Word to the Wise
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - Tuesday in the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (St. Blaise)
[Hebrews 12:1-4 and Mark 5:21-43]"If I but touch his clothers, I shall be cured."
The imagination can allow for us to picture this lady pushing her way through the crowd to get near enough to Jesus to touch his clothing! Her statement of faith is very important. Scripture scholars tell us that the word for "cured" is also used to mean "saved!" Elsewhere in the Gospel of Mark, people try just "to touch the tassel of his cloak." Clearly Jesus' ministry of healing was a demonstration of his power (which we have already seen extends over nature and demons)! It also inspired faith. I have encountered many people whom I would call "tassel touchers." They do not feel that they can get any closer and don't really want to. But their faith is real. I'll share a personal experience of this. I was pastor of an inner-city parish in San Antonio 1994-98. One Sunday morning, early in my pastorate when I perhaps had more zeal than intuition, I was "patrolling" during one of the Sunday Masses being offered by an associate. I went into the vestibule of the church and asked some teenage boys who were sitting there to go into the church. Then I turned around and saw a youngish woman with a gentleman standing also. I asked them if they wouldn't mind going into the church. The lady responded, "No, we prefer to stand out here." I responded, "But the church is gathered inside!" (pointing to the folks in the pews) She responded, "The church is gathered out here too!" That shut me up! They were the "tassel touchers." Pastors know well that some people we will see only on those days when they can touch something: ashes, candles (blessing of throats today), the wood of the cross. Although much more is to be gained by entering more fully into the life of the church, we must be open to those who can only touch the tassel, and know ourselves that Christ can heal them too. AMEN
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