An insightful and encouraging article on the Pope’s visit to France in the Catholic Thing. We were just in France two weeks ago and saw indications of the same thing.
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Jesus is asked by Jairus, an official of the Jerusalem Synagogue, to come to his house and heal his daughter who is gravely ill. As recounted in St. Mark’s Gospel, Jesus hurries to his house, but is told on the way that she has died.
Arriving, the Lord, who sees what others cannot see, and knows that God’s glory will be revealed, tells them that the girl is not dead, only sleeping. They laugh at Him, as some translations say, “to scorn.”
The Lord enters the girl’s bedroom, holds her hand and, in Aramaic, says, “Talitha koumi– little girl, arise.” She wakes immediately and gets up.
Only Christ can bring the dead to life, or revive what seems to be dead.
For centuries, tyrants like Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin or the followers of Mohammed have claimed to have put the Church to death. But She has always arisen.
Viewing the scenes we saw in France this week during the visit of Pope Leo, it’s only natural to think both of those proud words of the tyrants and demagogues, and of the story of the daughter of Jairus.
A wise French commentator called it the “Advent of the Church” in France. Another friend, a journalist, said to me that a “page in history has been turned.”
For the whole article, click HERE