💖 HOMILY - APRIL 1 💖

First Reading - Ezekiel 47:1-9,12

Gospel - John 5:1-3,5-16

Discouragement or despair is a great sin because it robs us of hope. As Christians, we cannot be without hope, for it is one of the foundational virtues of our faith. Today’s readings invite us to keep the light of hope burning in our lives.  

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel offers a powerful vision of hope to the Israelites in exile. He describes a life-giving river flowing from the temple, nourishing trees and plants along its banks and filling the Dead Sea with fresh water, transforming it into a place of life. This imagery is deeply symbolic—just as the river brings renewal to barren lands, so too does God bring hope and new life to His people. No matter how desolate a situation may seem, God can bring restoration and make the impossible possible.  

The Gospel passage presents another scene of hope through the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda—meaning house of mercy. This man had been lying there for thirty-eight years, trapped in hopelessness. When Jesus asks him, "Do you want to be healed?" his response is filled with blame and self-pity, lamenting that no one helps him into the water when it is stirred. Yet, despite his despair, Jesus commands him, "Take up your mat and walk," and he is immediately healed.  

However, instead of recognizing the divine grace he has received, the man later shifts blame to the one who healed him when questioned about carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Jesus meets him again and warns, "Now you are well again, do not sin anymore, or something worse may happen to you." This highlights that physical healing is not enough—true healing comes with spiritual conversion and gratitude to God.  

Dear friends, God never abandons us in our struggles. He constantly offers us hope, as seen in Ezekiel’s vision of the river and in Jesus’ miraculous healing of the paralytic. But we must be willing to recognize and accept His grace. The paralytic received healing because he obeyed Jesus' command, even if it seemed surprising. Likewise, we must open our eyes to the divine favors we receive daily through people, events, and circumstances and acknowledge them with gratitude.  

Furthermore, we must avoid blaming others for our difficulties. Many people say, "I am like this because of my past," or "I am in this situation because of certain people." While circumstances shape us, they do not define us. Jesus’ command to the paralytic to "take up your mat and walk" was an invitation to take responsibility for his own transformation. Similarly, we must take active steps toward change rather than waiting for external circumstances to improve.  

Let us pray that we never lose heart in difficult times but always find our hope in God, who makes all things new.