Faith That Reaches Beyond (7-7-2025)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was a poor woman whose son went missing during a flood. The water came in the night and swept through their village. People searched for survivors, and many said the boy must have been carried away. Days passed. The villagers moved on. But not her. Every day she went from one relief camp to another, barefoot, holding a small photo of her son wrapped in plastic. Her face was tired, her clothes were wet with rain, but her eyes still searched.
An old relief worker once gently said to her, “You’ve already searched all the camps nearby.” The woman looked at him and replied, “I know. But I’m his mother. Until I see his face, I cannot stop. My legs may be tired, but my heart keeps walking.”
That is the kind of faith we hear about in today’s Gospel. Faith that reaches beyond.
A man comes to Jesus with a broken heart. His little daughter has just died. For most people, this would be the end. The moment to weep. But this father doesn’t give up. He says to Jesus, “Come. Lay Your hand on her. She will live.” That is not ordinary faith. That is love refusing to accept death as the final word. That is faith that reaches beyond the grave.
And while Jesus is on the way to this house, another person reaches out. A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She has no strength left. No money left. Maybe not even much hope left. She comes quietly, from behind, just to touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak. Not His hand. Not His face. Just the edge of His garment. And in that moment, healing takes place.
She didn’t speak loudly. She didn’t demand attention. She didn’t even ask Him directly. But her faith stretched out beyond her pain, beyond her shame, beyond her fear. And Jesus noticed.
He turned. He looked at her. He called her “Daughter.”
In both of these miracles, we see something deep and true: real faith is not always loud. It is not always perfect. But it keeps moving. It keeps reaching. It doesn’t give up when the door closes. It keeps walking, like that mother in the rain, because love will not stop searching.
We live in a world where many have stopped believing. People say things like, “It’s too late.” “It can’t change.” “Nothing will happen.” But the Gospel says otherwise. The Gospel says even after twelve years of suffering, there is still healing. Even after death, there is still life.
Faith that reaches beyond does not live in logic. It lives in love. That is why Abraham believed even when he was old and childless. That is why Moses stretched his hand over the sea even when Pharaoh’s army was behind him. That is why Job could say, “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away — blessed be His name.”
Maybe you are carrying something today that seems hopeless. Maybe there is pain in your family, or silence in your marriage, or struggles in your vocation. Maybe you are praying and nothing is happening. Do not give up. Like the woman, stretch out your heart — even if all you can touch is the hem of His robe.
Or maybe someone you love is in deep sorrow or far from God. Then be like the father in the Gospel. Speak to Jesus. Say, “Come, Lord. Place Your hand.” Even if others laugh. Even if you’ve tried before. Faith does not depend on results. It depends on trust.
Saint Monica prayed for her son Augustine for over fifteen years. Her tears were her prayer. Her hope was her strength. And God answered in time. Augustine became a saint because Monica refused to stop hoping.
So let this be our prayer: May our hearts never grow tired of reaching. Even when our legs are tired. Even when others walk away. Because the Lord never turns away from a heart that still believes.
Lord, when hope fades and strength fails, teach me to reach out in faith — one more time.
Thank you very much Father for very touching and inspiring reflection.