Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Reading I: Ezekiel 47:1–9, 12
Psalm: 46:2–3, 5–6, 8–9
Gospel: John 5:1–16

Do you want to be well? The question that Jesus poses to the crippled man is a poignant one. Immediately defenses are raised, and excuses start to fly: “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool” (John 5:7).
Perhaps we also feel defensive when the Lord asks us a similar question. Perhaps there is some addiction or some deep-seated vice which has plagued us for many years. “Do you want to be well?” He asks us. Doubtless we have our excuses: It’s too difficult; I have no one to help me; I’ve tried, and tried, and tried, but I just can’t seem to be rid of the thing. The point of Jesus’s question is not to dismiss our reasonings. In fact, just like the crippled man, many of our excuses might be legitimate. No, the point of Jesus’s question is to challenge us on whether we are as serious about overcoming our sin as He is. He does this because the process of overcoming sin in our lives, and especially deep-seated sin, is twofold.
First, it is painful. It requires mortifying our flesh, foregoing our pride, and re-ordering our desires. We must be willing, as St. Paul tells us, to die to ourselves, and we know that death is never pleasant.
Secondly, it requires a total acceptance that we cannot do this on our own, and that it is only the grace that Jesus gives to us that will enable us to let go of that which needlessly cripples us and to endure the pain of moving forward.
Like Ezekiel in the first reading, we need to come to a point where we realize that in crossing the river of divine grace, wading isn’t an option! It is a river which can only be crossed by swimming, and so our only resource is to dive right in, trusting in the healing currents of Him who desperately wants to heal our fragmented hearts just as He healed the limbs of the cripple.

What is one sin that I have struggled with for a long time without much success?

Do I want to be well?

Reference:

Journey Through Lent: Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings by Clement Harrold