Reflection
Genesis 28: 10-22
Psalm 91
Matthew 9:18-26
"Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” Today’s gospel reflects the great courage so many people have in meeting the challenges of their daily lives. First there is the grieving parent who desperately wants Jesus to bring their daughter back from death. What? Bring someone back from the dead? What great faith those parents must have had to believe that Jesus could do that!
And then there is the woman suffering from 12 years of hemorrhages – all she wants to do is touch the cloak of Jesus. What? Just touch a cloak and you will be healed? What great faith that woman must have had to know in her heart that all she had to do was just be close to Jesus and He would take care of her.
In all of our daily challenges, we are called to great faith. Each of the characters in our gospel story showed great faith in Jesus, but they also went further than that. They show us that God looks at us individually. He does not have us get in line and wait for us to engage Him. We are all worthy of His attention because He makes us worthy through His great love for us. There was no conflict between the characters in today’s gospel declaring “Me first!” In their desperation, they seem to have still wanted good things for other people.
When things get rough for us, it is important to remember God sees each of us individually and cares for us individually. So today, in the midst of your challenges, want good things for others. Yes, make your petitions known to God today, but keep going – want the good for the other person!
Go smile at God today!