And such is the response in the psalm for today: I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me (Ps.30:2).

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1 13 th Sunday of Year B THE HEALING LORD OF LIFE Allan Moss OMI First Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Response: I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me (Ps.30:2). Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:4-6, Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7,9, Gospel: Mark 5: The Risen Lord has conquered sin and death. God created us to have life to the full. Sin and death destroy body and soul. The Messiah (Mashiah), Christ, is the divine saviour and healer. For the healing of the nations, Lord we pray with one accord; For a just and equal sharing Of the things that earth affords. To a life of love in action Help us rise and pledge our word. (Fred Kaan) Frederik Hermanus Kaan was a Congregational Church clergyman of Dutch origin, born in 1929 and died in England, He was foremost in a new generation of post-second world war hymnwriters. His poetry centred on a Jesus embracing the whole of creation and excluded no one and nothing from his love. It was in him the Christian peace movement found a voice. We are born to live a full life. The Book Wisdom clearly states that death was not God s doing (1:13). He takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living (Ibid.). In fact, He created all (1:14), and saw that it was good, before it was touched by evil and destruction. God created in a special way the human person in the image of his own nature (Wis.2:23). God is a spirit and so in his image we are not just simply mortally vulnerable persons. A virtuous person is one living out one s true vocation, a spiritual life, for virtue is undying (Wis.1:15) and hades holds no power on earth (Wis.1:14). The Responsorial Psalm proclaims God rescuing us. The Lord came to my help (Ps.30:11). And so with a grateful heart, we say: O Lord my God, I will thank you forever (Ps.30:13). And such is the response in the psalm for today: I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me (Ps.30:2). We are not simply saved from death but blessed to be full of grace, new life. Jesus Christ has given all, his best, so that we have the most of everything (2 Cor.8:7). St. Paul clearly states that God has done so much in the work of redemption, he now expects you to put the most into this work (2 Cor.8:7). The Gospel shows how redemption and healing is for all, including the pagan woman, who believed she would be blessed if she could touch even his clothes (Mk.5:28). The power of Christ, the Divine Healer, flows through to the person of faith, My daughter, your faith has restored you to health (Mk.5:34). We ask ourselves, how great is our faith? See the Lord of life and death standing at the bedside of a little girl who is dead. Talitha, kumi, he says, i.e. Little girl, get up (Mk.5:41); and she rises. He speaks to us today, to get up and join him in the work of redemption, to help him to serve the poor, the sick and the dying. Reflect and share with others the message and challenge of the Gospel (Mk.5:21-43).

2 In the Eucharist, we sinners approach the Lord. We touch him, healed and are graced with his life. Church Teachings show how sin is life-threatening and how grace is divine healing. Sin forgiven and grace restored are words of the hymn Firm is our faith (Peoples Hymn Book. No.124). What is threatening your spiritual life? Turn to the Lord. Touch him and proclaim his saving grace. FOR THE CHILDREN All that kills abundant living, Let it from the earth be banned; Pride of status, race or schooling, Dogmas keeping man from man. In our common quest for justice May we hallow life s brief span. Read the Gospel to the children, showing how Jesus comes to save the little girl (Mk.5:21-43). Talk about the ways that we can come close to Jesus and even touch him, for example, in the Eucharist. Teach children how sin separates us from God and how his grace heals and brings us together. Be ready to help one another to come closer to Jesus. FOR TEENAGERS (Shared Christian Praxis) Name the present Action: Your Story and Vision: What does Jesus and his healing action mean to you? Share your experiences of the Lord and hopes in the power of his love. Church s Story and Vision: See the healing ministry of Jesus today in Church and its sacraments. Yours and Church s Vision: Can you work with the Church for healing and for the building of the Kingdom on earth? RCIA The Lord heals today through us, his body, the Church, the People of God. The sacraments of the Church are eminently ways of the Lord s healing touch, especially for the sick and broken-hearted. Heal the sick! The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession. She believes in life giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through sacraments, and in an altogether special way in the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that Paul suggests is connected with bodily health. (Catechism of Catholic Church.1509). IMPORTANT WORD: Talitha, qumi (Mk.5:41) Talitha, qumi is Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus to a little dead girl. Transliterated into Greek, the letters are Talitha kum). What Jesus is saying is: Little girl arise. Before this, an old woman is healed by the touch of his cloak. Now a young girl, a talitha, who is dead, is raised to life. In both cases healing involves faith. My daughter, says Jesus to the old woman, your faith has restored you to health (Mk.5:34). In the case of the child, it is her parents and others who believed in the Lord. Our faith and prayer bring grace and strength to others, especially when they are in need of God and His healing touch.

