Word to the Wise
Monday, February 9, 2026 - Monday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13 and Mark 6:53-56]Whatever villages or towns or countryside [Jesus] entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed. [Mark]
Some years ago, the National Geographic magazine published an issue that featured an article on TOUCH. It was amazing to me to read the physiological processes [endorphins, etc.] involved and their benefits. But the psychological benefits can be considerable as well. And when the touch is given for immoral reasons, the damage can be considerable as well. Any celebrity, including the Pope, must cope with the desire of devotees to touch him or her and indeed lose bits and pieces garments or jewelry! I once read that Pope St. John Paul II stopped wearing cufflinks because people were grabbing and pulling them off!!! On a more religious level, Catholic tradition places value on touching the relics of saints/blesseds, no matter how remotely connected to the particular holy person. This may help us to understand today's gospel scripture.
The earlier example of the woman in the crowd who struggled to get close enough to Jesus to touch his garment is repeated on a larger scale in today's gospel. The Law of Moses required tassels on garments to remind the Jewish faithful of the commandments of the law. [Numbers 15:38-39]. Jesus felt "power go forth from him" to heal the woman. This is the point of the whole thing: faith in the power of Jesus, manifested in the desire to touch even the tassel of his cloak. The tassel or holy object has no power in and of itself.
We know the healing power of a simple hug from a beloved person. Even the comfort of a small touch can be important. It is the care that matters. Jesus' care for those who came to him radiated so that his garments were simply part of his person. We too can represent his power in our care for others. AMEN
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