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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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
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It’s been said the deepest pain a human can experience is the death of a child.
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In today’s Gospel, a desperate father approaches Jesus, begging him to heal his son. Adding to the anguish of the story, this man has traveled from Capernaum to Cana in search of Jesus, a 20-mile journey.
Imagine walking 20-miles, knowing your child at home is deathly ill.
Upon finding him, the father begs Jesus for a miracle. Jesus, staying in place, simply says, “You may go; your son will live.”
This man believes what was spoken and starts his journey home.
That’s the key.
He makes no further demands of Jesus; he asks for no other sign. Jesus made a promise – the boy is healed – and this father believes him.
His peace comes through belief.
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That 20-mile journey home becomes a beautiful image of the Christian life.
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Our Christian journeys begin at baptism.
In that Sacrament, the Lord promises us eternal life. He himself says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”
The rest of our days are meant to be like that father’s 20-mile journey home – filled with belief, hope, and joy.
So, how’s my journey going? Do I find comfort in my faith? Or am I still searching for Jesus, looking for greater peace?
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Like the father in the Gospel, our peace comes through belief.
The more we believe the words Jesus has spoken, the easier – and more comforting – our journeys home become.
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