Daily Readings - Tue Feb 04 2025
Hebrews
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Mark
21And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet23and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live."24And he went with him.And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.28For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?"31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"32And he looked around to see who had done it.33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.34And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.39And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.41Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful lessons about faith, perseverance, and the transformative power of God. The first reading from Hebrews encourages us to run the race of life with patience and perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross for the sake of our salvation. The author reminds us that we have not yet shed blood in our struggle against sin, urging us to draw strength from the example of Christ, who sits at the right hand of God. This passage invites us to reflect on our own struggles and to trust in God’s plan, even when the journey seems difficult.
The Gospel from Mark presents two miracles that highlight the power of faith. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, pleads with Jesus to heal his dying daughter, while a woman suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years secretly touches Jesus’ garment, believing that even this small act will bring her healing. Both stories demonstrate the importance of trust in God’s providence. The woman’s persistence despite her suffering and Jairus’s faith despite the seeming hopelessness of his daughter’s condition show us that God works in ways we cannot always understand. Jesus’ response to both—the healing of the woman and the raising of Jairus’s daughter—reveals His compassion and power to restore life and hope.
These readings remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God’s goodness even in the midst of uncertainty. Like the woman who touched Jesus’ garment, we are called to reach out to Him in our need, believing that He can heal and transform us. Like Jairus, we are invited to bring our deepest concerns to Jesus, trusting that He is always with us. In our daily lives, let us embrace the call to perseverance and faith, knowing that God is always at work, even when we cannot see the full picture. May we, like the witnesses in Hebrews, fix our eyes on Jesus and press on with hope and confidence.