Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
The crippled man in today’s Gospel has been waiting for 38 years for someone to bring him to the pool so that he might be well. He has no one, and when he tries on his own, he is ignored and people get there before him. That is until Jesus sees him in his humanity and has compassion for him. Jesus asks him if he wishes to be well and then doesn’t bring him to the pool but gives him the life-giving water of his loving mercy.
This water is the water that gives life and destroys death and makes us whole. It is the fresh water that flows from the temple of the heavenly Jerusalem and makes the salty waters of our broken humanity into the clean water that brings forth much fruit and abundance. We too are seeking to be made clean by this water, and like the crippled man, we cannot be healed on our own.
We wait at the door of our hearts for our Lord to come and heal us. We wait for our Jesus when we participate in the Sacraments. We wait for our Jesus when we spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We wait for our Jesus when we turn inward to those disarming times of silent prayer and embracing our broken sinful self, then we will hear Jesus, in love and compassion, say to us, “Do you want to be well?” How will you respond?
Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources