Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: March 31, 2025

Monday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text: John 4:43-54

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.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel text for today from John follows immediately after Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus returns to Galilee and to Cana where he worked His first miracle turning water to wine. Today’s text focuses on Jesus’ second miracle at Cana, the healing of an official’s son “remotely” through the power of His word. The official believes in Jesus and believes Jesus, returning to discover that indeed, his son was cured when Jesus said, “You may go; your son will live.”

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I believe in Jesus? Do I believe in the power of His words?

Praying:

LORD, Jesus Christ, You are the Word made flesh, You are the expression and revelation of the Father. Send the Spirit to open my mind, my heart, my soul to You and to the power of your word, the power of your love for the Father and for me. Grant that I may believe with all my being and love with all my might. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.