Two seas are not so turbulent with its waves as the mind of this woman thrown around by the cumulation of thoughts. After all the desperate attempts of the physicians, after expensive medicines, after ineffective and interminable treatments, when skill and expertise had now failed to give a cure, when every part of this poor woman’s substance had been consumed, the disgraceful wound met the Author himself, not by accident, but by divine intention.
Among those pressuring Jesus, this woman approached so as not to be known. She assumed that she could steal a cure by faith alone that her clothing and person may remain hidden. She approached from the back and judged herself unworthy to see him. Faith cured her in an instant of time since twelve years of human medicine could not cure her.
In this example she carried her flaws in weakness for long periods of time and long labored over her deficiencies. She did not know she could be healed by faith but thought she had to carry the burden of taking medicines.
The woman touched his garment and was cured, and was freed from a longtime weakness. We who handle and receive the body of the Lord daily are miserable if we are not cured of our wounds. Not Christ but faith fails the sick. For by his presence within us much more would he be able to cure the wounded, he who, as he went by, so cured the woman hiding out of sight. It is sufficient for today, brothers, that we have told of the deceptions of faith (furta fidei) and of the power of the Lord passing by.
Non tantum duo maria confunduntur fluctibus suis, quantum mulieris hujus animus ancipiti cogitationum cumulo jactabatur. Post certamina desperata medicorum, post medicamina sumptuosa, post inanem et antiquissimam curam, ubi ars et peritia jam defecerat curantem, ubi languentis omnis jam consumpta fuerat substantia, Hoc est vulnus, ex quo, ipso Auctore, verecundus quidam pudor oriebatur.
ipsi auctori verecundum vulnus non casu, sed divinitus occurrit, ut quod humana arte tot annis curari non potuit, sola fide et humilitate curaretur. Curavit fides intra ictum temporis, quod duodecim annis ars humana curare non potuit.
Post hoc exemplum suo vitio longa trahit in languoribus tempora, et sua negligentia diu laborat, qui sola fide nescit curari, sed aromatum dispendiis onerari.
Tetigit vestimentum mulier, et curata est: et ab antiquo est absoluta languore. Miseri, qui quotidie corpus Domini tractamus et sumimus, et a nostris vulneribus non curamur. Non Christus infirmantibus, sed fides deest: nam multo magis modo in nobis manens poterit vulneratos curare, qui latentem mulierem praeteriens sic curavit. Sufficit hodie, fratres, furta fidei, et Domini praetereuntis narrasse virtutem.