Fr. Mike’s Homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent (1)

Fr. Mike’s Homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent

Theme: Genuine faith and unconditional obedience

By: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches

Homily for Tuesday March 29 2022

Jn 5:1‐16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus w

Fr. Mike’s Homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent

Theme: Genuine faith and unconditional obedience

By: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches

Homily for Tuesday March 29 2022

 

Jn 5:1‐16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep [Gate] a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.
Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

Man is a social being. God created him to be such: “The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him” (Gen 2:18). Hence, all human endeavors pursued and successes attained are naught without family, friends and community to share with.

That is why, it is so sad to note the predicament of the paralyzed man: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.” It is not mentioned why he was all alone – for those long thirty-eight years! Perhaps this can be explained by the belief among the Jews that sickness, leprosy and all other physical handicaps are God’s punishments for their sins. The man, being paralyzed, was already judged to be sinful, and therefore, not worthy of attention and mercy from others. Such an unfortunate situation, indeed!

But he did not lose hope. He waited for thirty-eight years, until Jesus came around. He instructed him, “Rise, take up your mat and walk.” For so long he could not walk, and here comes Jesus telling him to rise up and walk. Was He rubbing salt to injury?

But the man had nothing to lose. Having suffered for a long time, not only from sickness but also from social stigma and rejection, he had no one else to turn to. It was only Jesus who gave him the attention – and the compassion – he longed for. That is why, he did not doubt even for a second the words of the Lord. He believed and obeyed.

Faith and obedience. The two most important virtues for a miracle to happen. God is all-powerful. For Him, nothing is impossible. He can do anything, even if it is something beyond nature or against nature. But with regards to man, His power has “limitation”, so to say. This is because He has given man the gift of freedom. He cannot violate man’s freedom even if it means his salvation. St. Augustine said, “God who created us without our help will not save us without our consent.” Hence, faith is the indispensable requirement for the miracle of Jesus to happen.

Yet, faith is not enough. Obedience is also necessary. Of what use is faith if a person does not obey? The paralyzed man knew it was a Sabbath. Carrying his mat is an act prohibited by the Sabbath Law.
However, the command of Jesus was for him far more powerful than the Sabbath Law. He obeyed even though at first he did not realize it was Jesus.

When the Lord found him again in the Temple, He insisted on obedience: “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you” (Jn 5:14).

Ultimately, genuine faith leads to complete and unconditional obedience to God. Admittedly, many of us claim to have faith, but disregard the exigencies of obedience. Such is not genuine faith at all. As an American author, Edwin Louis Cole, rightly said, “Obedience is an act of faith; disobedience is the result of unbelief.” May our faith in God deepen and mature as we strive to follow His will and commands – over and above everything else.

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches

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