From my experience, there are many different attitudes to physical touch, often cultural.

My family background is German, and my experience growing up was one of definite personal space, and physical expressions like kissing and hugging were reserved for special people at special times. Contrasting this was my experience of my years in Bolivia where there is a very different attitude toward personal space and physical expressions of affection. I can remember someone telling me in Bolivia that when as a gringo (North American) going into someones home it would not surprise people that I shook hands, but that upon leaving embraces would be expected by both women and men. I am sure that you all have your own experience of this issue. Todays gospel (Mark 5:21-43) speaks to us of touch Jesus touching others, and others touching him. Often in the gospels, we hear of Jesus touching others and healing them. As God-made-man, he had the power to heal and raise people up. Here we see Jairus coming to Jesus asking that he come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live. He does just that, and his daughter gets up and walks around, even though the people had said that she was dead. He told Jairus, Dont be afraid, just have faith. His faith was rewarded. The story of Jairus is interrupted by the intervention of the woman afflicted with a hemorrhage. On the way to the house of Jairus, she touches his garment. Immediately he felt power going out of him and he asked, Who has touched my clothes? With so many people around him, the disciples thought this was an impossible question, but realizing that she had been healed after twelve years of bleeding so came forward. To her, too, he says, Your faith has saved you. Unlike many of the people who came to Jesus for healing, she did not ask him to touch her. Because she was bleeding, anyone who touched her would also be unclean, and would have to go through a rite of purification before entering in the synagogue. She did not want to put that burden on Jesus, so she touched him with the intended result of healing taking place. Both of these instances in the gospel speak to the power of touch. That is why, in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, hands are imposed on the head of the person. In Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and Holy Orders touch also plays an important role, signifying the blessing of God and the power of God being communicated to that person. Jairus and the woman with the hemorrhage were very brave. They came forward and admitted their need. That is not easy for us to do, in our human condition. We like to feel in charge, independent, and invincible. But when we are weak and suffering, in particular, we may be more open to approaching the Lord Jesus to have him touch us. If and when we admit our vulnerability and our need, we are also opening ourselves to Gods grace and healing. What about in our lives? Are we willing to ask the Lord for healing? Do we believe that he loves us enough, and cares enough, to reach out and touch us, and bring us relief, healing and salvation? What role do we play in accompanying our loved

ones who are ill? Have we encouraged them to turn to the Lord in prayer, or through the Sacraments of Healing Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick? I must say that in the last four years since I have been at St. Patricks, I have received more requests for the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick by family members, or by the sick person themselves. As I have taken various opportunities to preach about the Sacrament, and especially at the Communal Anointing celebration, it seems that more and more people are considering, and experiencing, the power of this Sacrament to bring them relief, healing and salvation. Just as the Lord brought healing to the daughter of Jairus, and to the women with the hemorrhage, he can and will bring healing to us physical, spiritual and emotional if we turn to him with faith. Tonight/Today Jesus calls us to approach him in our need. Will we have the courage of Jairus and the woman? Will we accept our need and vulnerability? Will we open ourselves to the healing presence of Jesus? When we touch someone whether it is an embrace, or to their shoulder, or arm, or hand we are acknowledging to that person I am here, I am with you. Jesus wants to do the same for us, but we need to turn to him. He cannot force us to open ourselves to him, or to come to him in our need. It must be an act of faith on our part that he does love us, that he does care, that he is involved in our lives, and most of all, that he has the power to heal and save us. Let us reach out to him, so that he may reach out and touch us.