Sunday, March 15, 2015

The Word Among Us - A Catholic Devotional based on the Daily Mass Readings & Meditation for Monday, 16 March 2015

The Word Among Us - A Catholic Devotional based on the Daily Mass Readings & Meditation for Monday, 16 March 2015
Catholic Meditations
Meditation: John 4:43 After the two days, he went on from there toward the Galil. 44 Now Yeshua himself said, “A prophet is not respected in his own country.” 45 But when he arrived in the Galil, the people there welcomed him, because they had seen all he had done at the festival in Yerushalayim; since they had been there too.
46 He went again to Kanah in the Galil, where he had turned the water into wine. An officer in the royal service was there; his son was ill in K’far-Nachum. 47 This man, on hearing that Yeshua had come from Y’hudah to the Galil, went and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Yeshua answered, “Unless you people see signs and miracles, you simply will not trust!” 49 The officer said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Yeshua replied, “You may go, your son is alive.” The man believed what Yeshua said and left. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him with the news that his son was alive 52 So he asked them at what time he had gotten better; and they said, “The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon.” 53 The father knew that that was the very hour when Yeshua had told him, “Your son is alive”; and he and all his household trusted. 54 This was a second sign that Yeshua did; he did it after he had come from Y’hudah into the Galil
4th Week of Lent
This was the second sign Jesus did. (John 4:54)
In the first chapters of John, Jesus performs two miraculous “signs” in the village of Cana. The first, of course, is hischanging water into wine at a wedding celebration. The second is today’s story of Jesus healing a royal official’s son who was on the brink of death. Both stories end on a similarnote: those who witness the sign put their faith in Jesus (John 2:11; 4:53). Whenever Jesus performs a miracle, it is an invitation to belief, an opening for deeper faith.
Think about the contrasting settings of these two stories. The wedding at Cana is a Luminous Mystery of love, joy, and new beginnings. A young couple is starting their life together. What a contrast to today’s sorrowful scene, where a young life is about to be cut short! If we put these two stories together, we can see how everyday life is a swing between luminous events and sorrowful ones. More important, we can see how Jesus wants to be close to us no matter what our situation is.
If you’re in a happy moment, don’t forget the One who has been so good to you. Thank him for all of your blessings. If you’re in a sad moment, try your best to put your faith in the Lord. Jesus told the royal official, “Go; your son will live” (John 4:50). Likewise, in these sad moments in our lives, Jesus tells us to “go”—to believe before seeing.
John’s Gospel is filled with many more “signs” than these two. Over and over, he tells us to pray for miracles so that our faith can deepen. He tells us to look at the signs of God’s presence that are already around us so that we can believe even more.
At the wedding in Cana, Mary was full of faith. She knew that Jesus would act to save the banquet. The royal official in today’s reading didn’t have as much faith as Mary did, but he had enough. We don’t need perfect faith to see God work miracles. We just need to go to Jesus and ask. Then, when we see the signs, our hearts will rejoice!
“Jesus, help me to deepen my faith in you—in good times and in bad times.” Amen!
Isaiah 65:17 “For, look! I create new heavens
and a new earth;
past things will not be remembered,
they will no more come to mind.
18 So be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy,
and her people a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Yerushalayim
and take joy in my people.
The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it,
no longer the sound of crying.
20 No more will babies die in infancy,
no more will an old man die short of his days —
he who dies at a hundred will be thought young,
and at less than a hundred thought cursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them,
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Psalms 30:2 (1) I will exalt you, Adonai, because you drew me up;
you didn’t let my enemies rejoice over me.
4 (3) Adonai, you lifted me up from Sh’ol;
you kept me alive when I was sinking into a pit.
5 (4) Sing praise to Adonai, you faithful of his;
and give thanks on recalling his holiness.
6 (5) For his anger is momentary,
but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Tears may linger for the night,
but with dawn come cries of joy.
11 (10) Hear me, Adonai, and show me your favor!
Adonai, be my helper!”
12 (11) You turned my mourning into dancing!
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
13 (12) so that my well-being can praise you and not be silent;
Adonai my God, I will thank you forever!
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