What a great scene we have in today's scripture passage from St. John (Jn 5: 1-16).  We encounter Jesus near a natural spring. It is also a place where the cripple, the blind, and the lame go to find healing from the waters.

               Jesus encounters an ill man laying nearby and asks him "Do you want to be made well?" The man says "yes" and goes on to say that he he cannot get into the spring because no one will help him. Jesus immediately tells him to rise and get up with his mat and walk again.

               God is speaking to us in the midst of this pandemic. He is telling us to rise and get up. Sometimes we can be like that man at the spring and fall into a pattern of complacency Each day might become mundane and routine for us. Questions may arise: "What's for dinner tonight.....or what shows are on television?"  This may even lead to falling into bad habits.

              Let's be like that man in today's scripture and listen to Jesus. He is telling us to change our lives for the better. He is commanding us to "rise" from our old ways of life that could be hindering us from being the person God wants us to be. Maybe we can start our day each morning with a simple "thank you God for all that you have blessed me with." Later on in the day one may meditate on a little scripture passage. Lastly, we could make some family time to pray together.

             We are at the middle of Lent. This season is about changing our lives to become the people God wants us to be, namely His!  Let us use this time wisely by allowing the grace of God to enter our hearts so we can be made new. The question we need to ask ourselves is "Do we want to be well?"

God bless,

Fr. Pat