3 VIGNETTES OF MY LIFE It was the year 1970 and having just been ordained, Allan received an obedience from the Oblate Supe-rior General, Leo Descatelets, assigning him to the Province of Natal which is committed to serving the Archdiocese of Durban. Because of Allan s background John Patterson (qua provincial) and Archbishop Hurley decided to send Allan to train Zulu catechists at Esigodini. Dominic Khumalo OMI was in charge and had just taken over from its founding father, Pierre Freoux OMI. It was before the time of the re-introduction of permanent deacons, so full-time catechists were trained to help the priests on the mis-sions. When Allan came back from England, he had not been given time to spend with his folks in Zulu-land and so it was agreed that he could take a short break with them after his ordination. It was then that he was urgently called to help Fr. Donald Kelly, parish priest of Holy Trinity Parish, on the Berea, who had suddenly a nervous breakdown. After being rushed to hospital, he was back in the parish, recuperating. Allan was asked to go and assist him. It was an interesting situation because of the understanding that existed concerning certain Oblate parishes where Oblate priests serve, and there are parishes where diocesan priests are based. Allan s first ministry was to be in a diocesan parish, and wealthiest, in the archdiocese, compared to the poor mission for which he had prepared himself. Also there had just arrived in the parish, a diocesan priest, newly ordained whose name was Eldred Leslie. Donald, Eldred and Allan were an interesting trinity often joined by a close friend of Donald s, Paddy Akal, a canon lawyer for the Archdiocese of Durban. Allan felt he was in good company, and the young priests, in spite of Donald s health, felt they had much to learn from him. They enjoyed each their differences. Eldred studied at the Beda College in Rome and was conservative, wary of many new changes in the Church since Vatican II. Allan considered himself progressive and felt it was time to update. Donald was a mediator, maintaining a in medio stat virtus stance. There was much bantering but in good spirit and a readiness to help one another no matter what. Something did disturb Eldred and Allan. It was the fact that Donald being ward of Maria, an attractive teenage-girl from a broken home, had given her the freedom of the presbytery, but they never witnessed any evil. This reference in his memoirs is important because, early in his priesthood, Allan felt that unless a problem is personally dealt with and not just theoretically debated, it does not directly challenge one to change a life-style. Later, Eldred used to remind Allan that if they had try to do something instead of just mentioning it, perhaps the relationship between the priest and his ward would have had its limits and he might not have lost his priestly voca-tion and married her. Indeed, we are only guided by the amount of light, says Origen that shines in our prison. 1 There were a number of memorable events at Holy Trinity. There was the young Mauritian lady who was interested in Eldred. She was always phoning and asking him to visit her. One day she phoned saying she needed to see him urgently. Eldred, suspecting something, asked Allan to accompany him. When they arrived, she opened the door barely dressed in a negligee. Surprised at seeing two priests, she thought quickly and said I want to go to Confession, knowing it has to be with one priest only. Eldred advised Allan to wait in the lounge while he went into the room to hear her confession. Suddenly, the door opened and Eldred came out, throwing holy water at her. He said to Allan let s get out of here, and Allan got up and ran out with Eldred. The lady was running behind them, shouting. Luckily, there were no newspaper reporters around, to witness the scene of two priests running down the road and a woman in her nightie running after them. Allan also had a lady who insisted on seeing him privately. She lived in an elite White area of the parish and needed have a tete-a-tete with him. She said told him that she knew who he was, a Coloured, and that she, Ivy, wouldn t tell anyone because she was his relative also living in a White area. Allan informed her that he had no fear of people knowing his full identity, that he preferred they knew who he was and was not ashamed of his relatives visiting him. In fact, Donald and Eldred knew them and made them feel at home. He assured her of honouring her secret and never speak of their relationship, for her sake. Such were the early experiences of Allan as a priest at Trinity, until Dominic Khumalo came, demanding his promised assistant come quam primum to his mission, as Esigodini needed him more

