Come, in hope
This weekend's Gospel (the story of Jairus' daughter from the Gospel of Mark) ends with an Aramaic phrase "Talitha Koum!" In English, we translate this to mean "Little girl, arise!" However, it really translates to "Little girl, resurrect!" This really gets to the heart of the joy of the Gospel.
God is with us through all difficulties. Even though some situations or days in life seem bleak, God is with us. Isn't that what Jesus, Emmanuel, actually means? "God with us." Because God goes with us and He goes before us, there is hope. Mother Teresa once wrote, "Remember that the passion of Christ ends always in the joy of the Resurrection." That is the point that Pope Francis also tries to make in the "Joy of the Gospel."
There is so much negativity in the world--just watch the news. As disciples, we are called to find God in ourselves, in others, and in the world. Then, in return, we are given the fruits of the Spirit-love, joy, peace-when we see God in the ordinary. When we receive these things and when we see God in our world, it is our duty to SHARE. We can spread that positivity and that joy with all we encounter if we share.
Among the negativity, we can bring joy into the world all because of the Gospel and because of God revealing His truest Self to us. "Talitha Koum! Come, resurrect!" All for the greater glory of God.
