Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Faith in the Future

Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II

Introduction

For people who believe, the golden age lies in the future, not in the past, says the third section of the book of Isaiah. Before the exile, the Jews and their prophets looked to the beginnings, to the past, as the golden era from which humankind had declined. Now the prophet turns to the future. For the believer, there is a new world to be built as a sign of the new heaven. Life lies in the future.

The building up of this new world began seriously in Christ. His word renews people. Faith in him brings life and healing, something to live for and joy – now and even more so in the future: a new world, a new relationship with God, a new People of God.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God, almighty Father,
you want us not to turn to the past
to regret it and to mourn over it
but to hope in the future,
in the new earth and the new heaven.
Give us a firm faith
in your Son Jesus Christ,
that notwithstanding the shortcomings of our time
we may have faith in the future,
which you want us to build up
with your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

First Reading

Isaiah 65:17-21

Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his goodwill.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Alleluia Verse

Amos 5:14

Glory and Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the LORD will be with you.

Glory and Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ

Gospel

John 4:43-54

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Prayers of the Faithful

– Lord, speak only your word and we shall be healed, we pray:

– Lord, touch us with your grace and we shall become new and courageous people, we pray:

– Lord, give us yourself again, and you shall make us capable of giving ourselves to others, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God, these are our gifts:
no more than a little bread and wine,
ordinary bread, a simple drink of joy,
but they become among us
the signs of a great future.
Give us faith, Lord,
a faith strong enough to believe
with absolute certainty
that everything becomes possible,
that we can build up
a new heaven and a new earth
in and through your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord, God of our future,
We believe in your Son, Jesus Christ,
Who has been with us
in this Eucharistic celebration.
On account of him we are convinced
that even death leads to life,
that there are no barriers
to what you can do with us,
unreliable as we are at times,
that all our dreams can come true
beyond all our expectations
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Every year the Church gives us this Lent as an opportunity to become the kind of followers of Christ we were meant to be: courageous, close to God, thinking again of others rather than of ourselves and our own petty interests. Continue to let the Lord renew you, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTIONS

Faith Up One’s Sleeve

At the plea of the official to heal his son, Jesus expresses some exasperation, surprisingly so. Did he doubt the genuineness of the faith of the official? It appears so. But the man was too concerned with his son’s illness to debate anything else. Jesus does not disappoint him, anyway. The evangelist seems to believe that the man had faith. But did he, really? For, if he had authentic faith, why did he have to ask his servants for the exact hour of his son’s recovery? He had to match the time of recovery with the time of his encounter with Jesus, to finally believe. Until now he just carried his faith up his sleeves, and now he lets it into his heart. So, at the end of it all, Jesus was right in his sixth sense: the man would believe only after the signs matched! Far more blessed are those who believe without matching evidence!

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Jn 4:43-54

Faith that believes without seeing

In today’s Gospel (John 4:43-54), we encounter a royal official, a father desperate for the healing of his dying son. His plea moves Jesus to respond, but not without a gentle reproof: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe” (v. 48). Despite this, the man perseveres in his plea, showing unwavering trust: “Sir, come down before my child dies.” In response, Jesus tells him, “Go; your son will live.” And remarkably, the man believes. He takes Jesus at His word and departs in faith, only to discover on his journey home that his son has indeed been healed. This encounter ends with a beautiful conclusion: “He and his whole household came to believe” (v. 53).

This story invites us to reflect on the quality of our own prayer and faith. Often, we turn to God in times of desperation, much like this father. But Jesus calls us to something deeper: faith that trusts even when we cannot see the outcome. The royal official demonstrates three qualities essential for prayer: faith, perseverance, and courage.

First, faith. Do we truly believe in the power of God when we pray, or do we rely only on signs? Second, perseverance. Even when Jesus seems distant or silent, do we continue to trust and persist in prayer? And third, courage. It takes boldness to approach the Lord with our deepest needs and to stand firm in hope.

In this season, let us renew our commitment to pray with faith, persevere in hope, and approach God with courageous hearts. Like the official whose faith led to life and healing, may we lead others to belief through our witness.

May Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us to trust in Jesus’ word and believe without seeing. Amen.

Faith that believes without seeing - Youtube

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Jn 4:43-54

Hope, Faith and Love

Do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith for healing, pardon, and transformation? When a high-ranking official hears the reports of Jesus’ preaching and miracles, he approaches Jesus for an extraordinary favour. If this story happened today, the media headlines would probably say: "High-ranking official leaves capital in search of a miracle cure from a small-town carpenter!"

Although the court official travelled a long distance to find Jesus, Jesus seemed to put him off with the blunt statement that people would not believe unless they saw some miracle or sign from heaven. It must have been difficult and disheartening for the official.

The official comes to Jesus, placing his hope in Jesus’ power to heal his son. He wants Jesus to go with him before his son dies. But, all that he received was an assurance – a word from Jesus: “Go, your son will live.” It was another act of faith from the court official to have faith in Jesus’ word without doubt or hesitation. He came with hope and now returns with faith.

Is there any area in our life where you need healing, pardon, change, and restoration? If we seek the Lord with trust and expectant faith, he will not disappoint us. Surrender your doubts and fears, your pride and guilt at his feet, and trust in his saving word and healing love.

"Lord Jesus, give me the courage to surrender my stubborn pride, fears and doubts to your love and mercy. Make me strong in faith, persevering in hope, and constant in love."

Hope, Faith and Love - Youtube