Homily on John 4:43-54, Route Map

Homily on John 4:43-54, Route Map (Monday the 31^st of March)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

Once, a man became seriously ill. His wife took him to the best hospital of the locality. As the doctors began to examine him, one of the doctors asked a simple question; “where were you in the last few days?” The man hesitated. He had told his wife he was at work, but he had gone somewhere with one of his friends. He had told his manager that he was at home, but he had travelled. He was afraid to reveal his route map to others. He was not transparent about his journey. His confusion cost precious time, and his illness worsened — even spreading to others.

 In today’s Gospel see clearly the route map of Jesus. Jesus travels from Samaria to Galilee, then to Cana, and later, His healing power reaches Capernaum. His journey has a clear direction, a route map filled with purpose and truth.

Are we ready to say our route map clearly to our dear ones? Many people during the COVID-19 pandemic were afraid to reveal where they had been. They hid the truth even from their own families. Some lied to their spouses, even to the medical officials, saying they were in one place while they had gone elsewhere. Children too, misled their parents. We need to understand that, when there is no transparency in our route map, it creates confusion, mistrust, and even danger. Nevertheless, Jesus teaches us a different way, a way of truth and faith and transparency.

The Gospels give us several examples of Jesus’ clear route map and it is the fact that Jesus never hid His route map from others; every step of Jesus had a purpose, every journey led to salvation, and every destination was a part of God’s divine plan.

In the Old Testament, God asked Abraham to set out on a journey. Abraham did not hide his path. He did not question God’s call. He walked with faith. Moses led the people of Israel through the desert with a clear direction, following God’s command. Their route maps were guided by trust in God’s word.

Why do we hide our route map? It is because,  many of us are not transparent even in travelling to different places. If others come to know our route map, we might be questioned, or sometimes our intention of going to a place might not be right. Children may say they are going to school while they go to the park instead. A clear route map means having nothing to hide. Let us try to maintain a clear route map in our lives. Go with a pure purpose, and nothing will worry you.

 There is a famous saying by St. Teresa of Avila, she once said, “Truth suffers but never dies.”  Where do we stand today? Do we live with transparency and truth? Do we trust in the path that Jesus has set for us? As we reflect on this Gospel passage, let us strive to walk on the right path so that our route map remains perfect and clear, leading us closer to Christ.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, help us to walk on the right path that our route map become crystal clear to everyone. Amen.

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God Bless…