Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Luke 8:43

Eastern Fathers

Titus of Bostra

Of how great praise then is this woman worthy, who with her bodily powers exhausted by the continual issue of blood, and with so great a crowd thronging around Him, in the strength of her affection and faith entered the crowd, and coming behind, secretly touched the hem of His garment.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Ancient Greek Expositor

Now a certain woman afflicted with a severe disease, whose infirmity had consumed her body, but physicians all her substance, finds her only hope in such great humbleness that she falls down before our Lord; of whom it follows, And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, &c.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Dionysius of Alexandria

Certainly the woman who had the issue of blood of twelve years' standing did not touch the Lord Himself, but only the hem of His garment, with a view to her cure.

The Epistle to Bishop Basilides, Canon II ↗

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

But as she had spent all her substance upon physicians, so the Gentile nations had lost all the gifts of nature. Now hearing that the people of the Jews were sick, she begins to hope for the remedy of their salvation; she knew that the time was arrived when a Physician should come from heaven, she rose to meet Him, more ready from faith, more backward from modesty. For this is the part of modesty and faith to acknowledge weakness, not to despair of pardon. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Bede

And a certain woman was in the flow of blood for twelve years. The woman flowing with blood is the Church gathered from the gentiles, which, polluted by the inborn flow of carnal delights, had already been separated from the company of the faithful. But when the Word of God decided to save Judaea, it snatched away certain salvation from others with firm hope. …

On the Gospel of Luke ↗

Bonaventure

And a certain woman was in a flow etc. After the desirable presence of Christ has been shown, his admirable power is shown in the wondrous healing from a flow of blood. The Evangelist shows that this healing proceeded from admirable omnipotence, both on account of the long duration of the illness in the woman, and on account of the impossibility of curing by medical art, and on account of the ease of the remedy from the Savior. …

Commentary on Luke, Chapter 8 ↗