YOUR SON WILL LIVE…

Isaiah 65:17-21

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

John 4:43-54

43 After the two days he departed to Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caperna-um there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.
51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living.
52 So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household.
54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.  

MEDITATION

THE PROPHET ISAIAH has a message of hope for the people who have seen much strife such as when a plague caused the loss of many infants who lived only a few days. The affected parents whose faith have been tested to the extent that they have lost hope, is given the assurance of a prosperous long life for them and their children. 

THE GOSPEL READING: Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee where He performed the miracle of changing water into wine at the request of Mary His mother. A Roman official who may have heard about that specific public miracle, begged Jesus to accompany him to his house to heal his child who was on the brink of death. Jesus interrogated the true motives of this man by asking him if his faith in Him is primarily dependent on miracles! 

Catec 156 What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived”. So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.” Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility” (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind”.

Without batting an eyelid the Roman official repeated his request, however in this instant, he adressed Jesus by His holy proper name, a priestly title; “Sir” or Lord, which denote that he believed that Jesus is who He says He is. In other words this official recognize and give assent to the high office of Christ Jesus! We are called to take Christ at His word when the ordained minister acts “in persona christi” administering the Holy Sacraments, that is purposed to make holy, heal, transform and give new life.  

LET US PRAY: Psalms 30:2,4-6,11-13
2 O LORD my God, I cried to thee for help, and thou hast healed me.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
12 that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.