For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
For she said, If I shall touch but His garment, I shall be whole. Matthew ( Matthew 9:20), instead of garment, has the hem of His garment. This hem was a fringe of threads attached to the bottom of the robe, of a hyacinth or violet colour, which God commanded the Jews to wear, that it might put them continually in mind of God"s precepts and of heaven itself. This Christ wore, according to the law, as a mark that He belonged to the Jewish race and religion.
There is here an example and proof of the use and efficacy of holy relics. For of such a nature was the hem or fringe of Christ which healed her that had the issue of blood. Calvin replies that the woman was superstitious, and that a certain amount of superstition was mingled with what she did. But Christ and Mark refute this; for they ascribe her healing not to superstition, but to her faith, and commend her for it. For in the30th verse it is said, And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue was gone out from Him (de illo...
Touch his garment. Almighty God is pleased to give occasionally to the relics and clothes of his pious and faithful servants, a degree of virtue. See Acts v, and xix, where the very shadow of St. Peter, and the handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched the body of St. Paul, and were brought to the sick, cured their diseases, and banished the wicked spirits. See St. Chrysostom, T. 5. contra Gent. in vit. Babyloe. St. Basil saith: "he that toucheth the bone of a martyr, receiveth in some degree holiness of the grace or virtue that is therein. (St. Basil in Psalm cxv.)
