Faith Reflection and RE News 

Faith Reflection 

Mark 5:21-43- Young girl, I say to you, arise.

This week’s passage tells the story of Jairus, a Jewish leader whose daughter was desperately ill. He approaches Jesus and pleads with Him to heal her and save her life. The surrounding crowd tells Jairus not to bother Jesus, as his daughter has already died. Jesus overhears this and replies, "Do not be afraid, only have faith." Jesus and a few of His disciples then enter Jairus's house. Next, Jesus asks about the commotion, saying, "The child is not dead, but asleep." The crowd laughs at Him. Jesus then takes the child by the hand and says, "Talitha, kum," which means, "Little girl, I tell you to get up." The little girl immediately gets up and begins to walk around. Finally, Jesus orders those present not to tell anyone about the miracle and to give her something to eat.

This event takes place immediately after last week’s reflection passage, the calming of the sea. The writer emphasizes that, just as in the calming of the sea, it is Jesus who performs the miracles. This differs from the prophets of the Old Testament, who acted as conduits for God's interventions. While the Bible is historical, it is also theological. The writer uses the Sea of Galilee to represent Jesus moving between Jewish and non-Jewish people. It is no coincidence that the main character is a Jewish leader. The story illustrates that Jesus cares for others regardless of their race, religion, or disability. Throughout Israel, Jesus demonstrates unconditional compassion for those around Him.

An interesting element in this passage is the lack of compassion shown by those around Jairus. The crowd follows him and jeers at his attempts to ask Jesus to save his daughter. Even when Jesus says the girl is "asleep," they laugh. Why was this included in the text? I think there are two reasons. First, it provides an uncomfortable glimpse into human nature. Unfortunately, the world is not full of saints; it can be filled with people who show indifference to others and enjoy seeing authority figures vulnerable. Another reason is that it shows the lack of faith in those around Jairus. Throughout the New and Old Testaments, we hear stories of people having faith despite feeling humiliated by others. Jesus makes a simple point through this miracle: no matter how dark times may seem and how lonely you may feel, if you have faith, Jesus will be there for you.

The Greek myth of Pandora’s box comes to mind, describing the relationship between challanges and hope. Pandora is given a box from Zeus containing all the ills of humanity. Out of curiosity, she opens it, and suffering, famine, and depression sweep through the world. Distraught, she closes the box. Then she sees the box rattling slightly, indicating one more thing left inside. When she opens it again, hope springs out. After darkness comes hope. 

-Jonathan Rooney

Sacraments

Confirmation -  Sunday 28th July @ 2.00pm 

First Communion -  Saturday 9th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 10th November @ 10.00am 

Saturday 16th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 17th November @ 10.00am 

Class Mass Timetable

NB: Please note the updates dates for 1/2 B and 3/4 C