13th Sunday of ordinary time. Today’s readings: Wisdom 1,13-15; 2,23-24; 2 Corinthians 8,7.9.13-15; Mark 5,21-43

 

Touch has been beautifully depicted in various paintings, each of which brings a sense of warmth to the onlooker. Michelangelo’s magnificent fresco of the creation of Adam found in the Sistine Chapel captures that moment through a representation of God’s index finger which is about to touch that of Adam. With his other arm, God embraces Eve or Lady Wisdom, who is intrigued by the scene, and his hand rests on an angel.

Caravaggio’s painting of St Thomas’s finger digging deep into the open wound of Jesus’s side is dramatic and powerful. Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son shows the elderly father mentioned in Christ’s parable gently placing his hands (one being that of a male and the other one of a female) on the shoulders of his repentant son. Earlier, Jan Van Eyck had executed the Arnolfini Portrait, a painting of a couple getting married wherein the husband gently holds his wife’s hand in his own. Klimt’s depiction of a couple, tenderly embracing each other and kissing, exudes passion and love.

We are also intrigued by inanimate objects that come into contact – the word “contact” is derived from the Latin terms con- (with) and tangere (to touch). In 2020, Space X impressed the world when its Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully came in contact with the International Space Station through a specially designed docking mechanism. And recently, a pilot told me that no two landings (or take-offs) are identical. The moments leading to touchdown are unique. However, here we are particularly interested in the human experience of this phenomenon.

In Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind, the neuroscientist David J. Linden delves into the biological aspects of touch as well as its psychological and social effects. Among other things, he deals with relational and emotional aspects of touch, and its ability to bring about physical and mental health.

When my sister-in-law was getting ready for the birth of her son, my brother asked me whether I could stand in for them by attending an antenatal class – thankfully, I did not wear my priestly outfit as that would have caused some eye-rolling. There, I learned that if a baby that is up to three months old begins to cry, you must take them in your arms and hold them to your chest, as the physical contact is very beneficial for their well-being.

Today’s Gospel revolves around this same theme from different perspectives. As Jesus walks near the Sea of Galilee, he experiences close encounters that leave a lasting effect on those around him. First, he is approached by Jairus, a synagogue leader, whose daughter is seriously ill. Jairus makes this request to the Lord: “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live” (Mk 5,23).

Then, on the way to his house, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years boldly reached her hand out to Jesus, saying: “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (Mk 5,28). And healed she was! The evangelist notes that Jesus felt power coming out of him. This was not some static electricity discharge, but the power of the Spirit rushing into a woman who had believed that touching Christ in faith would transform her life.

Finally, Jesus approached the girl who, by then, had died, and “he took her by the hand” (Mk 5,41). The care signified by that gesture was confirmed by his word of command that brought her back to life.

Jesus always extends his hands to touch us. We can have that healing contact with him any time, either through a simple prayer, by appreciating creation, embracing a poor person, receiving the Eucharist, caring for the sick, or kissing a loved one. Isn’t that touching?

 

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