Saint Mark - Chapter 5
And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus: and seeing him, falleth down at his feet.
[23] et deprecabatur eum multum, dicens : Quoniam filia mea in extremis est, veni, impone manum super eam, ut salva sit, et vivat.
And he besought him much, saying: My daughter is at the point of death, come, lay thy hand upon her, that she may be safe, and may live.
[24] Et abiit cum illo, et sequebatur eum turba multa, et comprimebant eum.
And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him.
[25] Et mulier, quae erat in profluvio sanguinis annis duodecim,
And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years,
It is not probable that this woman who had the issue of blood was Martha, the sister of Mary Magdalene, as S. Ambrose thinks (lib. de Salom. c. v.). For Martha lived at Bethany, near Jerusalem, not at Cæsarea. The Gospel of Nicodemus says that her name was Veronica, the same who gave Christ a handkerchief to wipe the sweat when He was going to be crucified, and on which He left an impression of His face.
[26] et fuerat multa perpessa a compluribus medicis : et erogaverat omnia sua, nec quidquam profecerat, sed magis deterius habebat :
And had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was nothing the better, but rather worse,
[27] cum audisset de Jesu, venit in turba retro, et tetigit vestimentum ejus :
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and touched his garment.
[28] dicebat enim : Quia si vel vestimentum ejus tetigero, salva ero.
For she said: If I shall touch but his garment, I shall be whole.
For she said, If I shall touch but His garment, I shall be whole. Matthew (9:20), instead of garment, has the hem of His garment. This hem was a fringe of threads attached to the bottom of the robe, of a hyacinth or violet colour, which God commanded the Jews to wear, that it might put them continually in mind of God’s precepts and of heaven itself. This Christ wore, according to the law, as a mark that He belonged to the Jewish race and religion.
There is here an example and proof of the use and efficacy of holy relics. For of such a nature was the hem or fringe of Christ which healed her that had the issue of blood. Calvin replies that the woman was superstitious, and that a certain amount of superstition was mingled with what she did. But Christ and Mark refute this; for they ascribe her healing not to superstition, but to her faith, and commend her for it. For in the 30th verse it is said, And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue was gone out from Him (de illo), i.e., from (de) His fringe. And 34, Daughter, thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace. Rightly says S. Hilary, “Like as the Author of nature has given to a magnet the power of attracting iron, so did Christ give to His garment the power of healing her who touched in faith.” And if it were so with a garment, how much more with the Eucharist? Hence S. Gorgonia was healed of a severe disease by touching the Eucharist. (See Nazianzen, Orat. 11.) So, too, was S. Catherine of Sienna, and many others. (See Salmeron, tom. 6, tract. 15.)
Tropologically: The issue of blood, says Bede, is fleshly delight, as gluttony, luxury. The most pure flesh of Christ heals these when piously received in the Eucharist.
[29] Et confestim siccatus est fons sanguinis ejus : et sensit corpore quia sanata esset a plaga.
And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil.
[30] Et statim Jesus in semetipso cognoscens virtutem quae exierat de illo, conversus ad turbam, aiebat : Quis tetigit vestimenta mea?
And immediately Jesus knowing in himself the virtue that had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garments?
And Jesus … had gone out of Him, and had healed her; not as if any quality had gone out from Christ’s hem, or as if this virtue had gone from place to place, from the hem into the woman who had the issue of blood, but by reason of the effect which it produced in the woman. For the virtue abiding in Christ wrought the effect of healing in the woman. Like as, saith Theophylact, the learning of doctors is said to be communicated to their disciples, when, nevertheless, the learning itself remains in the doctors, and produces its effect only, that is, a like knowledge in the disciples.
Observe, this virtue of healing and working miracles conferred by the Word upon the humanity of Christ, was not a physical quality. For that would have been infinite, as having divine and infinite efficacy, of which the humanity of Christ was not capable, being created. But it was a moral quality, that is to say, an instrumental virtue. For the humanity of Christ did these things as an instrument of the divinity.
Who hath touched My garments? Christ asks this question, says Bede, that the healing which He had given to the woman, being declared and made known, might advance in many the virtue of faith, and draw them to believe in Christ.
