GET UP AND WALK

 

Imagine being sick for 38 years. That is an incredibly long time to be suffering affliction and pain. The crippled that we hear about in the Gospel must have had an incredible patience in waiting to get into the “moving waters.” If I were him, I would have given up a long time ago. You’d wonder if you still want to get well after being sick for a long time. You could just get used to it — day in, day out, year in, year out.

The man is pitiful. Because he is crippled, he is slow to move when the mysterious waters are stirred. The moment the waters move, he starts to get near the pool, only to find someone else before him. Jesus meets him, tells the man to rise and the man is well again. The man experiences a resurrection. Life is given to him again. He is now happy and able to move in freedom from pain and illness.

However, that is not the end of the story. The Jews are horrified when they see the man carrying his mat. He is seen as a lawbreaker and a sinner in the eyes of God for profaning the Sabbath. He is interrogated for this action, which is an unlawful thing to do on Sabbath.

We can imagine how delighted the man was in receiving this incredible healing. I wonder if his spirit was dampened at hearing the disgust of the Jews. Isn’t it the same with us? We receive some good news, experience a healing or an answer to a prayer. But when it seems that just when we are at our best, something happens and robs us of our joy. However, sometimes we can be like the man — in the pain of sin, habit or affliction for many years. The problem is that we can be used to sin. We allow sin to make its home in us because it is too hard to do anything about it. “I will never change.” “It is always the same.” “It is too hard.” These mind games play within our thoughts.

We need to hear Jesus telling us to get up and walk. We need to imitate the obedience of the crippled man that heard the word of Jesus and put it into action. No questions, no doubts, no hesitation. He simply got up and walked.Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Do you want to be well?

 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

 

St. Albert of Montecorvino, pray for us.