“A physical touch is a powerful thing; God has put millions of nerves in our fingers and hands for touching.”
Jesus by very nature was divine and did not consider His exalted position as God as something He should cling to. Instead, He voluntarily gave it up and humbled Himself to enter the world as a human being. And then He stooped even lower, becoming a servant who spent His entire life attending to the needs of others. The Gospels describe Jesus’ human touch. There are multiple cases in which our saviour and Lord reached out and embraced people when a quick handshake would have sufficed.
We see Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus not only brought about her personal healing but also revealed her calling as a witness to His transformative power. After being freed from the influence of seven demons, she became a devoted follower of Jesus, accompanying Him during His ministry and witnessing His miracles. Her own healing experience became a catalyst for her deep commitment to sharing the message of hope, restoration, and spiritual healing with others.
The woman with Hemorrhage believed that if she could just touch the hem of his garment that she would be healed. She did touch Jesus that day, and he touched her as well. He touched her more deeply than she had ever imagined. The scripture records, “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering” (Mark 5:29).
A well-known personality Fr. Rob Galea, who is known as the youth Icon stands before us as a model of modern times to reach and touch the lives of others as Jesus our Master did. He is the follower of Christ who reached the end of where he was, the end of his self, and God encountered him in that place of desperation. And who later discovered a joy, a hope and a love that changed his life forever.
“It’s not about the fame but about giving Jesus to the people. He wants to be known as someone who’s in love with Jesus and who shares the love of Jesus. He too has experienced the personal touch of Jesus in his life, and now he is the one who is on the move to share this same burring love of Jesus to others by touching the lives of people personally through his music ministry.
The pastoral theme of the year calls us to follow the footsteps of our Master and to do as He did in His life. As the close followers of Christ, are we really following our Master in our ministry or given task?
As we march forward in our Synodal journey, let us all strive to touch the lives of others and witness Christ in all that we do.