Crowd but touch
1 Kings 8:1–7, 9–13; Psalm 131; Mark 6:53–56
The Gospel says, “They laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.” We must understand that we are not just to crowd around Jesus but to touch him.
There is a difference between crowding around Jesus and touching him. The whole crowd may gather in the church, but each individual must make an effort to touch Jesus. In the crowd, we are clouded, but when we touch him, we are made whole.
Touching is a function of active participation. Through active participation in liturgical celebrations, we are able to touch Jesus personally. Don’t just follow the crowd; be an active participant; that is the only way you can touch and be touched.
The first reading tells us that Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem and brought the Covenant Box to the temple, and suddenly it was filled with a cloud shining with the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence. God is present in the Temple in a special way. Are we still conscious of his sacred presence in the Temple today?
St. Agatha, whose memorial we celebrate today, kept her body despite the torture and severe attack she got from suitors who wanted to defile her and marry her against her will. Our body is the temple of God; let’s make a serious effort to guide it against abuse and desecration.
Let us pray.
Father, have mercy and forgive us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, help us to avoid distractions in worship; make us active participants, not mere spectators. Like never before, may we come to appreciate your sacred presence in the church. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
