The gospel reading today is Mark 5:21-43: the story of the raising of Jarius’ young daughter, with the almost parenthetical story of the healing of the bleeding woman.

Reading this as an older woman, I experience an immense welling up of gratitude that on His way to raise the young to new life, Jesus paused to heal and bless an intrusive, desperate, devalued older woman.

My woman’s prayer:
Continue, please, Lord Jesus, to raise the young to new life and heal the wounds of the old.