Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Readings of the Day

In our Gospel today, we hear of a man who had been sick for over 38 years, waiting at the side of the pool to be cured. He waited and prayed. No one offered to help him get into the water when it stirred so he could be cured.  

Then Jesus comes along and asks him a question: “Do you want to be well?" The man says yes. Then Jesus says, “Rise take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat and walked. 

Others, instead of rejoicing that he was fully cured by God, were more concerned that the man was carrying his mat on the sabbath and that Jesus worked to cure him, as it was against Mosaic law to work on the sabbath. They missed the fact that the man who had been so sick for so long was now healed. They wanted to persecute Jesus for doing good. They were blind to God’s goodness and Jesus healing ministry.   

Each day at Catholic Charities we work with people who are like the man who waited while no one offered to help him. This is a special privilege we have in our daily work. We are there to help people like him. We are there for those who our world considers on the margins: migrants, refugees, homeless, those who are hungry, victims of domestic violence, victims of trafficking, etc.  We take our healing service to them each day. We listen, welcome, support, and offer ways to help like Jesus did to the man beside the pool.  

We also receive criticisms at times from people who do not understand why we do what we do. But we do what we do because it is what Jesus did and we follow his example. 

Monsignor Michael Boland is Executive Consultant at Catholic Charities USA.

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