4 than Trinity. 1 ORIGEN. An Exhortation to Martyrdom, Prayer, First Principles, Book IV, Song of Songs. Paulists, NJ P.28. LIVING OUR FAITH TODAY AS A FAMILY The Vatican announced May, 2015, that the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops completed two days of meetings in preparation for this October s synod on the family. Pope Francis chaired the meeting, saying his presence "underlined the importance he attributes to the current Synod. The October 4-25 synod will follow up the synod held last year, theme of the family. The upcoming synod s theme is The vocation and the mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world. The document compiles the results of last year s synod, integrated with "numerous contributions" sent from episcopal conferences and other groups and individuals who have replied to the questions sent by the Vatican or provided other comments. Apostolic Experiences in the Family Pentecost in the family means being filled with the Holy Spirit, to show the world that Jesus Christ is alive under your roof. The family is walking and talking with the Risen Lord. Pope Francis calls on families to be kerygmatic, i.e. not only show that the Lord is alive at home but to proclaim him to the whole world. Help to bring Christ to other families. Basically, being kerygmatic means sharing the Good News, the presence of the Risen Lord with others. Being charismatic means sharing, special gifts the Spirit has given, with others. In apostolic times, after the kerygma, sharing the Good News of the Risen Lord, comes the catechesis, sharing further about the life of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. What did the apostles teach? They taught in a narrative way, i.e. told stories about the life of Jesus, the things they heard him say, e.g. sermon on mount, parables and the things he did. How did they teach? They used narrative method, as mentioned above, which developed into gospels and the New Testament. Note that the word of God was taught before it was written. Besides teaching what Jesus said and did, from personal experience, they also used Scriptures (Old Testament), quoting prophets. Their teaching ended with application to life, action. There are no records of lessons for children in apostolic times only proof for teaching adults. Who taught children? It must have been the parents. Where was Jesus taught as a child? At home, at his mother s knees. The family is like a synagogue s womb out of which grows the body of Christ, 1 Church domestic, under the guidance and strong hand of the Spirit. 2 1 APOCALYPTIC SPIRITUALITY - TREATISES AND LETTERS OF LACTANTIUS, ADSO OF MONTIER-EN DER, JOACHIM OF FIORE, THE SPIRITUAL FRANCISCANS, SAVONAROLA. Tr. B. McGinn. Paulist Press, Mahwah, N.J p APOCALYPTIC SPIRITUALITY. Opus cit. p.202. WHAT AM I THINKING? I am thinking about the European, African Bishops in a joint study of the Family. The Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe (CCEE) and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) will have a Seminar on the theme The joy of the Family. The bishops will deliberate on issues relating to the family on the two continents. The aim of the Seminar of European and African Bishops is to

5 study the family in Africa and Europe as protagonist of evangelization and at the same time in need of being evangelised. Topics to be treated include: a) Anthropological, social and ecclesial challenges for the Family. b) The Joy and sufferings of the Family: Pastoral challenges. c) The Mission of the Bishop in proclaiming the Gospel of the Family. d) Role of the Church and the Bishop in dialogue with Society and States in family matters. I am thinking there is much to cover the ground, especially if bishops and all the clergy work more closely with families, not only when they come to God s house (church) but more time with them in their own house (families),as happened in apostolic times. Little wonder that Pope Francis criticizes bureaucratic priests and airport bishops, reminding them that they are married to their dioceses. If only they followed the rule of perfect prelates 3 and know the time for renovation of the Church. 4 3 APOCALYPTIC SPIRITUALITY. Opus cit. p APOCALYPTIC SPIRITUALITY. Opus cit. p.218. Watchword: Even if I can touch his clothes (Mk.5:28 ). Hebrew Raq im- ega bivgadayv. Greek: Hoti ean apsomai kan ton himation autou. Latin: Si vel vestimenta ejus tetigero. -o0o0o-