Journal of Phillip Lichtenwalter

Reflection for Tuesday, Feb 5th: Feast of St. Agatha (Gospel of St. Mark 5: 21-43)When I was a young child, I was out riding my bike with several of my childhood friends. Throughout the bike ride, we each took turns trying our new and exciting bike tricks. It was my turn…I started to pick up a little speed, while going down this fairly steep gravel covered country road…started peddling harder and faster and before I knew it, I was preparing for my bike trick, I was out of control heading downhill on this gravel road. Being quick on my feet, instead of letting the bike go out of control, I quickly slammed on the breaks in hopes of stopping, BUT to my surprise I was flying over the handle bars, sliding face first into the gravel road. Once my slide finally came to a stop, I found myself with gravel nicely embedded in my hands and my face was badly scrapped up. I was quickly carried off back home where I was placed in the care of my local physician, aka MOM. She was so gentle and so calm throughout the entire situation. She wiped away my tears, cleaned my scraps, and kept re-affirming me that it was going to be okay. Once I was all bandaged up, we spent the afternoon curled up on the couch with my head in her laps, as she gently held me saying, “It’s going to be okay!” There was something about that time, that through her gentle touch, all of my life’s embarrassments, pains and tears were wiped away with her touch.In today’s gospel, we hear of two stories of the healing power of touch, the woman with hemorrhages and the little child. This woman had lived almost her entire life with this bleeding. Doctors had given up on her. She was rejected, unclean, a burden to society. The second was a little girl, with no concerns, no stresses, just a little girl, who happened to die. Yet we see in both situations how touch can drastically change lives. You see with the woman, she thought that it would be just enough if she reached the hem of Jesus’ garment. She didn’t want to reach out and touch Jesus fully. She was guarded. Why not reach out? Why not see if this thing called faith can heal me? Even when she merely touched his hem, she was healed. His power went forth from him. He couldn’t help it. He healed. So often, we are guarded and want to remain distant from Jesus. We want a relationship with our God, but only on our terms. We pray that God answers our prayers when we want, how we want, the way we want! We reach out when we want to reach out and even then, we might only reach out part way. Yet, because of the amazing power of touch, Jesus comes to us the extra mile. Even when we are guarded God is there more so, wanting for us, yearning for us to reach out. Now the young girl’s story is different. Her father was a synagogue official, a prominent public person, leader in the church, wealthy; his family probably had no worries in the world. They were comfortable, secure, and confident that their status could carry them throughout any ruff times. Yet, his daughter dies. He was desperate. His money couldn’t save her. His power couldn’t keep her from death, but he heard of this miracle worker, Jesus. And what does Jesus do, he responds to the call and reassures the family, “she isn’t dead…she is asleep.” Jesus reaches out and heals her, no questions asked. We live in a world where touch as been the cause of so many problems, so many wounds, yet this scripture reassures us that touch when used properly is an instrument of healing. Jesus uses his power NOT to hurt, injure, inflict pain…Jesus heals the outcast, the marginalized, the powerful, the arrogant, the young, the old, the wealthy, the poor, the believer, the non-believer, Jesus reaches out and heals ALL! Today we are this opportunity to consider how we use our touch. Do we reach out and embrace those who are in need of touch? Do we reach out to the marginalized, the outcast, the handicap, the discriminated, and the lonely? Do we reach out to Catholics, Protestants, non-Christian, even the Muslims? Do we strive to embrace those who don’t want embraced? The arrogant, the individuals, those better than everyone else, those who already know it all, those who can conquer any mountain on their own, the wealthy, the powerful? Do we allow our touch to heal, to comfort, to embrace OR do we use our touch to distance, to condemn, to punish, to hurt? Just as my mother gently reached out to offer me a hand of healing and comfort, will you do the same? Will you be the hands of Jesus in today’s world? Those same hands which reached out to heal, no questions asked. Will you be the one to reach out to those in need, or let someone else do it? Will you reach out and offer a healing touch, will you be the miracle? If not you, who then will be his hands…if not now, when will you offer the healing touch? Will you be his hands?