Sisters Kay O’Neil and Michelle Meyers
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
The psalmist tells us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” We read in the Gospel of John the story about Jesus discovering the man who had been ill for 38 years and lying there for a long time among the multitude of the invalid, blind, lame, and paralyzed with no one to help him. Jesus asked him: “Do you want to be healed?” Then He said to him: “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” “At once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.” This was troubling for the Jews who said that it is not lawful to carry your pallet on the Sabbath. And then, they wanted to know who had told him to take up his pallet. The man who was healed didn’t know it was Jesus for He had withdrawn.
This is another great story about Jesus choosing which laws were more important and reminds us once again of Jesus being tested by the lawyer (LK 10:25) with His response to the law: “You shall love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Of the hundreds of Jewish laws, there can be no mistake: Jesus responds with love and compassion. This is what we perceive our present Pope Francis asking us to do.
Questions we ask ourselves: Do we see God as our refuge and strength? Do we trust that Jesus will be there for us in tough times? At the same time, do we hear Jesus asking us to be and do the same for our neighbors? We pray: Gentle Jesus, help us to live your Gospel of Love!