Reflection for March 31 Monday of the fourth Week of Lent: John 4:43-54

Gospel: John 4:43-54

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] 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 the man 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.

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 Reflection:

How profound is your faith in Jesus?

To have faith is to believe in something you do not see yet. The official in the Gospel who begged Jesus to heal his sick son had this kind of faith. He wanted Jesus to go and personally heal his son, who was near death at that time.

But Jesus did not grant his request. Instead, He simply told the official, “Go; your son will live.” So the man went home without Jesus but with faith in His words in his heart. When he arrived home, he found that his son was already recovering.

Believing in something we do not see yet is very difficult, especially for those with feeble faith. But for those who have faith, they will believe no matter the odds against them. If the official in our Gospel had not believed in Jesus, his son surely would not have been healed. But he believed!

We all have our own petitions before the Lord. He asks nothing from us but to have faith, for He will take care of everything. What are your petitions before Jesus? Simply believe, have faith, and work for it as well—for He will never fail you.—Marino J. Dasmarinas