Day XXIII: Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Gospel Reading for the Day

From the holy Gospel according to

John Chapter 4, verses 43 to 54

JESUS TELLS HIM, "YOUR SON WILL LIVE."
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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. [46b - 53]

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

Personal reflection on the Reading

"Your son will live." What a wonderful thing to hear for a father who worries a lot about the condition of his son who is near death. What a good news to bring to others!

The Lord Jesus Christ did many miracles involving children. Perhaps in all these, the parents heard Him say, "Your child will live." Let us remember Abraham while he was about to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. An angel stops him and tells him, "Do not take the life of the child!" Surely, it was like God telling him, "Your son will live!"

Now, let us remember God who gave us His only begotten Son to free us from the bondage to sin. We don't know if somebody told Him, "Your Son will live!" But of course Christ rose again from the dead - God knows it will happen, no one has to tell Him that! However, maybe it is time for us to tell God also, "Your Son will live!" Not because He doesn't know nor because He has to be consoled. 

We have to tell Him that Jesus Christ will live - in our hearts, in our works, in our love for one another! We have to tell Him that as our commitment and our response to the call to discipleship and to His friendship. Let us allow the Lord Jesus Christ to live in us, to be resurrected through our proclamation of the Gospel of Holy Friendship to everyone: here is God, offering His friendship, sharing His love, giving us His very own life at the cross, through the Eucharist and through each one of us who accepts the challenge to become apostles of His Holy Friendship. 

The world also needs us to tell it that mankind will live by listening to the Gospel and believing in the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are a lot of voices in the world today but it only has to hear the truth: the truth about LIFE - that the world and humanity can live for Jesus came so that we may have life to the fullest. Let us never allow the Gospel to be drowned by the noise in the world. The world has to know. We have to bring to the world this good news so that humanity may live in the love of God - so that mankind may be spared from the doom and damnation prepared for those who refuse to believe and love God. It has to hear the Gospel, it has to know that it can live and it has to believe! 

This Lenten Season let us tell God that we will never let His Son down: that we will let Him live on each moment of our lives.  

Sharing for the Day

Application of the Message

[1] Prayer

     Pray for life, for strength and encouragement for those who fight for life, and for enlightenment and inspiration to those who cannot understand the importance of life.

[2] Abstinence

     Abstain from something that makes you disregard the importance of life.

[3] Almsgiving

     What can you materially share with someone so that he or she may give importance to life too.