Don’t despair. Jesus is with you. Angelo Canta, SJ, reflects on how Jesus is not deaf to our call for help. Based on the readings from the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Ours is a God of abundance, not scarcity.
Hi I’m Angelo and this is my one minute reflection.
What did Jairus feel like in today’s gospel story? We are told that the synagogue official fell at Jesus’ feet, asking for his daughter to be healed. Maybe he felt initially relieved that Jesus said he would go with him. Still, desperate to get home, Jairus must have been so anxious when an unnamed woman interrupts their party. He watches as she is healed, and Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.” Maybe that reminds him of the dire situation of his own daughter. And, in the midst of his anxiety, he gets the worst news any parent could hear.
Did Jairus, for a moment, feel like he had been cheated? That the miracle he was longing for had been given away to another person? Did he for a moment succumb to desolation and despair? Maybe. But right away, his despair is met with Jesus performing an even greater miracle, raising his daughter from the dead.
What Jairus learns is the same lesson we learn from this story. God is not a God of scarcity, doling out grace in a miserly way. No, God is a God of abundance. So, perhaps you find yourself like the unnamed woman, healed immediately. Or maybe today, you’re like Jairus, waiting a little longer for that abundance to show.
Where are you experiencing or waiting for God’s abundant mercy in your life?
