It was this life that, in the words of today's Gospel, Christ welcomes in her and will never drive away. A life feisty and rooted at the same time!

So many who approach Jesus for healing in the gospels demand some action from him - whether it's instruction, a visit, or a prayer of the Son of God. In this way, the contrast between Jairus, a faithful leader of the local synagogue, and the woman suffering for so long at the margins of her community, could not be more striking.

There is little room for whining and complaining - or perhaps a lot of room, if you take the proportions of the Book Job at face value. But it avails us little. God still expects us to grow up.

If we dig into the lives of those we remember as saints, what do we find? Curmudgeons. Faithful, opinionated folk like Fred who brazenly call out truth, even when it is unpopular.