Lenten Reflections - Week 2, Mar 3 Tues

by Kenny Soosai

Readings: Jere 2:1-13, Rom 1:16-25, John 4:43-54

Gospel: After the two days, he left there for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.

He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon." The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe. (Now) this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Reflection: As Jesus returns to Cana, he is pursued by an official who needs his help. This official travels about 25km on a dusty road to meet Jesus in a desperate attempt to save his dying son.

Jesus’ response seems harsh as he retorts by saying that the people around him will not believe unless they see a sign. Nonetheless, Jesus heals the official’s son and he does it by just speaking. This is unusual as the prophets were often required to lay their hands or to be at least within earshot of the people they were going to heal.

Here, Jesus heals from a distance and demonstrates that he is no ordinary prophet. The signs that he performs point to the legitimacy of his ministry and to the truth of his teachings.

A Step to Consider: If today you are desperate for help, you can find Jesus today still truly present in the Tabernacle in any Catholic church. The answer you get might be quite unexpected, but whoever believes may receive the same rewards as the official.