Jesus and the woman with a haemorrhage

Imaginative contemplation is a way of getting to know and even meeting Christ in the gospels. The ultimate goal is personal encounter with him. Take your time with this kind of prayer – don’t rush off at the end. God is in no rush, so stay and share with Him as much as you need to.

First we familiarise ourselves with the passage:

Mark 5:21-34


 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

St Ignatius suggests standing for a while at the start of the prayer and let God look at you . . . how is God looking at you or with you? . . . take up the posture you find helpful for this way of praying . . . listen to the sounds around you . . . notice the rhythm of your breathing . . . take three deeper breaths and breathe in God’s love . . . breathe out anything you want to hand over to God: any tension, concern, longing . . . what do you desire? . . . let God know . . .

Now we move to the scene by the lake . . . Jesus is getting out of the boat and is surrounded by a large crowd . . . see the place in your mind’s eye . . . Jesus, the crowd, the surroundings . . . where are you in this scene? You might be a disciple, in the crowd, or perhaps the sick woman . . . if you are that woman, adapt what I say so that it makes sense to you . . . whoever you are in the scene, look around you at the different people . . . listen to the voices . . . see the sky . . . feel the sun’s heat on your face . . . smell the air . . . touch something . . . what is it like to be there?

You see Jairus come and ask Jesus to heal his daughter . . . watch Jesus as he listens and responds to the request . . . everyone moves in the same direction . . . where is the sick woman? . . . what is she thinking? . . . what does she want to do? . . . you notice the crowd pressing around Jesus, yet somehow this woman gets to him . . . she touches the hem of his garment . . . watch her and see what happens . . . she senses a change in her body . . . Jesus, too, is aware of something happening . . . he stops and asks who touched him . . . the disciples are surprised at this . . . what about you? . . . Jesus still wants to know who it was . . . the woman is frightened but she comes forward, falls to the floor, and explains . . . how does she speak? . . . how does Jesus look at her? . . . “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” . . . how is she feeling? . . . what is this like for Jesus?

Stay in the scene and go to Jesus as yourself . . . do you catch his eye or touch the edge of his clothes? . . . what happens? . . . Take whatever time you need to be with Jesus in this scene . . . . . .