Your Faith Has Saved You (Mark 5:34a) References: The New American Bible, 1987 edition The

New Jerome Biblical Commentary, 2009 edition Primer on the Year of Faith and the New Evangelization (http://abpquevedo.blogspot.com/) There are 2 stories that are combined in this gospel today, which I believe Mark may have implicitly would like to stress upon: FAITH. Before I go to great lengths in explaining the meaning and implication of Faith, let me first point out some common observations. First, both are female who suffers serious maladies. Second, the number 12 is used to emphasize something, that is, the woman suffered for 12 years, while the girl is 12 years old by the time she is at the point of death. Third, the act of faith was crucial in the healing process. Fourth, both were cases of hoping against hope. The woman whose severe bleeding was deemed incurable, and who has suffered greatly at the hands of incompetent doctors. The girl who, not yet in her prime, is to die and leave her parents in inconsolable grief. Both were cases of extreme despair, and yet they have put their trust in a wonder-healer named Jesus of Nazareth. These gospel stories also affirm Faith in the God of Life who wills that all should experience salvation in its totality-which is both spiritual and physical well-being. For the woman, healing becomes salvific as the woman is not only physically restored to health, but whose healing also removes whatever social stigma of being used to be ritually unclean, and therefore cut off from society. The girl and her parents whose experience of sickness and death are tragic enough to cast doubts on supposed benevolence of God. They have remained steadfast to something: Faith. And that Faith implies trust in the power and goodness of God who wills our total well-being. It is Faith that stubbornly refuses to surrender or compromise to evil and negativity, and a Faith that affirms that Life as given by God has the power of Goodness that will ultimately triumph over evil. Such is the Faith that we need today. But such Faith must be lived and communicated or, else it will be like salt that loses its taste, and therefore, loses its value. Our Faith must not be a private matter, as a lamp is not meant to be hid, but placed on a lamp stand so as to provide light in the midst of darkness. We are called to testify to our Faith, but this means that we are at home with what we believe. We must know what and why we believe, and we must be willing and decisive to put our faith into actions that transforms, as we work to become leavens in our society. We are religious educators teaching in a Catholic institution of higher learning. It is given that we are supposedly providing all that is necessary for our students to deepen and appreciate their Faith, and translate that into actions marking what a true catholic man or woman is: espousing the Gospel values contextualized in the Angelenean core values: MABUTI, MAGALING, at MAY MALASAKIT SA KAPWA. It would be easy if that can be done by merely instructing them. But that is not enough..we must also WALK THE TALK (as Maam Edna would always remind us). We are responsible that

we form others also by our good example, and this, I confess, I at times fall short of. I guess also feel that we at times have our moments of failures, but there are also times wherein, without knowing, we have inspired countless number of young souls to take up the cause to commit themselves to Christ and to His Church, and have taken various paths of service. We can always acknowledge our shortcomings and beg Gods forgiveness, God will always gives us a fresh mandate to serve anew. The Year of Faith is a great opportunity to renew our faith, and rediscover our passion and mission as catholic educators. This challenge is not just for members of CCF, but also to all who comprise Angeles University.how do express and live out our Catholicity much more fully and how do we create a more dynamic catholic culture in our midst? Let us not waste this wonderful opportunity; this is the year of the Lords favor for us. Let me end this by quoting from the rite of ordination for deacons. As the bishop hands in the Book of the Gospel to the candidate, he utters:

Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, Teach what you believe, and Practice what you teach.