Pope: Let us ask God for healing, but also a stronger faith
Vatican City
(AsiaNews) - "In God we ask to be healed from our problems, from practical
needs, and it is right, but what we crave is a faith that is stronger, so that
the Lord renew our lives, and a firm trust
in His love, His providence, that He will not abandon us". This is how Benedict
XVI summarized the message of today's Sunday Gospel (Mk 5.21 to 43) at the
Angelus, which tells of Jesus healing of two women: the daughter of Jairus and
the woman suffering from hemorrhages.
"These
two stories of healing - added the pope - is an invitation for us to overcome a
purely horizontal and materialistic life." "These
are two episodes - he explained - in which there are two levels of
interpretation; the purely physical: Jesus bows over human suffering and heals
the body; and the spiritual: Jesus came to heal the human heart, to give the salvation
and asks for faith in Him. In the first episode, in fact, on hearing that the
daughter of Jairus was dead, Jesus says to the head of the synagogue, "Do
not worry, just keep the faith" (v. 36), he brings him to where the girl was
and exclaims: " Little girl, I say to you, arise!" (v. 41). And she got up and
walked. St. Jerome comments on these words emphasizing the saving power of
Jesus: "Little girl, arise for
me: not thanks to you, but for my grace. Arise, therefore, for me: the fact of
being cured does not depend on your virtue "(Homilies on the Gospel of Mark, 3). The second episode, that of the
bleeding woman re-emphasizes how Jesus came to liberate the human being as a
whole. Indeed, the miracle takes place in two phases: the first is the physical
healing, but this is closely tied to deeper healing, that which gives God's
grace to those who are open to Him in faith. Jesus says to the woman,
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go 'in peace and be healed of your
disease" (Mk 5.34). "
"Jesus
who is attentive to human suffering - then added the pontiff - also reminds us
of all those who help the sick to carry their crosses, in particular
physicians, health professionals and those who provide pastoral care in homes.
They are "reserves of love," which bear serenity and hope to the
suffering. In the Encyclical Deus caritas
est, I observed that, in this invaluable service, you must first be
professionally competent - it is a primary, fundamental requirement - but this
alone is not enough. They are, in fact, human beings, who need the attention of
our humanity and heart. "Therefore, in addition to professional training, these workers also need charity, and
above all the" formation "should be led
to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their
spirits to others "(n. 31).
We
ask the Virgin Mary to accompany our journey of faith and our commitment to
practical love especially to those in need, as we invoke her maternal
intercession for our brothers and sisters who live a pain in the body or in
spirit. "
From
3 July, the Pope moves to Castel Gandolfo for a period of rest. In this period
all private audiences are suspended. The
Wednesday general audience - suspended in July - will resume from Wednesday,
August 1 at Castel Gandolfo. Throughout
the summer, however, the Angelus on Sundays and feast days will be celebrated
in Castel Gandolfo.
.png)
