The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
St. Toribio, bishop

Scripture from today’s Liturgy of the Word:
Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
Psalm 46:2-3,5-6,8-9
John 5:1-16

A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture:

Each of the readings of today focus on water and remind us immediately of Christ, the Source of life, and of our own baptism. Then in the gospel we hear of the man lying on a mat at the pool of Bethesda. The reading states that Christ knew that the man had been ill for thirty-eight years. The question that Christ then posed to the man is a fascinating one... “Do you want to be well?” At face value it sounds like a strange question. Who wouldn’t want to be healed?

It is a serious question and one that each of us could ask regarding the state of our own souls in this Lenten season. Do we want to be rid of those things in our lives that interfere with our spiritual health? We all have our ‘crutches and mats’ and reasons that we cannot seem to move ahead spiritually.

Later in the gospel we read that Christ went looking for the man and urged him to sin no more. He had healed him physically and spiritually. Who can say that we do not have a loving, caring God? We can all pick up our mats and walk WITH HIM.

- Joan of Jesus, ocds
(jmurphy at utica dot edu)

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posted by joachim at 4:16 AM