In today’s Scripture Reading, we begin from the book of Genesis, the first chapters of the Bible; the creation account. God created all good and for our good. “And God saw that it was good”. God has never stopped re-creating us anew in His Spirit. Today as it is a memorial feast and I want to take you to Africa; to St. Josephine Bakhita of Sudan. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869 in the Darfur region of Western Sudan. Slave traders kidnapped her when she was only 9 and gave her the name “Bakhita” which means “Fortunate”. While it may seem a cruel choice, in time Josephine came to see beauty in it, stating: “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today”. She embraced the faith among the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Italy; baptized in 1890 and joined them in 1893 and after 50 years in religious life, the so-called “Our Black Mother” died in 1947. She was canonized in 2000 A.D. by Pope St. John Paul II, who said at the day of her canonization: “Rejoice, all of Africa. Bakhita has come back to you; the daughter of Sudan; sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free, free with the freedom of the saints”. May she intercede for All Africans in their needs to be free from all injustices, wars and all kinds of evils. The Gospel of today reminds us that Jesus healed all the sick who were brought to Him. For the Gospel of today tells us: “They begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak and all who touched it were healed”. The healing love of Jesus went out powerfully to heal all the sick in mind and body. Obviously, it is not the name of being Christian that can save or heal us from our many sicknesses, but be a true faithful follower of Him. We are in hold and lock-down by the Covid-19 and worse again by the new variant of it. Our world needs a real touch of Christ’s healing. Yet we need also to call Him to touch us and heal from all our physical and spiritual ailments. Is line with the Gospel’s message, Jesus healing all kinds of sicknesses and the life story of St. Josephine Bakhita’s enslavement, may we be free in mind and heart from every evil that makes slaves of sin and all kinds of hatred against our brothers and sisters we meet every day. Let’s open ourselves to His healing power inviting Him into our lives, so that His healing power may touch us and touch those whom we ask in prayers.