“With busy lives and so many demands, it can be difficult to prioritise. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus makes a strange detour from his plans.” Here’s our reflection from the Daily Mass.
BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Tuesday in the fourth week of the year here.
Everyone has such busy lives with so many demands on our time and attention, and we can often find it difficult to prioritise. Do we remain loyal to the first thing that went into our diary, or do we do replace it with something else we prefer? How do we cope when family demands and work commitments collide with one another? Yes, at times, it can be difficult to prioritise what is most important. It is often impossible to please everyone all of the time.
In the gospel reading, Jesus is in great demand. The crowds are pushing around him, each person wanting something. Many come to him for healing. One person manages to get through. An official from the synagogue whose daughter is sick. As Jesus makes his way to Jairus’s house, someone else grabs his attention. An anonymous person has reached out to touch him for healing. Rather than speeding onwards to the sick girl, he reprioritises his time. He lingers with the crowd as his disciples try to identify the woman. Jesus lingers for so long that word comes to them that the little girl has died.
Perhaps, we would have prioritised a young life over an older life. Or thought that Jairus’s daughter was more of an emergency? After all, the woman was already healed it seems. Although, for Jesus, the healing wasn’t complete until a true encounter occurred.
When we seek God’s help and healing in prayer, we can often be disappointed if he doesn’t respond in the way we had anticipated, or in the time we expect. But, as we proclaim at the blessing of the Easter candle, “All time belongs to him, and all eternity.” So next time we are anxious about time and priorities, may it lead us closer not to stress, but to the one who is the Lord of time.
Mass today is at St Mary’s Church at 630pm
DAY BY DAY
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our DAY BY DAY pages.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 