for March 23
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Some years ago I served as a volunteer at Children’s Hospital in Boston. The hospital was dedicated to the treatment of seriously ill children facing long journeys to recovery in the best of circumstances. I met children with serious forms of cancer and other complex diseases. I especially recall visits to the Neonatology Intensive Care unit where the most ill premature infants were cared for. I had never imagined that a human being could be so tiny and so vulnerable—each breath was a struggle for survival. Some of these infants were no bigger than my own hand. For most, the chances of survival were low and serious questions remained about what their lives would be like if they made it out of the hospital. As this experience was part of my Jesuit training I was asked to pray about and reflect on my time at the hospital. I had many questions: where was God in all of this? Why did God allow these innocent children to suffer so greatly? How and why is this happening? Conversations with parents revealed to me a level of human suffering that I have never seen or experienced before. I recall this experience in light of our present situation with the Corona virus presently causing death and suffering around the world.

I wrestled with a fundamental question: how could the world that God created be so cruel as to allow the suffering and death of innocent children and lead to further suffering and grief for parents and families? There was no rational answer. The traditional Christian explanations of human free will and original sin (leading to moral evil that harms persons or the reality of some form of ‘existential’ evil) did not cut it for me. Yet, I saw a glimmer of hope. The doctors, nurses, administrators, and staff at Children’s Hospital were among the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met anywhere in my life. In profound ways they showed me the real face of Jesus Christ working on earth to bring healing. These medical professionals gave selflessly to relieve pain and suffering part of our human condition in the hope to bring lasting human healing.

In the today’s passage from the Gospel of John we meet Jesus as healer. The cure of the royal official’s son who is close to death shows us a compassionate and powerful Lord. Here Jesus has the power to heal by the authority of his own word. In this “Second Sign” in John’s Gospel we are told that this healing by Jesus leads to belief for the father and his household. The father of this child perseveres in seeking healing for his son. While his faith is imperfect—perhaps similar to our’s—Jesus responds generously to his search for healing for his son and family.

This passage from Isaiah may offer us needed hope for future joy in God’s presence. I am moved by the words of Yahweh as told through the prophet, “I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth” and “[n]o longer shall the sound of weeping be heard”. While we may personally feel very far from these sentiments in our present situation Isaiah presents a clear message that confidence in God’s promises is at least possible. The passage comes from an apocalyptic collection near the end of the prophetic book (likely from the post-exilic period). At this time life in Israel is highly uncertain as the people face great worldly struggles—not unlike our present. I am consoled by these words even as the promise in emotional terms may feel foreign to our present experience of global pandemic.

Many of us may be experiencing conflict and tension in this time of serious global illness as the virus causes death, suffering, and havoc around the world. John’s Gospel today presents to us the Healing Christ. But is this a “radical disconnect” for us now? We want to ask: where is Christ to be found now? Have we been abandoned? Suffering on this large scale in the world now is confusing and disorienting. There is death and loss that is shocking and intolerable to us. While this kind of suffering is unquestionably a perplexing mystery perhaps our best hope as people of faith is to continue a daily search for Christ as we plead to him for the powerful gift of healing. I need to look long and hard for Christ in our present situation. I do see signs of Christ tirelessly at work right now in the present efforts of selfless health care professionals around the world, in the leadership of some public officials, and also in the love of many who are doing everything possible to protect elderly parents and children who are God’s future hope for us all.
–Francis T. Hannafey SJ

Each day’s readings are available here at the US Catholic Conference of Bishops website.