God fashioned us in his own image so that we might have being. He fashioned us for life, not for death. We hear this message from the book of Wisdom today. It is through this new life we receive from God, from our longing to connect with him, and from the presence of the divine essence we experience in our lives, that propels us to grow in our relationship with Christ.
We hear from the 5th chapter of Mark’s Gospel today. Just prior to today’s Gospel reading, while the disciples were frightened by a terrible storm, while Jesus himself was asleep in the stern of the boat, Jesus awakened and asked his disciples: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" That is a question Jesus poses to all of us: Do you not have faith? Because faith is at the heart of Christ’s Good News. But faith is not a ambiguous concept; it is connected to a personal relationship with Christ and our interconnected relationship with our brothers and sisters.
When we see Jesus approached by the synagogue official who wants healing for his daughter and by the woman who wants Jesus to cure her, we realize that these two interactions take place in the midst of the community. We as Christians are to always be in the midst of the reality of the community, in the midst of the people. Pope Francis has told his priests when he first was elected Pope: I want you to be out with the people like Jesus was; I want you to be out there with your flock; I need you to be shepherds that smell like your sheep. I wish I could invite Pope Francis to spend a few days at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception, visiting with the children who are getting for vacation Bible school, visiting with the inmates at the state hospital where we do so much ministry, visiting with us as we help the Carmelite nuns at their monastery, visiting with our youth as they get ready for their summer trips, and seeing our ministry at the VA hospital. That is the midst of our reality.
I cannot imagine the bravery of the woman suffering from hemorrhages as she reached out to Jesus in the midst of the crowd. For many years she had been suffering with no help from the doctors. She had no answers, only frustration and confusion. In fear and trembling, she tells Jesus the truth. Like this brave woman, we are all called to meet Jesus in our reality. And community is an important part of that reality. It is hard to believe I came to Mississippi 24 years ago this summer as a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps at Ole Miss; I was assigned to teach Spanish at Greenville High School. In a way, it is a good thing I didn’t know what that reality was all about, as it was often harsh and challenging. I remember having taught in Greenville for several weeks when a student came up to me after class, saying: “Mr. Dall. My mom heard that you were Catholic. We are too. We want to invite you to our church.” I responded that I have been attending the Catholic parish in town, St Joe. But she responded that there are two Catholic churches in Greenville, that her family attended the other one. It was not until I arrived at that church the next Sunday that I learned it was the historically African American parish in Greenville. What happened after mass astounded me. The priest and so many parishioners came up to me, spoke to me, and welcomed me to their parish, hoping that I would continue to go there. When they heard I was a teacher and a former lay missionary, they immediately asked me if I would teach religious education there to the youth, if I would help out with the youth group. I felt so welcomed there, which made a big difference. Community is an essential part of our Catholic faith. Serving in the community and being a part of the community is a big part of our faith. We want to be a welcoming parishes here at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception. We want our visitors and our members to feel welcome here, to feel a part of our community of faith.
The new evangelization call in our Church us to grow in our faith, to be strong in our faith, and out of that faith, to reach out and evangelize. As we reflect on our Gospel today, may we hear and respond to that call.
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