[31] Et dicebant ei discipuli sui : Vides turbam comprimentem te, et dicis : Quis me tetigit?
And his disciples said to him: Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou who hath touched me?
[32] Et circumspiciebat videre eam, quae hoc fecerat.
And he looked about to see her who had done this.
[33] Mulier vero timens et tremens, sciens quod factum esset in se, venit et procidit ante eum, et dixit ei omnem veritatem.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. Fearing and trembling, not because she had been guilty of an act of superstition, as Calvin would have it, but because she had approached secretly, and, unclean, had touched Christ the clean, and had, as it were, stolen a gift of healing from Christ without His knowledge. Therefore she was afraid lest Christ should rebuke her, or lest He should recall the benefit, or afflict her with a worse evil. Hence it is plain that she had not perfect faith and hope in Christ, or she would not have thought that she could be hid from Him, nor would she have been afraid of Him. Wherefore Christ said, to reassure her, Daughter, be of good courage, as Matthew says. Ver. 34. But He said to her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Christ here confirms the healing which had been conferred upon this trembling woman. It was as though He said to her, “Not My mere fringe, which with great faith of obtaining healing thou hast touched, hath saved thee, but chiefly My omnipotence, but secondarily thine own faith. For this, either as a disposition or a meritorious cause, has delivered thee from the issue of blood, which deliverance I ratify and confirm.”
Go in peace. For God dwells in peace, that she may know that she is cleansed from her sins. For whom Christ healed in body, He likewise sanctified in soul.
[34] Ille autem dixit ei : Filia, fides tua te salvam fecit : vade in pace, et esto sana a plaga tua.
And he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease.
[35] Adhuc eo loquente, veniunt ab archisynagago, dicentes : Quia filia tua mortua est : quid ultra vexas magistrum?
While he was yet speaking, some come from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying: Thy daughter is dead: why dost thou trouble the master any further?
[36] Jesus autem audito verbo quod dicebatur, ait archisynagogo : Noli timere : tantummodo crede.
But Jesus having heard the word that was spoken, saith to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not, only believe.
[37] Et non admisit quemquam se sequi nisi Petrum, et Jacobum, et Joannem fratrem Jacobi.
And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
[38] Et veniunt in domum archisynagogi, et videt tumultum, et flentes, et ejulantes multum.
And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he seeth a tumult, and people weeping and wailing much.
[39] Et ingressus, ait illis : Quid turbamini, et ploratis? puella non est mortua, sed dormit.
And going in, he saith to them: Why make you this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. For although she is really dead, yet she shall be forthwith awakened by Me from death as from sleep. Or, as the Scholiast in S. Jerome says, “To you she is dead, to Me she sleepeth.”
Talitha cumi. In Hebrew a boy is called ieled, for which the Syrians and Chaldeans say tali, from whence comes the feminine talitha, that is, girl. Cumi means arise, that she being dead should arise from the bed. Moreover, that Mark might give greater emphasis, and express the sense of one who called and commanded, he added, I say unto thee, as S. Jerome says.
[40] Et irridebant eum. Ipse vero ejectis omnibus assumit patrem, et matrem puellae, et qui secum erant, et ingreditur ubi puella erat jacens.
And they laughed him to scorn. But he having put them all out, taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
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| The Raising of Jairus' daughter. J-J Tissot |
And taking the damsel by the hand, he saith to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel (I say to thee) arise.
[42] Et confestim surrexit puella, et ambulabat : erat autem annorum duodecim : et obstupuerunt stupore magno.
And immediately the damsel rose up, and walked: and she was twelve years old: and they were astonished with a great astonishment.
And immediately the damsel rose up and walked, that she might show she was alive. Mystically, as Bede says, “The soul, when raised from sin, ought not only to arise from the filth of its wickedness, but should advance in good works.”
[43] Et praecepit illis vehementer ut nemo id sciret : et dixit dari illi manducare.
And he charged them strictly that no man should know it: and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
And commanded that something should be given her to eat, that He might show that she not only had arisen, but was in good health and hungry. For boys and girls are wont, when they awake out of sleep, if they are well and strong, to ask for food. And death was to her in the place of sleep, as Christ says in the 39th verse.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam
Ad Jesum per Mariam
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