Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives valuable lessons about prayer. First. It means believing Jesus has the power to give what one requests. Here the Roman official asked Jesus to “come down and heal his son who was near death.” He showed his belief that Jesus could do so. That’s faith.
But faith is not enough. Jesus did not comply. He refused to be identified as a wonderworker. But the official was not put off. Despite Jesus’ seeming non-sequitur reply to his request, he continued to believe Jesus could grant his request. That’s faith.
But faith is not enough. Perseverance is also needed. The official intensified his request. “Come down before my child dies.” Jesus responded, but not in the way the official expected. He remained where he was and said, “your son will live,” and the official had to return with no other guarantee. Conclusion: Strong faith is made stronger by perseverance. Prayer is the fertile soil in which both grow strong.
Resolve: In a spirit of thanksgiving for the faith the Lord has given me, I shall spend extra time during these Lenten prayers for the many people who have given up their Catholic faith, and especially for the “nones” in our nation.