The Head and the Heart
Have you ever known something intellectually, with your mind, yet not really believe it with your whole heart and soul? I love to try and see if I can figure out the connections between the Sunday Mass readings, particularly the First Reading and the Gospel. While reflecting on today’s Mass readings to write this reflection, I realized I knew something in my head but didn’t know it in my heart. 
The First Reading hit me right between the eyes. God didn’t create disorder in the world, and he hates that the human race must deal with the fallout of sin. Sin brings all kinds of disorder in our world, but perhaps one of the most well-known and experienced forms of disorder comes through health - or lack thereof. 
In today’s Gospel reading, two women are experiencing devastating health events, one was even near death. At that point, the lightbulb finally went off in my head. “God doesn’t want this for anybody. He doesn’t want those women - or anyone - to suffer with bad health or in a myriad of other ways.” He didn’t make death or revel in it, but God had a plan to clean it all up. And to increase faith among his followers, he heals both women that day, prefiguring our life in Heaven with God. 
Have I always known that God didn’t make death or revel in it? In my head, yes.  In my heart, no. I suspect that there is some sort of truth about God that you know and believe in your intellect, but don’t truly embrace with your whole heart and soul. That’s okay, my friend. Ask God for the grace and ability to believe it and to welcome it firmly into your inner being. And, like the women healed that day, maybe, just maybe, you’ll witness a little miracle in your life.
By Mary Thissen