Daughter, your faith has made you well

[Weedy]

Daughter, your faith has made you well

"So what did Messiah do? He did not let her go unnoticed but led
her into the center of attention and made her visible. He had many
reasons for doing this. Some might imagine that 'he did this merely
for love of glory - otherwise why would he not allow her to remain
concealed?' But what are they proposing who might say this? That he
should keep her silent, that he should ignore her need, and thereby
pass up miracles too numerous to mention, all because he is in love
with glory? What an unholy thought, inspired by the most unholy one of
all."
"What then is his intention in bringing her forward? First, Jesus
puts an end to her fear. He does not want her to remain trapped in
dread. He gives no cause for her conscience to be harmed, as if she
had stolen the gift. Second, he corrects her assumption that she has
no right to be seen. Third, he makes her faith an exhibit to all. He
encourages the others to emulate her faith. Fourth, his subduing the
fountains of her hemorrhage was another sign of his knowledge of all
things. And finally, do you remember the ruler of the synagogue? He
was at the point of despair, of utter ruin. Jesus is indirectly
admonishing him by what he says to the woman." Mt 9:18-26
by John Chrysostom (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 31.2)

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July 15th – St. James of Nisibis

(d. 350)
This eminent Saint and glorious Doctor of the Syrian Church was a
native of Nisibis, a city near the border of the Roman Empire and
Persia. In his youth, entering the world, he trembled at the sight of
its vices and the slippery downhill path of its pleasures. He thought
it wise to adopt retirement, that he might gain strength and
afterwards be better able to stand his ground in the field. He
therefore chose the highest and most inaccessible mountain for his
dwelling place, with a cave for shelter in winter, while for the rest
of the year he lived in the forest, continually exposed to the open
air. Notwithstanding his desire to live unknown to men, he was
discovered. He was highly favored with the gifts of prophecy and
miracles, and many were not afraid to climb the rugged rocks that they
might recommend themselves to his prayers, and receive the comfort of
his spiritual advice.

After a number of years he left his solitude to enter Persia, where he
knew that there was a virtually infinite multitude of idolaters. There
his prayers wrought miracles which changed the attitude of a
considerable number. When he returned to Nisibis, he found the
bishop's palace vacant after the death of the prelate. The clergy and
people unanimously chose Saint James to replace him, overcoming his
humility by their persistent persuasion.

One day, as the bishop was traveling, he was accosted by a gang of
beggars intending to extort money from him under the pretext of having
to bury one of their companions. The latter had stretched out on the
ground as though dead. The holy man gave them what they asked, and
"offering up supplications to God as for a soul departed, he prayed
that His Divine Majesty would pardon that man the sins he had
committed while he lived, and admit him into the company of the
Saints." As soon as the Saint had passed on, the beggars called out to
their companion to get up and receive his share of the booty. How
amazed they were to find him genuinely dead! Seized with sudden fear
and grief, they cried out in the utmost consternation and immediately
ran after the man of God, casting themselves at his feet and
confessing their fraud. They begged his forgiveness and besought him
by his prayers to restore their unhappy companion to life, and this
the Saint did.

The most famous miracle of our Saint was that by which he protected
his native city from the barbarians. Sapor II, the haughty King of
Persia, was besieging Nisibis with the whole strength of his empire
while Saint James was its bishop. The prelate would not pray for the
destruction of anyone, but implored divine Mercy that the city might
be delivered from the calamities of so terrible a siege. Then, going
to the top of a high tower and turning his gaze towards the enemy, he
looked down upon the prodigious multitude of men and beasts, covering
the whole country. He prayed, "Lord, Thou art able by the weakest
means to humble the pride of Thy enemies; defeat these multitudes by
an army of gnats." God heard the humble prayer of His servant. He had
hardly finished speaking these words, when whole clouds of gnats and
flies came pouring down upon the Persians, entering into the
elephants' trunks and the horses' ears and nostrils. The animals
chafed and foamed and threw their riders, and the entire army was cast
into confusion and disorder. A famine and pestilence followed and
carried off a great number of the invaders. The King of Persia, after
remaining more than three months before the walls, set fire to all his
engines of war and abandoned the siege; he retreated, having lost
twenty thousand of his men.

When Sapor was again repulsed from outside the walls of Nisibis in
359, he turned his arms against the neighboring city of Amidus, seized
that stronghold, and put the garrison and most of the inhabitants to
death by the sword. The citizens of Nisibis attributed their
preservation from this second attack to the intercession of their
glorious patron, Saint James, although he had already gone to his
reward. He died in the year 350.

Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on
Butler's Lives of the Saints, and other sources by John Gilmary Shea
(Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894)


Saint Quote:
Always bear in mind this determination to die rather to fail to reach
the end of the way, if God ever causes you to suffer from thirst as He
guides you this life, it is because He will give you drink in plenty
in the next life, without any fear of it ever failing you.
--St. Teresa of Avila

Bible Quote:
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity. For we know not what
we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit himself asketh for us
with unspeakable groanings.
[Romans 8:26] DRV


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Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life, except to spend them for
Thee, with Thee, and in Thee. Thou alone knoweth what is good for me; do,
therefore, what seemeth Thee best. Give to me, or take from me; conform my
will to Thine; and grant that, with humble and perfect submission, and in
holy confidence, I may receive the orders of Thine eternal Providence; and
may equally adore all that comes to me from Thee; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.