is lacking. It is entirely possible my prayer should be more broad—storming heaven asking God to increase my faith!
This year our parish theme has been ‘Encountering Christ Every Day’. We have explored many aspects of what it means to ‘encounter’ Jesus including in prayer, Holy Scripture, Liturgy, suffering, and even personal finances. During this time, I wonder how often we have boldly reached out and grasped this Jesus, this Savior—and confidently claimed what He has bestowed on me? When have I reached out and grasped the tassel of Jesus’ garment fully confident that His healing power is mine for the asking? When have I ‘walked’ a long way, like the official in the gospel, and asked Jesus to come to the bedside of a suffering loved one? Even if I have done this, have I sensed a bit of reservation in my heart even as I pray? And am I willing to explore these reservations? It may be that I know I’m not privy to God’s will in any given situation. It may be that I am not confident of God listening to me. Or it may be that my faith is not as deep as I think it to be. Whatever the reason, it is worth looking at more closely. If I do nothing else this day, may I humble myself enough to pose these questions to myself in the presence of the Lord. And may I ‘storm heaven’ to confidently, passionately—even foolishly—bring my petitions to Jesus.
--Gail Lyman