Gospel: John 4:43-54
When the two days were over, Jesus left for Galilee. Jesus himself said that no prophet is recognized in his own country. Yet the Galileans welcomed him when he arrived, because of all the things which he had done in Jerusalem during the Festival, and which they had seen. For they, too, had gone to the feast.
Jesus went back to Cana of Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official, whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe!” The official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” And Jesus replied, “Go, your son lives!”
The man had faith in the word that Jesus spoke to him, and went his way. As he was approaching his house, his servants met him, and gave him the good news, “Your son has recovered!” So he asked them at what hour the child began to recover, and they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday, at about one o’clock in the afternoon.” And the father realized that that was the time when
Jesus had told him, “Your son lives!” And he became a believer, he and all his family. Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee.
Reflection:
"To have faith in Christ’s victory."
“The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard … any more.” Today’s Gospel is accompanied by sounds of weeping that turn to rejoicing, as the official’s son is near death, but Jesus restores him to health. He makes him whole again. Thus, the miracles of Jesus display his divinity and his divine will to renew all things, to “create new heavens and a new earth,” where sin, pain and death are things of the past. We are perhaps more used to connecting these words with the Book of Revelation (21:1), but the prophecy is made by Isaiah long before, who looks forward to the glorious fulfilment of God’s plan. Jesus, the Son of God, is the centre of God’s plan to give fullness of life (Jn 10:10), a plan that triumphs at the cross and reaches its fulfilment in the glory of heaven. When we have to bear pain or sorrow, we are to have faith in Christ’s victory, just as the synagogue official does in today’s Gospel. Just like him, let us have faith and not be paralysed by fear or sorrow, but go on our way, moving forward with confidence in Christ.
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