Today we hear stories about two miracles of Jesus.

In the first story a suffering woman is cured of a chronic hemorrhage. Oddly it is not Jesus who reaches out to touch her. It is the woman herself who reaches out and touches Jesus. She touches the hem of his garments. She is healed.
In the second story a little girl, who is thought to be dead, is restored to life. In this story it is Jesus who reaches out to the little girl. He touches her.

Sometimes as we travel along life’s road we have a sense that we are deeply wounded. We feel weak and even depressed sometimes. There are times when people say to us “you’re not your old self!” Those difficult moments in life are represented in the two stories told by St Mark in today’s Gospel passage.

Liberation and new life is achievable, even in very difficult times, if we reach out to the Lord or, even if we have lost all hope, the Lord reaches out to us. Recovery and new life are accessible to each and every one of us. It is available to us through the gift of faith. Faith enables us to touch, or be touched by, the healing power of the Lord.

Never forget how accessible the Lord really is.