TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 5:1-16) picks up where yesterday’s left off. Jesus heals a man ill for thirty-eight years…on the sabbath. Jesus last words to the man:

“Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you.” (v. 14)

“Jesus’ remark here can mean that sin causes something worse to a person than physical illness: spiritual illness that can be eternally fatal.” (The Gospel of John [Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture], 100)

“The Bible reveals a link between sin and suffering, with the former being the cause of the latter (Ps 107:17). This general truth, however, does not extend to every individual case (9:3).” (The Gospel of John [The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 27

“The man may have come to the temple to thank God for his cure. Jesus goes over and reminds him that the health of the soul is more important physical health.

“Our Lord uses holy fear of God as motivation in the struggle against sin: ‘Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you’. This holy fear is born out of respect for God our Father; it is perfectly compatible with love. Just as children love and respect their parents and try to avoid annoying them partly because they are afraid of being punished, so we should fight against sin firstly because it is an offence against God, but also because we can be punished in this life and, above all, in the next.” (The Navarre Bible: St John, 89)

“This statement accomplishes three things. First, it teaches than bodily sickness is an image of sin in the soul. Second, it teaches that it is much more important to avoid sin than avoid sickness. Third, it tells us to look at the healing as a parable: the sick people lying under the porticoes stand for sinners; getting into the baths stands for baptism; getting cured from sickness stands for having sins washed away; the question of whether the man wanted to be cured stands for the question of whether we really want to be free from our sins. If the man had grasped all three of these things, he would have wanted to become a follower of Christ and asked to be baptized.” (Mary’s Voice in the Gospel According to John, 61-62)

Suffering is an interesting thing (maybe not so much so when one is in the midst of terrible pain, but…). Suffering may come out of the blue through no fault of our own. Suffering may come due to bad habits, carelessness, or recklessness. Suffering may come due to our sinful behavior. But, as terrible as it is to suffer, nobody deals with it better than the Catholic Church. The possibility of suffering being redemptive, no matter the reason it comes our way, has had the faithful endure the most horrible physical and mental torments that they united with Christ’s Passion for the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of souls. After all, Jesus said:

In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (Jn 16:33)

The Greek for “trouble” (θλίψιν) has also been translated as “tribulation,” “affliction,” and “distress.” If the servant is no better than his Master, and God Himself suffered the pain and humiliation of the cross, do we sinful persons dare to think we should get off scot-free?

So, let no suffering go to waste. The Lord can use it to heal our souls and those of many others. Consider the greeting we will get in heaven from those who we helped by and through sufferings we laid at the foot of the Cross while on this mortal coil.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Note the last commentary I cite is the first time I’ve used it here. Michael Pakaluk’s Mary’s Voice in the Gospel According to John is an outstanding book that I can heartily recommend. He also has a commentary on Mark. Hopefully he will get to the other Gospels, as well. Clearly a man who loves the Lord and His word and has imbibed deeply of it.

God bless.