The scriptures preserve for us the details of the encounters that various people had with Jesus. Each of these encounters was a privileged moment because each of them was another occasion for human beings to encounter the mercy and compassion of God. Today's gospel passage recounts a moment when Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem; there he met a man who has been ill for thirty-eight years (Jn 5:5).
In the words of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, this was a moment when misery met mercy. Jesus could have ignored that man, but instead he stopped, bent down and paid attention to him and listened to his plea (Jn 5:6-9).
It is often at the times in our lives when we are most aware of our frailty that we feel most vulnerable. It can be reassuring for us to know that precisely at such moments, our God is close to us, opening his merciful heart so that he can be present in the midst of our misery. There are no words for such meetings. The only suitable reaction is to open our hearts in return and to welcome the gift that is offered.
Have a great day.
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