Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Last Thursday, my brother and his wife, who were visiting from up north, and I ventured to Blue Springs State Park to see the manatees. When we arrived we saw a large group of people gathered at the walkway overlooking the water. Assuming that they were watching the manatees, we wandered over, and what we saw was stunning. At the water’s edge were a group of 25 people holding a large wooden pallet. On the pallet was a full sized manatee secured in a tarp. These people, under the direction of staff from SeaWorld, were slowing carrying this manatee to the water’s edge.
It seems this sea cow was one of two manatees who were orphaned 3 years ago and rescued by SeaWorld. For the past 3 years, these animals were nurtured to maturity at SeaWorld and prepared to return to their natural environment. This was the day and the moment. As the people ceremoniously processed carrying this beautiful creature, they reached the water, waded in, and slowly released this manatee to his newfound freedom. Off he went into his new life encouraged by the spontaneous cheers and clapping of the crowd. It was quite an incredible experience to witness.
After seeing this sight, and then reading today’s gospel, I couldn’t help but feel how frustrating it must have been for this poor crippled man not to have someone help him into the waters, waters that were believed to cure illnesses.
Imagine him, crippled for 38 years, lying by the Bethesda Pool and nobody caring or concerned, nobody cheering him on. What little hope he had left was in the miracle of these healing waters. No wonder he was desperate to get into the water.
Then along comes Jesus who asks him: “DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL?” Instead of a simple yes or no, the man explains that no one will help him into the water. Fortunately for the crippled man, Jesus heals him with the simple response: “RISE, TAKE UP YOUR MAT, AND WALK”.
Imagine how he must have felt. Jesus gave new life to this man. It was Jesus’ word that did it, that gave him this life-giving freedom. Healing flows from Jesus like the water in the pool. For the once crippled man, Jesus word now meant that his old life is dead, and new life begins.
On Easter, we’ll be sprinkled with the newly blessed baptism water, the symbol of Christ’s words of healing and new life for us. Do we even begin to understand or appreciate what that means? These baptismal waters are both death and life for us, death to our former lives of sin and renewed life in Christ.
Each time we enter our church, and each time we consciously bless ourselves with the holy water, may we be reminded of our belief that Christ is present among us, and healing us, much like he did to the man at pool in Bethsaida.
