30 Jan Tue 4th Week in Ordinary Time Heb. 12:1-4 Ps. 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 Mk. 5:21-43 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        "Jesus inspires and perfects our faith". These words from the Letter to the Hebrews are almost a commentary on the woman in today's Gospel. We do not know how she came to know Jesus. She was just another woman in the crowd, but all that she knew of Jesus inspired her and drew her to faith in Him. This inspiration was not an illusion, for it drew her to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. Her faith was real and healed her illness, but it was still in need of perfection. She had to face Jesus directly and that caused her a moment of fear and trembling. She fell before Jesus in a gesture that could well have been close to an act of adoration. In telling the whole truth, the woman was bearing witness both to her own faith and to what Jesus had done for her. The words of Jesus were, in effect, a confirmation of her faith and a blessing upon that faith. His words certainly removed all fear and trembling from her heart and thus gave her a greater confidence and serenity in her own faith.      Lord Jesus, You have inspired us by the gift of faith. Strengthen and perfect our faith that it may bring us ever greater confidence and ever greater intimacy with You. DAILY OFFERING Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen. PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH INTENTION That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ. Elaboration
- END - P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H     INTENTION : That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ. The question of full Christian unity and evangelisation led to the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. The Holy Father decries the negative consequences of division among Christians and calls them to search for full Christian Unity as inspired by the Lord's Prayer. As evangelisers we must offer Christ's faithful an image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting point beyond all tensions. The destiny of evangelisation is bound up with the witness of unity given to the Church. The urgency of preaching and displaying unity to the world arises from the fact that Christians can impair the vitality of proclaiming the Gospel and even become a scandal to the world, particularly when the churches appear to proclaim "a kingdom against itself". It is clear that the proclamation of the Gospel by divided Christians becomes counter- itness. As Christians we ought to give collaborative common witness which is founded in the common baptism in Christ and faith in the Triune God. Pray for the courage to work positively with other Christians for the purpose of promoting evangelisation. - END -