[Reflections on today's readings for the Mass of the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, which may be found here.]
Had you ever noticed that a lot of Jesus' ministry revolved around food? There was the feeding of the five thousand, the feeding of the four thousand, the institution of Holy Communion, parables about feasts, actually sitting down to feasts (such as the Wedding at Cana or the dinner party at Bethany...among others). His detractors pointed out that he ate and drank with sinners.
Then you read the Gospel appointed for today (the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead) and you think, "Bringing food into the discussion? That's a bit of a reach." Still, it was important to the Evangelists to let us know that after all the drama, the lead up, the spectacular event of raising a dead girl to life that Jesus' parting words were to give her something to eat.
"Gee, that was awfully thoughtful of Him," one might say, "He could have left and let her ask for food."
I do not believe the Tradition recounts anything for fluff. It was important that we the readers and listeners know, in the Evangelists' opinion, that the Lord commanded that she be fed. What, however, are we supposed to dredge from this? She'd been ill and probably weak, we say, and the Lord recognized her need to rebuild her strength. Perhaps, and that may even be the whole point. Our Lord came among us to redeem us from Death and Corruption, to deliver us from the power of the Evil One. Our state as the redeemed is that of those being raised from spiritual, that is, eternal death. However, like Jairus' daughter, we'd languished under a debilitating terminal illness which has left us mere shells of ourselves. Jesus has (and will have) raised us from the dead, and we must then take on sustenance. For Jairus' daughter, she likely started out on mild bread or a pulse to slowly build her strength. For us redeemed, the Word of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is to be our food, not only for recovery but for life eternal. His Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament is truly food and drink for our souls, empowering us to live in Him and to become all that God has created us to be.
He has raised us from the dead, and see, he gives us something to eat.