Contemplating the Gospel: all who touched him were cured

5th Monday in Ordinary Time

Gospel text (Mk 6:53-56): Having crossed the lake, Jesus and his disciples came ashore at Gennesaret where they tied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Where­­ver He was they brought to him the sick lying on their mats. And wherever He went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured.

Comment: Fr. Joaquim MONRÓS i Guitart (Tarragona, Spain)

As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus

Today, we see the faith of the people of the countryside where Jesus had landed bringing salvation to them. Our Lord is the owner of our body and soul; and they had no doubt that in bringing their sick to him, they would be cured: «And all who touched him were cured» (Mk 6:56). Today as ever, we have many who are sick in their body and in their soul. We must therefore use our very best efforts, both human and supernatural, to bring our relatives, friends and acquaintances as close as possible to our Lord. In the first place, we can achieve it by praying for their spiritual and physical health. When we are sick we do not hesitate to find out whether there exists an appropriate treatment, or whether there is a doctor who can take care of us right away.

When it is a matter of spiritual “sickness” (normally visible, externally, as our son, brother or parents not attending the Sunday services), in addition to praying, it would be convenient to speak to him/her about the remedy, maybe by transmitting him/her a thought or some motivating factor that we might get from the Magistery (for instance, from the Apostolic Epistle on The Day of our Lord, by John Paul II, or from some of the points of the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

If the “sick brother is somebody as a public authority, who tries to justify an unjust law —as, for instance, abortion legalization— let us not doubt —in addition to our prayers— to seek an opportunity to let him/her know —personally or in writing— our testimony regarding the truth.

«For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard» (Acts 4:20). For everybody needs the Savior. And when they do not go to him it may just be they do not recognize Him because we did not know how to announce Him. The real fact is, however, that as soon as they recognized him «they laid the sick in the marketplace and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured» (Mk 6:56). And Jesus cured mostly those who were “placed” close to him; those who were more in urgent need of remedy.