God is Love.

Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 8,41-56) gives us a deep lecture about the Christian faith and God’s mercy.

Two people personally approach Jesus.

They are united by the fact that each of them is in absolute need. And in both cases, it is about a hopeless illness.

What distinguishes them is how Jewish Law interprets the situation in which they find themselves.

In the first case, the Gospel points out that is about the daughter of an official of the Synagogue. According to the interpretation of the Old Testament Law,  and according to the human way of thinking, she deserves to be healthy and blessed.

On the other hand, in the case of the poor woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, according to the interpretation of the Old Testament Law and according to the human way of thinking, her illness is the result of the sins of her parents or her personal sins. In other words, she does not deserve blessings and health.

Jesus transcends such human logic and such interpretation of God’s Laws.

Mercy prevails over justice. Justice gives what a person deserves, and mercy gives what a person really needs.

God is Love, and his merciful heart is always moved when a person is in absolute need of his loving attention and help. Amen.