Our Gospel acknowledges the healing effects of faith when it pertains to this woman with the hemorrhage who reached out in order to grasp the hem of His garment.
The hem of this garment is important, but we dress differently then those did at the time of Jesus. If we were to touch the hem of a garment it would not hold much significance for us, but that is not the case with what is being taught in our Gospel. To reach out and touch the hem of a garment gives an image to our modern mind that is different then what is actually taking place inside of the Gospel.
Jesus was a Jew and therefore He would dress like a Jew. The hem of the garment that she grabs onto holds great significance. This hem is known as the tzitzit which were the fringes tied onto the four corners of the garment worn. They would remind the wearer of the garment of the Law of which they were obliged to follow.
As is instructed in the Book of Numbers, “Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments…Look at it and recall all the commandments of the Lord and observe them…Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God.”
Therefore, this woman is grasping onto the Law which had condemned her. How was she condemned?
From the Book of Leviticus we are told, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge.”
We are told this woman had this discharge of blood for a period of twelve years. This means that she was declared to be unclean by the Law for these twelve years. Nevertless, she reaches out in faith and touches the symbol of the Law that had condemned her. It was through her encounter with Christ that she came to be healed and thus made clean.
There are many ways in which we to reach out and touch Jesus in order that we may be healed. Sin continues to seep into our life, but through Christ we have liberated. It is He who heals us of all of our ills. In the sacrament of confession we have the opportunity to reach out and touch Him in order that we may be healed by His mercy. In Holy Communion we have the opportunity to invite Him to dwell under our roof.
Let us come to place our faith in Him as this woman in our Gospel was able to do. In faith she came to Him and thus Him faith let us place our trust in Him always.
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