Arise!

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s Gospel, clearly shows us what God wishes and what he expects from us. God only wishes that which is good, he wants to give us a life full with all that is good. We will hear how Jesus heals a woman who had been sick for many years, and how he awakens from the dead a young girl. They are different episodes, however in both, Jesus emphasises the importance of faith.

What is faith? It is impossible to explain faith in a few words. Faith is not blind superstition. Faith comes from trust. To trust someone, first we need to know him. I will not trust someone with something important, based on hearsay. Similarly, to trust God, I first need to know him. We know rationally who God is (as far as our limited human reason can go). It is sufficient for us to reflect on the truths which we repeat every time we recite the Creed. Yet, knowing God personally is quite a different thing. This is the fundamental question which the Gospel is proposing to us today. Who is God for me?

Faith restored joy to Jairus and life to his daughter. Faith gave peace and health to the woman who had been suffering for many years. For both Jairus and the woman, faith helped them to move closer to Jesus. These miracles show us Jesus’ attitude, his feelings towards these people and hence, towards us too. Jairus and the woman were far from similar. Jairus was an official of the synagogue, he was known and held a certain position in society. Jairus loved his daughter, and it is this love which makes him fall on his knees in front of Jesus. Jesus gives him hope when he accepts to go to his house. On the contrary, the woman is an unknown, known only by those close to her. Her sickness made her an outcast. She was also poor. She believed that Jesus could heal her. Yet she may have lacked the courage to face him. Could it be that although she believed, at the same time, she was afraid that Jesus would shun her like the rest? Or else she might have felt that she was not worthy to ask Jesus to heal her. As soon as she touches his cloak she is healed! This is when things change. Jesus reveals her, he wants to know the woman who is hiding from everyone. Jesus stops to talk with her. One wonders what Jairus must have felt at that time! This woman had stopped Jesus, she was using precious time which was essential for his daughter. However, Jesus uses this change in plans to teach us, too.

The first thing, Jesus teaches us, is that no matter who we are and no matter our social status, we are important to him. Jesus makes no difference, he has time for us. We see the endearing way, Jesus addresses the woman. He calls her ‘daughter’. In so doing, he establishes a relationship. This is what Jesus desires, he wants to have a close relationship with us. 

Then we learn that Jairus’ daughter had died. And Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” It is said that ‘do not be afraid’ is the most repeated phrase in the Bible. Jesus wants to remove all fear, he wants us to believe that in him we find hope, peace and healing.

Faith is a choice we make, we choose to believe, even when things are difficult and unclear. Faith is to trust God in all circumstances, and to believe that God hears our prayers and that he replies in the best way, in the best time, even though this may be in conflict with the prayer made. A great saint once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”

A reading from the Gospel of Mark (Mk 5, 21-43)

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with haemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to Jesus, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”  Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. If you had to see Jesus walking beside you, will you reach out to touch him? Why? Although we cannot see Jesus how Jairus and the woman did, we are privileged to receive him in the Eucharist. Before receiving communion, in faith say this prayer, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
  4. Jesus heals. Jesus does not only give physical healing, but also spiritual, psychological healing, he heals relationships, and heals all that needs to be healed. What healing do you need? Ask Jesus to heal you. Make this part of your daily prayer.
    i. The Bible reading from St Mark (5, 21-43)
    ii. A candle
    iii. Cover the table with a green clot
    vi. A computer/laptop with the reading and clips
  5. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested)
  6. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  7. Be creative 😊
  8. Go to the Prayer Corner section to continue praying as a family

Today, we are going to hear about two of Jesus’ miracles. What is a miracle? For example, last week, we heard how Jesus calmed the storm. Before that, we learnt how Jesus, through a miracle, is able to come to us in the Eucharist. A miracle is something which only God can do. Miracles are not magic.

  • God can do anything
  • Jesus is always with us
  • A holy medal of Jesus or a small crucifix, which can be worn or carried in the school bag, etc

Were you ever sick? What did mummy and daddy do?

When we are sick, we go to the doctor so that he may cure us. In today’s Gospel, we hear about two persons who were very sick. One was a girl, the other one a woman. Both had been to the doctor, but they did not get better. The girl’s father and the woman had heard about Jesus. They believed that Jesus could heal them.

Do you remember what happened? (the woman was healed after touching Jesus’ cloak, and the girl woke up, after Jesus touched her)

God can do anything. The doctors could not heal the girl or the woman, but Jesus did. Jesus does not want us to be sick or sad, he does not want us to be frightened. Do you remember what he told Jairus? He told him, “do not be afraid.”

What do you do when you are afraid? (you go near mummy or daddy)

How do you show someone that you love him/her? (you tell them that you love them, you kiss them, you hug them)

Jesus loves us and he does not want us to be afraid. He is always with us. We can see, speak, and hug mummy and daddy. However, we cannot hear Jesus speak to us, neither can we feel his hug. Yet there is something which can help up remember that Jesus is with us.  Your parents have bought you a holy medal or Crucifix. You can wear them, or keep them in your school bag, or near your bed. When you feel alone or frightened, hold the medal or Crucifix close to your heart and say, “Jesus, I know that you love me. Jesus, I know that you are near me. Please help me not to be frightened. Jesus, I love you.”

