Homily of His Excellency, Selim Sfeir, Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus, March 16, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“As your only-begotten Son healed the paralytic and the blind man, the hemorrhaging woman and the lame man, heal us and fill our souls with calm and peace, as your Son calmed the surging waves.” – HESED
The Third Sunday of the Great Lent delights us with the account of our Lord Jesus Christ raising from the dead a young girl and curing a woman who had suffered a great affliction for 12 years. The cure of the poor hemorrhaging woman is worthy of closer consideration.
After having spent everything, she had on doctors, she decides to approach Our Lord, secretly, hoping that by simply touching the fringe of His garment, she might be cured.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asks. Everything is before the eyes of Christ and He knows who touched Him. This touch, so full of faith, had worked a miracle. He wanted this woman’s faith to be seen.
When we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, we are doing more than just touching his garments. We are receiving Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity into our person. On Calvary, the soldiers roughly handled the garments of Christ, and they were not converted. This poor woman, with faith was completely healed by simply touching the hem of his garment. Holy Communion should be an occasion in which Our Lord perceives in His Person our touch of faith. Let there be no coldness, indifference or routine in our Holy Communions. Filled with thanksgiving and adoration, may our Communions touch the Heart of Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1394
“As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins. By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in Him.”
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus