In today’s Gospel we encounter Jesus preaching to great crowds when suddenly a man interrupts and approaches, begging him to save his daughter’s life. Jesus immediately leaves to go to the bedside of the young girl who is near death but is interrupted along the way yet again. This time he is interrupted by a woman who has suffered for twelve years with a hemorrhage. She, who is an interruption, becomes the center of his attention. Jesus stops, knowing the little girl lies dying, to attend to the woman’s needs. We see a pattern in the ministry of Jesus, a pattern of “interruptions” that time and time again become moments of healing, moments of the Reign of God bursting forth because Jesus takes the “interruption” and turns it into an encounter with The Divine!
Henri Nouwen, famously once said that he used to get annoyed with all the interruptions in his ministry, until he realized that the interruptions were his ministry. What an incredibly challenging way to look at interruptions! We all know we must get things done! But the truth is that too often we can miss occasions to minister to a sister or brother in need because they arrive as we are busy about other things. They appear to be interruptions, but perhaps they are “opportunities”! Opportunities for us to become the love of Christ present in the world through our response to another’s moment of need. In the midst of this woman’s darkness she recognized Jesus as a beacon of Hope, in the midst of our present darkness we are being called to be beacons of hope for others! When was the last time God interrupted my life in the form of someone in need? How did I respond? How is God interrupting my life today?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
Henri Nouwen, famously once said that he used to get annoyed with all the interruptions in his ministry, until he realized that the interruptions were his ministry. What an incredibly challenging way to look at interruptions! We all know we must get things done! But the truth is that too often we can miss occasions to minister to a sister or brother in need because they arrive as we are busy about other things. They appear to be interruptions, but perhaps they are “opportunities”! Opportunities for us to become the love of Christ present in the world through our response to another’s moment of need. In the midst of this woman’s darkness she recognized Jesus as a beacon of Hope, in the midst of our present darkness we are being called to be beacons of hope for others! When was the last time God interrupted my life in the form of someone in need? How did I respond? How is God interrupting my life today?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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