DAILY GOSPEL AND COMMENTARY: JESUS CURES THE ROYAL OFFICIAL’S SON (Jn 4: 46-54)

DAILY GOSPEL AND COMMENTARY: JESUS CURES THE ROYAL OFFICIAL’S SON (Jn 4: 43-54)

Monday, 4th week of Lent

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

GOSPEL COMMENTARY

The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.

The royal official was a pagan, but he had faith in Jesus, a faith perhaps which is still imperfect but nevertheless sufficient for him to travel 30 kilometers from Capernaum to Cana begging our Lord for help with humility and perseverance; a faith sufficient enough to believe in Jesus’ words and return to his house.
As Christians, we are expected to believe in Jesus much more than the pagans…but do we have such faith as the royal official had?

They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe.

The royal official did not only stop at acknowledging that a miracle occured at Jesus’ word. He went more than that: he and his family became believers, showing us the importance that the head if the family, the parents, should do what they could to bring their household to the true faith, the Catholic faith.
On the contrary, as St Paul says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8).
Do we realize our responsibility in assuring that all our family members come closer to God and live their Christian faith through our prayer, example, cheerful patience, and opportune advice?

Let us keep on praying for the relief of the sick, all the suffering; the salvation of the dying; for the protection of the frontliners, care-givers, service-providers; and for the end of this COVID-19 pandemic. Stay safe taking the necessary precautionary measures. God bless.

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