June 27, 2021

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

From Jairus to Jesus to Joy

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

Sometimes it takes a real crisis to bring us to Jesus.

This is what happened to Jairus who came to Our Lord in his desperation. It must have left a great impression on the crowd to see a respected leader of the community throw himself at the feet of Jesus and earnestly plead for the healing of his daughter who was “at the point of death.” Certainly, fatherly love and devotion moved him to leave his daughter’s bedside to find Jesus. He may have been aware of the Jewish leaders’ vilification of Jesus and may have even been warned that it was better to avoid him. But he throws caution to the wind and seeks out the Lord.

Our Lord immediately responds and accompanies him to his home. It had to feel like the longest journey he ever made. They had to make their way through the crowd…not an easy task when Jesus is at your side. Jairus must have thought again and again, “We’ll never get there in time!”

It is said, “Where there is life, there is hope,” but then comes the news that crushes all of Jairus’ hopes: “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?” Jesus ignores the message and continues on, reassuring Jairus, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” When they arrive at the house, preparations for the funeral were already underway and he reprimands the mourners. They are mistaken! With tender simplicity, Jesus takes the child’s hand and bids her rise. Into a scene of death, the Lord brings life. Where the darkness of death prevailed, the Lord brings light. Where sorrow reigned, the Lord brought joy.

The recurring, consoling message of the Lord throughout the Gospel is that death is not the last word. Our Lord reassures us as he reassured Jairus: “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” This is not always easy for us who are accustomed to the here and now. In my home parish of Saint Joachim in Trenton, we were fortunate enough to learn a little Italian. I recall a little rhyme directed to Our Blessed Mother: ‘Maria, Maria, portami via, ma piu tardi che sia!” (Mary, Mary, take me away, but as late as can be!”)

Most of us face death with fear and uncertainty, revulsion even. This is natural because it is a dark mystery. The great “theologian” Woody Allen remarked, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

“Do not be afraid,” says Our Lord, “Just have faith.” Let us ask the Lord to help us see our death and that of our loved ones with eyes of faith. Fr. Nouwen helps us along this path in this reflection:

“Dying is returning home. But even though we have been told this many times by many people, we seldom desire to return home. We prefer to stay where we are. We know what we have; we do not know what we will get. Even the most appealing images of the afterlife cannot take away the fear of dying. We cling to life, even when our relationships are difficult, our economic circumstances are harsh, and our health quite poor. Still, Jesus came to take the sting out of death and to help us gradually realize that we don’t have to be afraid of death, since death leads us to the place where the deepest desires of our hearts will be satisfied. It is not easy for us to truly believe that, but every little gesture of trust will bring us closer to this truth.”   [Bread for the Journey, Reflection: Aug 21]

Jesus walked the path ahead of us and invites us to choose the same path during our lifetime. He calls to us: “Do not be afraid, just have faith.”