Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/465

 Gospel of  St.  John:  "You  are  My  friends,  if  you  do  the things  that  I  command  you." (John xv.  14  )

I. "  And  behold  a  woman,  who  was  troubled  with  an issue  of  blood,  twelve  years,  who  had  bestowed  all  her substance  on  physicians,  and  could  not  be  healed  by  any, •came  behind  Him,  and  touched  the  hem  of  His  garment." (Luke ix.  43.)  Admire  the  humility  of  this woman, who  did  not  presume  to  ask  Christ  to  cure  her, nor to  appear  before  Him,  but  privately  touched  His garment. Her confidence  was  equally  great:  "She  said within  herself,  if  I  shall  but  touch  His  garment,  I  shall be  healed." Those Christians,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  labor under the  disease  of  this  woman,  who  spend  their  time in pursuing  the  vain  and  perishable  things  of  this  earth, and direct  all  their  actions  to  them:  they  spend  their substance in  vain  on  physicians,  who  cannot  cure  them; for the  deceitful  pleasures  and  idle  enjoyments  of  the world can  never  cure  the  ailments  of  an  immortal  soul, whose capacity  nothing  but  God  can  fill.

II. When the  woman  had  touched  Christ's  garment, she received  perfect  health,  as  a  reward  for  her  faith. With how  much  more  reason  may  those  expect  to  receive perfect spiritual  health  who  touch  not  only  the  garment of Christ,  but  receive  in  the  Eucharist  His  own  all-healing body  and  blood. Remark how  this  touch  of  the woman did  not  escape  Christ's  knowledge;  and  learn hence, that  no  action  of  yours,  however  secret,  can  be