Reflections for our Home Altars
Tuesday, Week Four of Lent

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Introduction
 
In our daily reflection, we are praying for so many intentions in the one prayer for deliverance from the Coronavirus.  We are praying for :
for an end to the public health threat of this global pandemic;
for our loved ones be safe, especially our vulnerable;
for our families’ livelihoods to be protected;
for our carers to be strengthened and kept safe;
for our civic and religious leaders to be wise in their guidance of us;
for those with care of our financial markets to act on behalf of the common good;
for our medical scientists to quickly find a vaccine;
for our nations to return to the LORD God with faith, love, and hope;
and so, for our world to return to security and peace.
 
Today I want to focus on our prayer that our nations return to the Lord.  Who knows how the Lord has allowed this crisis.  What we do know is that He never allows any evil unless He knows how to bring a greater good out of it.  Let’s think about how the ways in which our world could become much better by God’s grace once this sad and anxious time and let's pray hard and look forward to that.
 
Opening Prayer
 
Gospel: John 5: 1-3, 5-16
The healing at the pool of Bethesda
 
 
Reflection
 
The Pool of Siloam was a bit of a lucky dip, sometimes it worked but most times it didn’t.  As well as that, it was just too far away for the poor man to access.  He needed some more reliable sources of help and he needed it now.  That can be a bit like our waiting for a vaccine, which is not a guarantee and still seems too far away.  Just like the man at the Pool; if we cannot get to our vaccine, for the time being, Jesus can get to us right here and right now and He really is all we somehow need.
 
Jesus asks the man what he wants even though it seems obvious.  But, actually, the man needs more than he thinks.  He is not just sick but a sinner and Jesus knows how to free him once and for all from his double disability.  In this situation of the virus Jesus is asking our world what we want; let’s not be afraid to ask Him to heal the soul of our world as well as our disease.
 
Soon We will find Jesus healing a man born blind and, when asked, He says that the man’s blindness was not caused by sin.  This time we know the man at the Pool is a sinner and who knows if his unspecified illness was not from his sin. We just don’t’ know and don’t need to because the Good News is Jesus healed both of them just the same.
 
After Jesus has healed Him he warns him to keep himself free from sin or something worse will happen. There is only one thing worse than a global pandemic that a world that has turned its back on Jesus and His salvation.  Let’s pray that, after Jesus has answered our world’s prayers for complete healing, things will only get better.
 
Intercessions
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

We pray: for an end to the public health threat; that this global pandemic may pass quickly and with minimum effect

 
We pray for our loved ones, especially our vulnerable; that they are kept safe

We pray for our families’; that our livelihoods be protected;

We pray for our carers and all working in frontline services: that they are strengthened and kept safe;

We pray for our civic and religious leaders; that they are wise in their guidance of us;

We pray for those with care of our financial markets: that they act on behalf of the common good;

We pray for our medical scientists; that they quickly find a vaccine;

We pray for our nations; that they return to the LORD God with faith, love, and hope;

We pray for peoples: that they see our world return to security and peace.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
 
Closing Prayer