The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to trust in God’s plan as we encounter difficulties that appear to dim our hope of full life.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a vision of the Glorious New Creation.
* [65:17–18] The new creation (cf. 66:22) is described with apocalyptic exuberance: long life, material prosperity, and so forth. As the former events in 43:18 are to be forgotten, so also the new creation wipes out memory of the first creation. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 65 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 30 offers thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness.
* [Psalm 30] An individual thanksgiving in four parts: praise and thanks for deliverance and restoration (Ps 30:2–4); an invitation to others to join in (Ps 30:5–6); a flashback to the time before deliverance (Ps 30:7–11); a return to praise and thanks (Ps 30:12). Two sets of images recur: 1) going down, death, silence; 2) coming up, life, praising. God has delivered the psalmist from one state to the other. (Psalms, PSALM 30 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus returns to Galilee and heals an Official’s Son.
* [4:43–54] Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee; the second sign. This section introduces another theme, that of the life-giving word of Jesus. It is explicitly linked to the first sign (Jn 2:11). The royal official believes (Jn 4:50). The natural life given his son is a sign of eternal life.
* [4:44] Probably a reminiscence of a tradition as in Mk 6:4. Cf. Gospel of Thomas 4:31: “No prophet is acceptable in his village, no physician heals those who know him.”
* [4:46–54] The story of the cure of the royal official’s son may be a third version of the cure of the centurion’s son (Mt 8:5–13) or servant (Lk 7:1–10). Cf. also Mt 15:21–28; Mk 7:24–30. (John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)
Carol Zuegner comments that we can find joy in all of our Lenten practices and even as we anticipate the crucifixion. There is joy to be found in what may be a renewed time of prayer during these 40 days. There can be joy in charity, in doing something for others quietly. There can be joy in opening ourselves in our brokenness to God, who loves us as we are.
That openness to God and faith can be found in today’s Gospel where the royal official asked for Jesus’s help for his son. He believed without the signs and wonders. Jesus told him: “Your son will live.” I want to have the faith of that royal official, though I know the signs and wonders of what God can do. Sometimes my faith falters or is tested. Let me believe. (Zuegner, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 4:43-54 comments that the grace of Matrimony remains with a husband and wife every day. It helps them to love one another no matter the circumstance. The grace of Confirmation helps us continue to live in the power and confidence of the Holy Spirit every day. It’s through these graces that we can lift up our hearts in prayer, place our faith in the Lord, and experience him working in our lives.
Jesus’ words to the royal official in today’s reading—“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe”—don’t have to apply to you (John 4:48). Because of the grace of the sacraments that God has poured into your heart, you can believe every single day. Even on those days when he seems absent, he is standing by your side!
“Thank you, Father, for the grace of your sacraments, which help me believe in your constant presence in my life!” (Meditation on John 4:43-54, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reality of a destroyed Jerusalem that the exiles returning from Babylon found as described in Deutero Isaiah. Trito Isaiah promises a renewal that will encompass the whole world with peace, longevity, and plentiful food. The text of third Isaiah resonates with the description of the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation. Friar Jude reminds us that the signs in John’s Gospel, like the Stop Sign, are meant for us to pause and accept the invitation to a new reality as we continue to move on in life.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that contemplation begins as we realize the limits of our own perspective. Reality is far vaster than we can perceive. People with a distorted image of self, world, or God will be largely incapable of experiencing what is Really Real in the world. They will see things through a narrow keyhole. They’ll see instead what they need reality to be, what they’re afraid it is, or what they’re angry about. They’ll see everything through their aggression, their fear, or their agenda. In other words, they won’t see it at all.
That’s the opposite of true contemplatives, who have an enhanced capacity to see what is, whether it’s favorable or not, whether it meets their needs or not, whether they like it or not, and whether that reality causes weeping or rejoicing. Most of us will usually misinterpret our experience until we have been moved out of our false center. Until then, there is too much of the self in the way. Most of us do not see things as they are; we see things as we are. That is no small point.
When we touch our deepest image of self, a deeper image of reality, or a new truth about God, we’re touching something that opens us to the sacred. We’ll want to weep or to be silent, or to run away from it and change the subject because it’s too deep, it’s too heavy. As T. S. Eliot wrote, “human kind cannot bear very much reality.” [3]
That’s why I—and so many others—emphasize contemplation. It’s the way of going to the experience of the absolute without going toward ideology. There’s a difference. It’s going toward the experience of the good, the true, the beautiful, the real without going into a head trip, or taking the small self—or one’s momentary vantage point—too seriously. [4] (Rohr, n.d.)
We pray for inspiration from the Holy Spirit when we encounter “hurry up and wait” in our life journey.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 65 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/65?17
John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/4?43
Meditation on John 4:43-54. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/03/11/910924/
Psalms, PSALM 30 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/30?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Our Limited Perspectives. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/our-limited-perspectives/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus - the Divine Physician. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=mar11
Zuegner, C. (2024, March 11). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031124.html
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