“Jesus’ gaze is one of mercy and tenderness”. Pope Francis said this during today’s general audience in St Peter’s Square, reflecting on the Gospel reading of the healing of the woman suffering from haemorrhages. “The encounter with Christ – the Pope explained – opens the path of liberation and salvation to all men and women of every time and place”. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Pontiff recalled, we read that “when the woman touched Jesus’ cloak, He turned around, saw her, and then spoke to her”. “Because of her state of exclusion, the woman acted covertly, coming up behind Jesus, full of fear, trying not to be seen, because she was marginalized”. But Jesus, Pope Francis remarked, “sees her, and does not rebuke her”; on the contrary, “His gaze is one of mercy and tenderness”. “He knows what has happened and seeks a personal encounter with her, which is what the woman herself wants. This means that not only does Jesus welcome her, but He also believes that she is worthy of such an encounter, so much so that He gifts her with His word and attention”.