“Do you want to be healed?” The Lord asks us the same question today. Often we keep on lamenting over our hurtful pasts, physical illnesses, sinful addictions and so many other things which lead us to feel depressed and frustrated. We claim to be helpless over these situations but the Lord in His mercy is offering us healing and freedom just as he did to the paralytic whom we read about in today’s Gospel proclamation. Although he had no one to put him into the waters of the pool of Bethzatha, he received his healing and salvation directly from the Lord; the source of life giving waters. It is the will of the Lord that we be healed, forgiven and set free. In fact, it is all just one step of faith away because the mercy of the Lord is always flowing like a river that never ceases. But are we ready to respond to the words of Jesus immediately, just as the paralytic did with complete trust and confidence? Are we ready to shake off the dust of our sin and get up and walk in the new life that Christ offers us?

Prayer: Abba Father, washed by the blood of Jesus may I walk in a life of holiness. Amen.