Scurry Up, He’s Here!

“They scurried about the surrounding country.” Can you picture people scurrying about? Have you ever scurried about? In my mind, I see squirrels gathering acorns for the winter, or the paparazzi, or the staff of Downton Abbey. But, after the people recognized Jesus, which was immediately after He stepped foot into their midst, they started to scurry about bringing all the sick for healing. I wonder if people can immediately recognize Jesus when He steps foot into our midst everyday? To recognize someone, we must know what they look like and we know what they look like from spending time with them, studying their mannerisms, their quirks, their voice, their eyes, their smile, the way they move, etc. We study celebrities don’t we? I would immediately know George Clooney if he showed up at Starbucks one day because I have studied the way he looks! With Jesus, we must study the way He acts, the way He loves, the way He speaks, the way He heals, the way He shows compassion, the way He reflects the Father, and the way His presence causes scurrying.  He is constantly touching down around us and we just need to bring our woundedness, our brokenness, our sickness, and our lack into that presence. The very air that He occupies will cover all of the above with peace that passes all understanding. Healing comes in many forms and we each need to know that just touching the tassel of His cloak is enough. The tassel of His cloak is completely within reach when we rest in His presence, when we study what He looks like so we can recognize Him in our midst, and when we scurry about to bring all that needs healing to the One who heals all. 

The last sentence in today’s gospel is, “as many as touched him were healed.” That’s 100%. As He steps into our midst today, let’s scurry to bring Him all. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 KGS 8:1-7, 9-13

The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.)

King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt.

When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD’s glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, “The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever.”

Responsorial Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10

R.    (8a)  Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
R.    Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
R.    Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

Alleluia MT 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country    
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.