Lenten Moments of Mercy: Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saints Perpetua and Felicity   The journey through Lent leads us to deeper faith.

Scripture “Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.” John 4:50   Reflection When popular filmmakers create stories about coming to the Christian faith, they often depict some marvelous wonder to wow the audience, such as a healing that unexpectedly takes place during a tent meeting or rain that comes to a drought-riven landscape. In the story of Jesus’ temptations in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Satan tells Jesus to produce such wonders in order to prove his divinity. (Matthew 4:5‒6; Luke 4:9‒10) When a royal official traveled some distance to Jesus seeking love and mercy for his son, Jesus speculated that he was just another thrill seeker: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (John 4:48). The official responded with his heartfelt petition for the needs of his son. Jesus responded by telling him “Go; your son will live” (John 4:50). The man accepted Jesus at his word and began his journey home. On the way home the official’s servants came to meet him and told him that his son had been healed. When he asked the time, they gave the hour that Jesus had spoken. The official’s whole family and household came to the faith. By sharing the story in his Gospel, John explains that coming to faith is a process. The official heard of Jesus and took the initiative to travel some distance to meet him. At their meeting, he listened to Jesus and took him at his word; he traveled home in hope, discovering along the way that through his Word, Jesus healed from a distance. Recognizing God’s presence on earth in the person of Jesus, the whole family came to a deeper faith, beginning a lifetime journey. As we hear the Word proclaimed, as we meditate on Scripture, and as we pray to God with a whole and undivided heart, we come to a faith whose meaning becomes ever deeper as we continue our journey as his disciples. We recognize that through his Word Jesus Christ continuously speaks to us heart to heart, giving us his love and mercy.

Pope Francis “Faith is giving space to this love of God; it is making room for the power, for the power of God, for the power of One who loves me, who is in love with me and who wants this joy with me. This is faith. This is believing: it is making room for the Lord to come and change me.” Morning Meditation, 16 March 2015   Lenten Action ► Learn about St. Perpetua and St. Felicity. ► Pray with The Ignatian Workout for Lent.   Prayer Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to us as we follow you on this journey of grace and mercy.

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