On a family holiday to New York City, I went to St Patrick’s Cathedral, thinking it would be a quiet place to pray and reflect during a break from our hectic pace of shopping and visiting museums. As I entered the cathedral, however, it seemed more like  an exhibition hall than a place of worship. People walked around snapping photos. Some pointed out the arches and stained glass windows to companions. Small groups huddled in the alcoves, discussing statues and artefacts. As I slipped into a pew, I wondered, ‘Can I find God here with so much noise and activity?’ 

Then I remembered the woman who fought her way through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. Mark’s Gospel tells us that people were pressing in on Jesus from all sides. Yet as healing power flowed out of him, Jesus turned and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ The woman fell down before him, told her story, and was greeted by him as a daughter worthy of commendation.

The story helped me to see that the noise and distractions in the cathedral could not prevent my worship. Jesus knew I was there and would hear my prayer, even in the midst of the talkative sightseers. As Paul wrote, ‘I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for being with us in the crowded places as well as the quiet ones. Help us to remember that nothing can separate us from you. Amen