March 29, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Daily Readings: Reading I Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, Gospel John 5:1-16
I have heard of people in hospitals becoming enraged at their loved ones for requesting the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to be administered by a priest. They have the impression that their family is already planning their death. However, several patients recovered after being anointed by a priest, despite multiple hospital visits.
In the Gospel, Jesus heals a lame man who had been sick for a long time and had no opportunity to bathe in the Pool of Bethesda since he was alone. There were many sick people, but Jesus chose this one. He obeyed Jesus by taking his mat and going away after being healed.
After healing him, Jesus had the option of leaving or healing more sick people in the area. However, he decided to return to the man who had been restored and tell him not to do it again.
So, what did Jesus mean when he warned, "do not sin any longer, lest something worse happen to you"? We'll never know, but one thing is sure if we read between the lines: sin can corrupt the spirit and the body. The link between the mind, body, and spirit is real!
Following Jesus' command, the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked after being healed. Standing up means starting anew, standing up for what is right, and walking away from wrong. Most of the time, we prefer to sit rather than stand since it is more comfortable.
Jesus chose us to be healed, to be able to stand and walk again. Picking up the mat represents stepping outside of our comfort zones and starting over. Walking signifies turning away from our mistakes and misdeeds. When we have been healed through the Sacrament of Confession, Jesus gives us the way to greatness and the fullness of life. Jesus' re-encounter with the man could also mean that he would always be present to tell us that we must avoid sin or face the consequences.
I pray that we will follow in his footsteps, the path that leads to eternal life when we do.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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