Faith Daily | 20 March 2023

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p486

Almighty God,

in Christ you make all things new:

transform the poverty of our nature

by the riches of your grace,

and in the renewal of our lives

make known your heavenly glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: John 4: 43-54

43When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44(for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). 45When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival. 46Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” 50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Peta-Anne Warwick

In this short passage, references are made to two miracles: the conversion of water into wine, which is associated with joyful celebrations at a wedding; and the other, a scene of sickness, desperation, anxiety and the shadow of death. By using these two stories so close together, John shows that life is filled with both kind of situations and that Jesus is the One that we need to trust in all the joys and sorrows of life.

So when Jesus arrives into Galilea, the Galileans receive him, but as Jesus says, not as a prophet or as the Christ, but as someone useful that could heal or solve their problems. I read an interesting description of superficial faith – “foxhole faith” – the faith that induces us to pray and call on God for help in the middle of a crisis, like men in the trenches on the frontline of a war. The royal official comes to Jesus with this foxhole faith, looking for a miracle; he gets his miracle and then ends up going deeper to believe in Jesus as the Christ.

Sometimes, Jesus doesn’t give us what we ask for. So long as its delayed, so long as we have to wait, feeling left in a place of anxiety, wondering what will happen next, Jesus continues to bring us back to this question – “Do you have faith that Jesus will do what you need to be done?” (note: need, not want).

Whatever place that Jesus asks us to walk through, the greatest need that we have is to trust him. To recognize that where he is taking us is not a place that is for our harm (even if it does feel like the Valley of Darkness), but is ultimately, for our good; and with the goal of deepening our faith. Do you trust the goodness of Jesus, and do you trust the power of Jesus, even when you have to go weeks, months, years, decades or forever, without receiving what it is that you pray for? Phew, it can be a real challenge for me!! I need to pray for a little more faith!

FINAL PRAYER

(University of Santo Tomas/Facebook)

Lord Jesus, Your love never fails and Your mercy is unceasing.

Give us the courage to surrender our stubborn pride, fear, and doubts to Your surpassing love, wisdom and knowledge.

Make us strong in faith, persevering in hope, and constant in love.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for not giving up on us.

Amen