Reflection for March 16 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 deep is our faith in Jesus?

Is our faith limited to what we can perceive and see? Or is our faith not bounded by what we can perceive and see?

Sometimes it is hard for us to have faith when we do not see something concrete that could strengthen or reinforce it. We often look for visible signs before we fully trust. Yet faith that depends only on what we can see can easily become shallow. True and deep faith is something we quietly carry in our hearts—even when there is no visible proof, no immediate answer, and no clear sign before our eyes.

The royal official in our Gospel shows us this kind of deep faith. He believed what Jesus told him even without any visible sign. He simply trusted in the words of Jesus. When Jesus told him to go back home because his sick son would live, he left without hesitation and without asking for proof.

He held closely in his heart the very words that Jesus had spoken to him. And when he arrived home, he discovered that his son had indeed been healed at the very moment Jesus spoke those life-giving words.

This Gospel invites us to look deeply into our own hearts. There may come a time when our faith in Jesus will be tested—perhaps through suffering, uncertainty, or a serious illness. There may come moments when everything around us seems to fall apart, when answers do not come quickly, and when hope appears faint.

What will we do when we reach what seems to be a point of no return? What will we do if, for instance, a doctor tells us that we have only a few months to live? Will our faith weaken because we cannot see a miracle right away? Or will we continue to trust in the loving and powerful words of Jesus?

In moments like these, we are invited to hold tightly to our faith in the Lord and never give up, no matter what our present circumstances may be. Our faith in Jesus is far greater than any trial or problem that we may face. Our faith in Him is stronger than any sickness that could destroy our bodies but can never diminish the hope, strength, and life that He plants within our hearts.

The Lord continues to speak words of life to us today, just as He did to the royal official. Even when we cannot yet see the outcome, His words remain true, faithful, and powerful.

So today, let us pause and reflect in the quiet of our hearts.

Do we truly trust the words of Jesus even when we cannot see the results yet? And when our faith is tested, will we still choose to walk forward, holding firmly to His promises and believing that He is already at work in our lives?— Marino J. Dasmarinas