Matthew 9:18-26

(with Haydock commentary)

18 And he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.	A certain ruler. [4] Lit. a prince of a synagogue. He is called Jairus. Mark v. Luke viii. — My daughter is just now dead: or, as the other evangelists express it, is at the point of death; and her father having left her dying, he might think and say she was already dead. Wi. — In effect, news was shortly after brought him that she was dead. It is thus that some commentators explain the apparent difference found in Mark v. 22, and Luke viii. 41. — But come, lay thy hand, &c. Let us admire and imitate the humility and kindness of our Redeemer; no sooner had he heard the request of the ruler, but rising up, he followed him. Though, says S. Chrysostom, he saw his earthly disposition, requesting him to come and lay his hand upon her.
19 And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples.
20 And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.	And behold a woman. This woman, according to Eusebius, came from Cæsarea Philippi, who, in honour of her miraculous cure, afterwards erected a brazen monument, descriptive of this event, before the door of her house in Cæsarea Philippi. Euseb.
21 For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed.
22 But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.	Επιστραφεις και ιδων , turning about and seeing, as if he were ignorant, and wished to see who it was that had touched him, as the other evangelists relate. In S. Mark (v. 29,) we see she was cured on touching the garment; and Jesus only confirms the cure by what he says in verse 34. — But Jesus turning about. Our divine Saviour, fearing lest he might alarm the woman by his words, says immediately to her, Take courage; and at the same time calls her his daughter, because her faith had rendered her such. S. Chrysos.
23 And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout,	And when Jesus . . . saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. Wi. — Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus. 4. Fast.
24 He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.	The girl is not dead. Christ, by saying so, insinuated that she was not dead in such a manner as they imagined; that is, so as to remain dead, but presently to return to life, as if she had been only asleep. Wi. — But sleepeth. In the xi. chapter of S. John, Christ again calls death a sleep. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Thus he teaches us to be no longer in dread of death, since it was reduced to the condition of a sleep. If you believe this, why do you vainly weep? why do you afflict yourself? this the Gentiles do, who have not faith. Your child is asleep, not dead, is gone to a place of rest, not to destruction. Therefore the royal prophet says, "Turn, O my soul, into thy rest, for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee." Psalm cxiv. If then it is a kindness, why should you weep? what else could you do at the death of an adversary, an enemy, the object of your greatest aversion? S. Chrysos. hom. xxxii. — Christ here asserts that the girl is only asleep, to shew that it was as easy for him to raise her from death as from sleep. Theophylactus.
25 And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose.	He took her by the hand, and as in his hands is the key both of life and death, (Apoc. i. 18,) so he commanded the soul to return and the girl to arise. A. — And when the crowd, &c. That is, if after a sinful and worldly life we wish to rise again, and be cleansed from the miserable condition of moral sin, denoted by the girl who was dead, we must cast out of our minds the great multitude of worldly concerns; for whilst these have possession, the mind is unable to recollect itself and apply seriously to consideration. S. Gregory.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.

The gospel reading my friend R and I heard this evening at Mass.