Fr. Martin takes us to the site of the ancient Pool of Bethesda, a place he discovers by accident. He
shares his excitement telling the reader that the findings in recent
archaeological excavations correspond nicely with the evangelist John’s account
of the pool “which has five porticoes”, the site of a miraculous healing of a
cripple. The reason for his
excitement? As Fr. declares, here is a
place he knows Jesus was actually present.
Fr. Martin gives us a good narrative of the layout and
physical features of the site by way of a private tour of the subterranean
areas. But more importantly he leads us
through the significance of Jesus’ encounter with the crippled man. He focuses us in on the man’s likely personal
situation. He was alone with no one to
help him into the mythical healing baths at Bethesda .
On my first reading of this short chapter I was drawn more
to his narrative as a tour guide and his exegesis of the Gospel story of the
miracle. However some weeks later
rereading this chapter after news of a personal health issue I found myself
drawn into the description of the crippled man’s plight. He describes himself as being alone in
dealing with his ailment, a condition that had likely existed for decades. While that was not my personal situation, I
have had plenty of support, I did find myself thinking, that it is still the
case for countless others around us, the old, the poor, the homeless, the
mentally ill or those near death. A
difficult situation which can lead to despair.
I suspect we have all felt, at some time, a moment of
despair or hopelessness in the face of adversity. A crippling thought, that our problems are
too big to deal with alone. But our
faith in God supports us at these moments and we are reminded that “God seeks
out those in special need of care”. Fr.
Martin tells us that “this is how God comes to us-asking if we still want his
healing, if we still believe, if we still have faith”.
In this chapter in
addition to some good historical information Fr. Martin leads us into a reflection
on what the presence of Jesus meant to this crippled man and by extension what
our active presence, as Christians, means to the sick and broken in our midst.
Questions to Ponder
- Reflecting on a time when illness left you feeling alone and abandoned what was your experience? Who was there for you? Who was not? Where you able to experience the peace of God’s presence Fr. Martin describes?
- When have you experienced Christian charity? From whom? Medical professionals? Family?, Co-workers?, Strangers?
- Did this chapter change your feelings toward those who are suffering from chronic illnesses? Did it heighten your sensitivity to the feelings of sick individuals? Motivate you to change in any way?
Deacon Mike McKenna
I can remember the many times during personal illness or that of a family member when, were it not for the support of my Church family, that I would have felt abandoned by God. Like the paralyzed man at the pool, making excuses as to why he couldn't get to the healing waters, were it not for these special people who helped clear the path and who carried me or a family member at those times, I could have been still sitting and making excuses.
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