Second Sign at Cana

Today's Reflections

                                       

Second Sign at Cana 

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Jn 4:43-54

⁴³[Jesus] left [Samaria] for Galilee. ⁴⁴For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. ⁴⁵When 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.

⁴⁶Then 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. ⁴⁷When 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. ⁴⁸Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” ⁴⁹The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. ⁵¹While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. ⁵²He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” ⁵³The 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. ⁵⁴[Now] this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Reflection:

This was the second sign Jesus did. Lightning does not strike twice, it is said. But grace can strike repeatedly. The Gospel tells of a second miracle Jesus does when he is in Cana. From the words of Jesus, we can see that the royal official’s faith is not perfect. Nevertheless, seeing this man’s imperfect faith, Jesus grants him his desire. The miracle strengthened the man’s faith so that he and his whole household believed in Jesus.

Jesus does not despise our little faith. He encourages it to grow. When we feel that our faith is weak and faltering, let us say like that other father in the gospel, “Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!” (cf Mk 9:24).

Your faith, even the size of a mustard seed,

can work wonders (cf Mt 17:20).