This Sunday we read the Gospel for the 7th Sunday of Luke 8:41-56 which is about Jairus’ daughter and the women who touched the cloak of Jesus.
The essence of the Bible’s exhortation is: “Believe and you will live! Seek and you will find your true life!” Yet hearing these words from the Bible many people do not turn to God nor go to Church, for a variety of reasons, but many simply because they think that they are not good enough. Many feel inadequate, they feel they must reach a certain standard of spirituality or a plateau of visible piety before they can honestly go to Church and direct themselves to God.
No one of us is “good enough” to stand before God and make claims of self-worth. But in essence everyone is precious to God and can come before Him by simple faith – Faith in His Word that He loves us and that He is ready to fulfill our needs as a caring Father.
By the power of faith we can seek the Lord and find true life in Him. St. Simeon the New Theologian teaches us that there is no obstacle to faith but as soon as we wish it and decide in out heart straightway we believe. Every human being can exercise the gift of faith! When we do this, then the gift of faith through God’s grace becomes an amazing power that strengthens and renews our life and the lives of those around us!
One of the most profound examples of faith is demonstrated by today’s gospel lesson of the raising of Jairus’ daughter by Our Lord from the dead and the healing of the women who had an issue of blood for twelve years who touched the Lord’ garment. These were perfect examples of the power of faith. You see Jesus is telling us that because of the women’s faith she was healed and because of the faith of Jairus, who Jesus exhorted to believe, his daughter rose from the dead, saying to her while taking her hand, “My child get up! Her spirit returned and she stood up!” You see our faith our sincere belief in Our Lord carries us through the worse of times with His miraculous healing power. The words Jesus uttered to the despondent father, “Don’t be afraid, just believe and she will be healed” is spoken to us always, whether we feel inadequate to come unto Him or not, for we are all precious to God and can come before Him simply by faith!
May Our Lord welcome us within His Holy Church so that we too may be healed of those things which have afflicted us!
On this Sunday (November 8th) we also celebrate the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, Michael and Gabriel and all the Heavenly Hosts. The highest rank of angels that are incorporal beings, spiritual and perfect, created by God at the dawn of time, for the purpose of being His servants and messengers. They have always and forever contemplated the face of God, are ready to rush to His every command, as attentive listeners and executors of His Word.
Also this week we commemorate the memory of St. John Chrysostom, (November 13th), the author of our Holy Liturgy who said, “ignorance of the Bible is the source of the greatest evils in the world, while knowledge of the Bible is the source of the greatest blessings!”
