13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. 2TIM 1:10

WISDOM 1:13-15,2:23-24

My Soul's Beloved,

Satan's envy brought decay, death, and destruction to the world. We were created for love, joy, peace, in this life and to live in Your glorious Presence eternally. All that God created is good, wholesome, fruitful, beautiful, and true. God created us to enjoy abundant life but the poison of sin robbed us of all that God desired to give when He created us.

Yet, the Father, the Creator did not permit evil to have the final word - He sent You, His Son, the Eternal Word that reposed in Him eternally, into the world to undo by perfect obedience and steadfast love that which Lucifer, the fallen angel in envy stole by subterfuge and outright lies. The devil is the father of lies and God is the embodiment of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

You, my Beloved, have now won back for God the human race. Through Your life, passion, death, and glorious resurrection in heaven, You restored all we had lost by our wanton rejection of God. Thank You, Lord, for opening the gates of paradise once barred to us and making it possible for all who desire God to enter.

PSALM 29(30):2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me

and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,

give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

The Lord listened and had pity.

The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:
O Lord my God, I will thank you forever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:7,9,13-15

My Soul's Beloved,

The things of God, and all that delights Him are always a sign of contradiction to those who belong to the world. St. Paul points out in his letter to the Corinthians and to us who are called by Your Name, that we must image Your life in ours. You are the Way to the Father and we are to imitate You closely if we desire to experience true joy even in the midst of suffering and loss.  

This is how he puts it: Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. 

St. Paul also tells us that we must strike the right balance. Moderation in all things. Yes, we must give out of our surplus rather than hoard instead of sharing with those who have nothing. When we give with a generous heart God will always ensure that we will never want for anything.

As scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.

MARK 5:21-43

My Soul's Beloved,

It was Your intention to stay by the lakeside and teach the crowd but You willingly laid Your plans aside when the synagogue official, Jairus, pleaded with You to accompany him to his house and lay Your hands on his dying daughter. The large crowds accompanied You, pressing against You on all sides. In this crowd is a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for 12 years. 

During this time she underwent many long and painful treatments under several doctors and only got worse. Not only was she even more sick but she had spent all her money as well. She heard about You. She believed that You could cure her. She thought to herself if she could only touch Your clothes she would be healed. Putting thought to action she touched Your garment and was healed instantly. The joy and relief coursing through her body was immediately replaced with fear for You had felt power going out of You and You stopped and asked:

‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. 

The poor woman in fear and trembling confessed what she had done for she knew she had experienced healing. You spoke to her and said:

‘My daughter,your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

You continued to make Your way to Jairus' house when some people arrived with the news that his daughter had died and not to trouble You further. But You spoke to the official saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ 

Taking with You Peter, James, and John You urged the people to stop weeping as the child was not dead only asleep. They laughed and their disbelief resulted in the crowds being turned out of the house and taking Your disciples and the child's parents You entered the room where the child was.

And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

Both the miracles today teach us that if we have faith we too will see great miracles occur in our lives. Lord Jesus, we do believe. Help our unbelief.