TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
8, JULY, 2024
Matthew 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
“My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
“Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.”
And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!
REFLECTION
“If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”
Sometimes, we carry silent wounds—things we don’t talk about, hurts we’ve learned to live with. Like the woman in the Gospel, we’ve spent years trying to fix what feels broken inside. Maybe it’s a physical illness. Maybe it’s a deep sadness. Maybe it’s guilt, shame, loneliness, or something no one else sees. But God sees. Jesus sees. And more than that, He stops, turns around, and calls us daughter, son.
She didn’t shout. She didn’t demand. She just reached out, quietly, humbly, desperately. And that little act of faith, hidden from everyone else, was big enough for Jesus to notice. That’s the kind of faith He responds to. Not loud, showy religion, but the quiet trust that says, Lord, I believe You are enough. If I could just be near You, I’ll be okay.
What’s beautiful about this passage is that Jesus doesn’t just heal the woman. He honors her. He restores her dignity. He affirms her faith. He says, Courage, daughter. He calls her family. And when He does, we realize healing isn’t just about fixing what’s wrong in our bodies. It’s about being seen, loved, and made whole in His presence.
Sometimes, all it takes is a whisper of a prayer. A trembling hand reaching out. A broken heart daring to believe again. Because faith, even the size of a breath, can move the heart of God.
PRAYER
Jesus, even when I feel unworthy, let me have the courage to reach out to You. In my quiet prayers and hidden hurts, meet me with Your healing love. Call me close, and remind me again that I am Yours. Amen
