“Rise,
take up your mat,
and walk.”
(John 5:8)
In today’s gospel, Jesus shows immense compassion by healing the man, demonstrating His care for those who suffer and His willingness to intervene even when others might overlook the need. Like Jesus, we should prioritize compassion over strict legalism, placing love and mercy above rigid rules. Let our faith in the Lord bring about healing for us and for others.
Amid the stillness by the pool,
Where hope and doubt collide and duel,
A voice breaks through the aching air,
A call to rise—to faith, to dare.
"Rise," He says, "take up your mat,
And walk away from where you sat.
No chains remain, no burden binds,
Your healing lives within your mind."
Years of waiting, sorrow's weight,
Are lifted now—love shifts your fate.
Steps once forgotten find their way,
To paths where promise lights the day.
From brokenness to life's embrace,
God's mercy fills the empty space.
No longer trapped, the man awakes,
With every stride, new life he takes.
Lord Jesus,
You are the source of healing and hope, the lifter of burdens, the giver of life. As You spoke to the man by the pool, so speak to us now: "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Grant us the courage to step forward in faith, even when doubts and fears weigh us down. Help us leave behind the places of complacency and despair and walk boldly into the light of Your promises.
We bring to You the wounds of our hearts, the struggles of our souls, And the burdens we have carried for too long. Heal us, Lord—not only in body, but in spirit, that we may walk in newness of life, a testimony to Your grace.
Guide our steps, Lord, in paths of righteousness and love, that we may glorify You in all we do. Teach us to trust in Your perfect timing and unfailing compassion. And may our faith in You be a beacon to others who seek Your peace.
In Your holy and precious name, we pray. Amen
Pericope:
II: The Book of Signs
CURE ON A SABBATH
John 5:1-18
Gospel Acclamation
A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.
Gospel | John 5:1-16
1There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. 4-5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. 14 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.
Reflection Source:
Conversation with Copilot
