Daily Gospel Reflection for March 21, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: John 5:1-16

There was a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years waiting by the pool of Bethesda. Before healing him, Jesus approaches and asks him,

“Do you want to be well?” John 5:6

It seems like a strange question. Who, having been ill for that long, wouldn’t want to be well?

And yet, sometimes we get attached to our afflictions, whether they be physical, mental, or spiritual. Perhaps they get us attention. Maybe they have become a key part of our identity. Sometimes, we are simply afraid of change. What would our lives be like if we no longer suffered from (fill in the blank)?

In asking that question of the man who had been ill and of each one of us, Jesus is challenging us to consider what we are holding onto. Are we willing to give our afflictions to Jesus? Are we willing to trust in His healing?

Another interesting point to consider in this Gospel is the man’s answer.

“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up” John 5:7

The sick man was alone. One of the Corporal Works of Mercy is to visit the sick. All too often, however, when someone is suffering from a chronic illness as this man was, the person and their needs are forgotten. People get wrapped up in their own lives and forget about those who are sick on a long-term basis. This Gospel serves as a reminder to reach out to those who are in need. We may be able to make a world of difference in their lives.

Ponder:

How can you reach out to and/or help someone who has been suffering on a long-term basis?

Pray:

Lord, help me to let go of my attachment to my afflictions so that I may give them to You and trust in Your healing power.

Click to tweet:
Jesus is challenging us to consider what we are holding onto. Are we willing to give our afflictions to Jesus? Are we willing to trust in His healing? #DailyGospel

Daily Gospel 2