(Feast of Our Lord's baptism 2011)

One theme of our readings this Feast of Our Lord’s Baptism is that of the voice. In the Gospel we read that after John baptized Our Lord, a voice came form the heavens - the voice of the Father saying, “This is My Beloved Son. My favor rests on Him.” John the Baptist is the voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare away for the Lord.” As St. Augustine said, “John is the voice. Jesus is the Word.”

(Homily for Sunday, 28 February 2009)

In today's Gospel, when the woman afflicted with haemorrhage saw Jesus, she told herself, "If only I could touch His clothing, I shall be well." That is a beautiful prayer we can make our own. Her words can be translated as "Lord, I wish I could touch You by my life. I wish I could move You by the way I live my life. Lord, I want to please You in my life. Even though I have my failings and blunders, You know that I love You. Make my life pleasing to You." God cannot be outdone in generosity. He saw the desire of her heart and so healed her of her malady. Her gesture moved His heart and so he asked, "Who touched My clothing?", which can be translated as "Who touched Me?"