The Gospel Proclamation When the two days were over Jesus left for Galilee. He himself had declared that a prophet is not honoured in his own home town. On his arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended. He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum; hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son, as he was at the point of death. Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!’ ‘Sir,’ answered the official, ‘come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go home,’ said Jesus, ‘your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus had said and went on his way home; and while he was still on the way his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. They replied, ‘The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ The father realised that this was exactly the time when Jesus had said, ‘Your son will live’; and he and all his household believed. This new sign, the second, Jesus performed on his return from Judaea to Galilee.
Gaze at Jesus People of Israel met the Lord walking down the streets and towns establishing the once broken relationship with God. God’s desire and the humility to unite with us is depicted in the reply He gives the royal official.
Gaze at our sonship The Psalmist and prophet Isaiah too awakens us to be open to the healing and forgiveness of the Lord in today’s scriptures. The sign of God’s healing will show upon the newness that we experience. The royal officer let go his pride to invite Jesus to heal his son. Let us also take practical steps to open our life to the Lord during this season of Lent. As Lord models the quality of His love in His relationships through sacrifice, let us also place emphasis to sacrifices in our relationships. Our pride or jealousy, our lack of respect towards one another because of our greed, lustful desires, laziness or anger may be great barriers to unity. Lord calls us to let go these attitudes so that our relationships could proclaim Christ. Let us be truthful about our weaknesses every moment and accept the hindrances to unity. Let us overcome them with the power of the living Lord within us. The ingredient needed is awareness; awareness of our weaknesses and awareness of the Lord. In faith let go the weakness and accept humility of Christ. Your faith will be revealed in your action. As we become aware of our weak attitudes, let us invite the Eucharistic Lord to manifest within us to overcome our individual weaknesses and the forgiving Christ in the sacrament of reconciliation.
Prayer Starter Lord, I believe that You are transforming me. Help me to yield totally to Your Holy Spirit.
