John 5:1–16 DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL?

Year A, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

In today’s Gospel, Jesus encounters a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. For nearly four decades, he had been waiting by the pool of Bethesda, hoping that one day he might be healed. His life had become defined by waiting, disappointment, and perhaps even resignation.

When Jesus sees him lying there, He asks a surprising question: “Do you want to be well?”

At first, the question seems obvious. Of course the man wants to be healed. Yet Jesus’ question goes deeper. Sometimes our struggles, habits, or wounds become so familiar that we almost learn to live with them. We may desire change, but we also fear it. Healing can require courage, trust, and a willingness to move forward in a new way.

The man answers with discouragement: “I have no one to put me into the pool.” After so many years, he has lost hope that anything can change. But Jesus does not wait for the waters to move. He simply says, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” And immediately, the man is healed.

This Gospel speaks directly to our Lenten journey. Many of us carry burdens that seem to last a long time — spiritual struggles, broken relationships, fears, discouragement, or habits we cannot easily overcome. Sometimes we begin to believe that things will never change. Yet Jesus stands before us with the same question: “Do you want to be well?”

Lent is an invitation to healing. Through prayer, repentance, and the grace of God, we are invited to stand up again, to trust that God’s power is greater than our limitations.

The man had waited thirty-eight years for healing, but one moment with Christ changed everything. God’s grace can transform our lives when we open our hearts to Him.

Question to Ponder: What area of my life needs healing, and am I ready to let Christ help me rise and walk again?

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler

Fr. Leo