RBWords

     Both the quotations above are from the same story, actually two stories with one inside the other, in today's gospel scripture.  The Gospel According to Mark does this on several occasions (11:12-28, 3:20-35; 6:7-32) besides the one in today's passage.  Both stories involve female beneficiaries and both demonstrate Jesus' power over sickness and even death.  He has already shown his power over nature (calming the storm) and over demons (Gerasene demoniac).  But, as in all Jesus' actions in the Gospel According to Mark, the temptation is to focus on the actions and forget the person who performs the actions.  It is faith in the person of Jesus that makes the difference.  The woman's faith is such that the very contact with a tassel on Jesus' cloak would be sufficient to heal her.  It is not her touch that makes the difference.  It is her faith.  The same is true for restoring the little girl to life.  "Do not be afraid.  Just have faith."  It is possible that Jesus is hinting at his own resurrection in raising Tabitha from death.  In both the healings, the physical situation is desperate and final, just as Jesus' own suffering, death and resurrection would be.  

     The healing power of faith is something I have experienced in my pastoral ministry at parish missions when I administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  It is not necessarily a dramatic event but I have heard what the recipients have told me.  It is not the sacrament that does the healing, but the faith of the one who comes to receive it.  The whole Gospel According to Mark could be understood as reminding us that the wonders Jesus can do are not meant to cause faith but rather are the result of it.  AMEN