Sunday, September 6
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church honors St. Bega, a 7th
century religious and abbess. She was
born into Irish nobility and angered her
family by fleeing an arranged marriage.
She gave her life to the Lord and was
known for her generosity to the poor.
Day 249 - Jesus Departs for Galilee // Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
Today’s Reading: John 4:43-54
43 After the two days he departed to Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper’na-um there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household.
54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Today’s Commentary:
a prophet has no honor: A similar proverb is uttered when Jesus is rejected by his hometown of Nazareth (Lk 4:24).
The remark resonates with bitter irony: although Jesus is a Jew (4:9), he is rejected by kinsmen from his own country of Judea (4:3, 47).
the second sign: Despite numerous signs performed in Jerusalem (2:23), this is only the second performed in Galilee (2:11).