Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.
Give life
1. His native place. Our conflict will always be with those who are close to us even more than with those who we barely know. Clearly, there are quarrels and difficulties with those who we are more closely attached to, because sometimes we don’t tolerate them or because they criticize us for things we do or for things we’ve done in the past. That’s why there will always be a thorn in you because it’s more difficult to touch hearts amongst your own people. It happens to all of us, but we must accept it and assume it.
2. Officer. Life is not simple. There are obstacles that lead to despair like the man in today’s gospel. He’s a man of high rank, but obstacles and adversity appear anyway. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or the life you lead, we all go through difficulties, and therefore it’s important to be aware of God’s love. And it’s important to notice that Jesus reaches out to everyone, and this shows you that in life we must always be open to those who need us. There are times when we must put aside our prejudices and know that when there’s need we must be ready to help.
3. Life. You and I are called to give life. You mustn’t forget that you can do much good with small gestures and deeds and having a positive attitude that motivates others. Today, what can you do to help the life of others?
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
