St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

Isaiah 65: 17-21

 I now create new heavens and a new earth,

and the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind again.  Be glad forever and rejoice in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice over Jeru­sa­lem and take delight in my people.The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard in it any more. 

 You will no longer know of dead children or of adults who do not live out a lifetime. One who reaches a hundred years will have died a mere youth, but one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant crops and eat their fruit.

 

Ps 30: 2 & 4, 5-6, 11-12a & 13b

I will praise you, Lord for you have rescued me.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

John 4: 43-54

 When the two days were over, Jesus left for Galilee. Jesus himself said that no prophet is recognized in his own country. Yet the Galileans welcomed him when he arrived, because of all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the Festival and which they had seen. For they, too, had gone to the feast.

 Jesus went back to Cana of Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. At Ca­per­naum there was an official whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

 Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and won­ders, you will not believe!” The official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” And Jesus replied, “Go, your son is living.”

The man had faith in the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. He was already going down the hilly road when his servants met him with this news, “Your son has recovered!” So he asked them at what hour the child had begun to recover and they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday in the afternoon about one o’clock.”

And the father realized that it was the time when Jesus told him, “Your son is living.” And he became a be­liever, he and all his family.  Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

 

Gospel Reflection：

“Go your son lives”. Jesus must have felt the desperation and love of this official for his son. The official was persistent in inviting Jesus to come with him so that he may save his son’s life. With such attitude, Jesus performed this miracle of healing even without seeing the recipient.

The official believed in Jesus’ word and he consequently became a believer.Indeed the official was previously not a believer but because of his deep love for his son, he came to Jesus, and was converted by Jesus’ compassionate and loving act.

In many occasions, people out of desperation fall into many unfortunate decisions. Some even resort to stealing, killing, and worse suicide. Let us not forget that in Jesus, we have a God who feels with us and is available for us. In moments of darkness and desolations, we are invited to come closer to Him.

Even bad things can be an opportunity for God to reveal his love for us. Like the official, let us not hesitate to come to Jesus and believe that He can make anything possible even that which seems to be impossible.