Fr Paul Gooley returns and begins by thanking everyone who supported the Gospel Reflections while he was on leave. Today Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (9: 18-26) in which Jesus heals the official’s daughter and tells the sick woman who touches his cloak ‘your faith has restored you to health’. Fr Paul says in Mark’s version these two little stories about the cure of two women are delightful and moving. They are full of little details which make the stories themselves come alive. Matthew here, however, simplifies them drastically, leaving out the details which are so attractive in Mark’s version. Matthew is only interested in two things; Firstly, underlining the faith of the people being healed and, secondly, the authority of Jesus. Sadly, compared to Mark, Matthew leaves it ambiguous as whether Jesus only heals to these two people or does he give them a deeper salvation. What inspires Fr Paul in this passage is the example of the official and the woman. Both had the courage to bring their needs, no matter how big or how small to Jesus and both had the humility to ask for help. Fr Paul says, as our day continues, we might follow the example these two people have set.