FIRST READING
“Let us run with perseverance thee race that is set before us.
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1-4)
Brethren: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 22:26b-27.28 and 30.31-32 (R. see 27b)
R/. They will praise you, Lord, who seek you.
My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.
May their hearts live on forever and ever! R/.
All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,
all families of the nations worship before him.
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust. R/.
And my soul shall live for him, my descendants serve him.
They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,
declare his saving justice to peoples yet unborn:
“These are the things the Lord has done.” R/.
ALLELUIA Matthew 8: 17
Alleluia. Christ took our infirmities and bore our diseases. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 5:21-43)
At that time: When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and begged him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?”’ And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them,- “Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi”; which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and walked; for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
In an age of instant food, instant miracles, instant money etc, perseverance seems to have no place. But the truth is that perseverance is the key to success. To run the race of life and attain eternal happiness in the end, we must be ready to persevere, keeping ‘our eyes fixed on Jesus’. The woman with a hemorrhage persevered despite the hindrance of the crowd and got her healing. Jairus persevered in faith despite the news of the death of his daughter. St Agatha, whose memorial we celebrate today, also persevered in faith despite persecution and won a martyr’s crown. As the scripture makes clear to us, life is a race, and running with perseverance is what will help us win the race. Surely the difficulties and hurdles of life may make us look for instant answers but focusing on Jesus and persevering gives us a lasting answer.