(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 06.30.2024).- Around 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square at noon on Sunday, June 30, to listen to the Pope’s Sunday address and pray the Angelus with him. Below is the English translation of the Pope’s address:
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The Gospel of today’s liturgy tells us about two miracles that seem to be connected to each other. As Jesus is on His way to the house of Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders whose daughter is gravely ill, a woman suffering from hemorrhages touches His cloak along the way. He stops to heal her. Meanwhile, we are told that Jairus’ daughter has died, but Jesus does not stop. He arrives at the house, goes into the girl’s room, takes her by the hand, and raises her, bringing her back to life (Mk 5:21-43). Two miracles, one of which is a healing and the other a resurrection.
These two healings are told in the same episode. Both occur through physical contact. Indeed, the woman touches Jesus’ cloak, and Jesus takes the girl by the hand. Why is this physical contact important? It is because these two women are considered impure and cannot, therefore, be physically touched—one because she suffers from blood loss and the other because she is dead. Yet, Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Even before He carries out a physical healing, He challenges the false religious belief that God separates the pure, placing them on one side, from the impure on another. Instead, God does not make this kind of separation, because we are all His children. Impurity does not come from food, illness, or even death; impurity comes from an impure heart.
Let us learn this lesson: in the face of bodily and spiritual sufferings, of the wounds our souls bear, of the situations that crush us, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance. God is not ashamed of us; God does not judge us. On the contrary, He draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death. He always takes us by the hand to say: daughter, son, arise! (cf. Mark 5:41). Walk forward; strive ahead! “Lord I am a sinner”—
“Strive forward; I became sin for you, to save you” – “But you, O Lord, are not a sinner” – “No, but I have endured all the consequences of sin to save you.” This is beautiful!
Let us fix the image that Jesus offers us in our hearts. It is God who takes you by the hand and raises you up again. It is He who lets Himself be touched by your pain and touches you to heal you and give you life again. He does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone.
Thus, we can ask ourselves: do we believe that God is like this? Do we let ourselves be touched by the Lord, by His Word, by His love? Do we relate to our brothers and sisters by offering them a hand to lift them up, or do we keep our distance and label people based on our tastes and preferences? We label people. Let me ask you a question: Does God, the Lord Jesus, label people? May everyone answer this question. Does God label people? And do I live by constantly labelling people?
Brothers and sisters, let us look to the heart of God, so that the Church and society may neither exclude nor treat anyone as «impure,» so that each person, with their own particular past, is welcomed and loved without labels, prejudices, or adjectives.
Let us pray through the Holy Virgin. May She who is the Mother of tenderness intercede for us and for the whole world.
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