THE WORD
Is 45,6-8.18.21-25 / Lk 7,18-23
John, summoning two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’ When the men reached Jesus they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come or have we to wait for someone else?’
It was just then that he cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and gave the gift of sight to many who were blind. Then he gave the messengers their answer, ‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’
IN OTHER WORDS
A friend who was mourning over the death of her mother came to me lamenting over the inability of any medical or spiritual help to heal her mother and she was asking why. John the Baptist would have experienced the same while in jail. This man of great faith who testified to Jesus’ greatness and paved the way for the tremendous conversion of thousands also underwent his own dark night of unbelief. We should not be surprised when we too doubt. Even the strongest faith is tested by life’s difficulties and responsibilities. Moments of questioning can lead to an examination of our lives: detecting failings, darkness, and wickedness to strengthen our faith.
St. John of the Cross is one example. Once jailed in a monastery, he was kept under a brutal regimen that included public lashing before the community and severe isolation in a tiny stinging cell, barely large enough for his body. Except when rarely permitted an oil lamp, he had to stand on a bench to read his breviary by the light coming through the hole from an adjoining room. He had no change of clothing and had a penitential diet of water, bread and scraps of salted sh. During this imprisonment, he composed a great part of his most famous poem Spiritual Canticle, as well as a few shorter poems.
The good news is that we can overcome our doubts. Jesus lived in order to earn the rst place in your life. Don’t give that up to have something far inferior in value. He made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead raised to life. You will nd in Him much more than you can ask for or desire.
- Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD | DYRF-Cebu
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
