Daily Reflections ...

Today’s Gospel describes a woman with such a desperate desire for Christ and his healing that she sacrifices everything to reach him. I am struck by how much this woman is prepared to give, in spite of what she has already lost. Twelve years of pain, poverty and physicians could have left her hopeless, callous and cynical; instead, it has only made her more determined to find God’s healing.

She braves the pressing crowds, ashamed of her obvious bleeding, and probably in much physical pain, but she makes these sacrifices with the hope and belief that she “will be made well.” Despite how much her ailment has already cost her, the woman is ready to give her all so that she can reach Jesus.

At her most vulnerable, Jesus notices her, just as he notices you and me. Like a child, she falls down before him and tells him “the whole truth”. She shares her vulnerability, pain and shame with Jesus without reservation. And Jesus, seeing that she has given him everything she has, offers her life back to her by restoring her to health.

How can we be more vulnerable with God? How desperately do we want to reach Jesus in our prayer? What sacrifices are we prepared to make in order to touch him?

by Joanna Bach