Sign of the Cross

Thank you, Jesus, for loving us, you want us to be happy and not to be afraid. Help us remember that we are never alone, you are always near us.

Today we heard how you healed Jairus’ daughter and a woman, who was sick. We pray that you heal the children who are in hospital and the children who live in poor countries where there are no doctors and there is no medicine. Thank you, Jesus. I love you. Amen. 

Today, we learnt that God can do anything. Let us end this time together, while listening to this song, I can know God.

Last week, we heard how Jesus stopped the storm. Today, we will see Jesus perform two other miracles. We will hear about a father who really loved his daughter. She was sick and was dying. This man was called Jairus. He had heard how Jesus could heal her, so he went to look for him, to ask him to heal his daughter. In the middle of this story, we meet with a woman, who had been sick for many years. No one could make her better, but she believed that Jesus could heal her. Let us listen to the story of Jairus, his daughter, the sick woman and Jesus. 

  • God loves us and cares for us
  • Jesus wants to help us
  • It is not enough that we know that Jesus loves us and that he wants to help us, we also need to believe it
  • When we believe, we show that we have faith
  • The activity printed on cardboard paper, cut them out so that the frames are separate
  • Pencil
  • Colours
  • Single punch
  • Treasury tag or key ring
PrintoutDownload

We have heard how Jairus, a synagogue official, had a daughter who was very sick. He had heard that Jesus had healed many people so he goes to look for him to ask him to heal his daughter.

What did Jesus do, when Jairus asked him to go to his house? (Jesus wanted to heal his daughter, so he goes with Jairus)

What happened when they were on their way? (Jesus stopped because he said someone had touched him!)

If you were Jairus, how would you have felt, seeing that Jesus had stopped walking towards your home?

Who had touched Jesus? (a woman who had been sick for many years, and whom no doctor could cure)

What did Jesus tell this woman? (that her faith had saved her)

What is faith? Do you have faith?

To have faith means to trust. We have faith in God and it also means that we believe what God says. God made many promises, and we believe that God keeps all the promises he made.

What happened after the woman was healed? (some people arrived, and told Jairus that his daughter had died)

What did Jesus do, when he heard this news? (he continued on his way to Jairus’ house)

What did Jesus do, when he was near Jairus’ daughter? (he performed a miracle. The girl wakes up)

When Jairus heard that his daughter had died, Jesus told him something. Do you remember what he told him? (“Do not be afraid; just have faith”)

It is not easy to believe. We know that God loves us, we know that God wants to help us, however, at times, we find it difficult to believe it. Did something ever happen to you and made you think, “if God loves me, he would not have allowed this to happen!” You know that mummy and daddy love you, but you do not always understand why they sometimes make certain decisions. You don’t understand why you ask them for something and they do not give it to you and tell you that they are doing this because they love you! You are still young, when you grow older you will understand better why your parents made certain decisions. The older you get, the more you will get to know your parents and this will help you to understand them better and trust them more. Similarly, the more we know God, we can better understand him and we also trust him. The more we trust God, the greater is our faith. 

How can you know God more? (reading the Bible, we also learn about God when we go to mass, from catechetical meetings and when we pray)

For today’s activity you have a printout with different things we believe. These do not include all that we believe in, so that is why there are some pages which may be filled in later. Start from the ones which are ready. In the empty part, draw whatever comes to mind after reading what is written. Make a hole in one corner of each ‘belief’ and pass a treasury tag or key ring, so that it becomes like a booklet. Whilst doing this activity listen to, My faith is in you.

Keep this booklet near your Bible. When you read something else, which you believe in, add another page. In time, this booklet will have many pages which remind you what you believe in. When you feel that God is not listening to your prayers, read slowly through this booklet and in your heart say: “God, please give me faith, help me to believe in you.”

Sign of the Cross.

Dear Jesus, today we heard how Jairus asked you to heal his daughter. Like Jairus, we wish to pray for healing. Jesus please heal ….

Lord God, thank you for your love. We believe that you can do anything. There are times when we find it difficult to believe that you are near us, that you can help us, that you love us. Send the Holy Spirit on us, to help us trust in you. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1. According to today's Gospel, someone approaches Jesus asking him to heal his dying young daughter. Who was the person who talked to Jesus?

Correct! Wrong!

2. What did the woman, who had been sick for twelve years, do when she saw Jesus walking in the midst of the crowd?

Correct! Wrong!

3. What did Jesus say to that sick woman, when he realized that she had touched him because she believed that he could heal her?

Correct! Wrong!

4. What happened to the girl after Jesus took her by the hand and said, "Talitha kum"?

Correct! Wrong!

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.