THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost 4 November 2012

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

In today’s Gospel we witness the cure of two very different women. The daughter of Jarius is a twelve year old maiden representing the chosen people of Israel because he was the ruler of the synagogue. This young woman has just entered the age of puberty when she would be able to give birth to a new life. Likewise with the coming of Christ the synagogue and the Israelites have reached a state when they are capable of giving birth to the new life of Christianity. Christ has come first to the lost children of Israel, to bring to them the words of eternal life. In receiving the Word of God, the synagogue would have placed herself in a position of generating a new spiritual life within herself and generating a new life for the greater honor and glory of God. The Israelites are therefore in a kind of spiritual stage of puberty. In the life of Israel, we see there is a turning point, the Old Law is giving way to the New Law; childhood is passing away to make room for maturity and adulthood. This is a wonderful and magnificent time of life for the young woman as it is likewise for the children of Israel. A future bright and glorious, is standing before them filled with great hopes and dreams of unbounded opportunity. What a wondrous future God has put in their hands and is inviting them to enter. 

Puberty on the other hand is often filled with sorrow and regret of having to leave our childhood behind. Entering into adulthood means that we can no longer remain irresponsible and indifferent. In childhood all our necessities and wants are taken care of. We have not a care in the world other than to listen and follow the rules laid out for us by our parents. In this same manner Israel has been a child given the Law of Moses and taught by the rulers and prophets. God has taken these children by the hand and led them step by step toward this spiritual maturity. Just as adolescents often hate and resist leaving their childhood behind them the Israelites feared and resisted leaving the Old Law behind and beginning a new life with a New Law. We see how illogical adolescents are in this aspect, likewise we see how illogical and foolish the Israelites are in rejecting Christ and the New Testament, when it is so obvious that their entire life up to this point was nothing but a preparation for this great day.

We see Israel as the maiden sitting in this turning point of her life and fighting and resisting this transformation with all its wonder and joy. A foolish resistance as everyone knows for life continues regardless of our accepting it. We all can see that if the childhood was spent well the transition is easy and adulthood is filled with promise. There is only one problem now, the maiden is dead! The synagogue and temple are dead! But, this is not the end because Jesus raises her back to life. Not to the old life of a child, but to the new life of an adult. The same is true with the synagogue and temple; that life is dead and the Israelites (those who will believe) are raised to a new life in Christ in His Church. 

It is also noteworthy that the older woman was troubled by an issue of blood for twelve years. She represents the Gentile nations. At the same time that Israel began her life and childhood in God, the Gentiles, much older entered into idolatry and wickedness. The uncleanness of the flow of blood symbolized the spiritual uncleanness of sin that they entered into simultaneous with the birth of the Israelite people. After twelve years in this evil and terrible life, we see that this woman is longing and eager for a change in life, anxious to put off the evil and enter into a life of spiritual health and maturity. We see that as this woman, the Gentiles, rushed in eager for the new life of grace and took it from Jesus even before He could give it to the maiden Israelites. She approached from behind; with shame for her condition, and in humility not wishing to draw attention to herself or to cause scandal in others; but, nonetheless with complete hope and faith. The Gentiles rushed in to pick up the gifts of God’s graces before the Israelites because the Israelites were still clinging to their childhood and were choosing to die rather than grow up and accept the life of spiritual adulthood.

We see that God entered the world at this precise transitional period for both the Israelites and the Gentiles. He transforms them both in the same day. The Gentiles are healed on His way to restore life to the Israelites. The life of sin is put away form the Gentiles and the life of childhood is put away from the Israelites (who cooperated with God’s grace). The entire world is renewed and given a new starting point; a new spiritual life has begun for all. There are many Israelites who chose rather to remain dead than rise to a new life with Jesus; and there are many Gentiles who have chosen to remain in sin rather than to approach the Church with humble faith and be healed. History shows us the tragic results of this choice and the wondrous results of entering into the new life of Christ for both Israelite and Gentile.

 We, Catholics today find ourselves again at this point of transition. We must put off the spiritual childhood of milk and honey and willingly and eagerly embrace the adulthood of carrying a daily cross; we must put off the shame of sin and put on the life of humility and grace. Regardless of wherever we have been in the past, let us eagerly love and pursue a spiritual life in Christ Jesus our Lord.