RBWords

    The important thing to note here is that the royal official put his faith in the word of Jesus that "....your son will live."  When he got home and was told that his son had recovered, he remembered Jesus words "....and he and his whole household came to believe."  There is a progression from the initial act of faith in Jesus words to the whole household coming to believe.  A single person's faith results in many believing.  This is not the only example of this in the Gospel According to John.  The account of the encounter with the Samaritan woman just precedes the one for today.  Her faith, imperfect as it is, leads a whole village to come to hear Jesus.

     Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed a  "new evangelization."  This has been continued under his successors.  The effort is not aimed at non-Catholics but at Catholics who have lost touch with their faith.  The effort is not simply one by the official preachers of the church but one which we all share.  The power of our own faith can be amazing if we are willing to take the time to share it.  This may be with the members of our own household or with co-workers or even with someone who speaks to us in the grocery store aisle who may have seen us at church or make a certain gesture.  If we have put our faith in Jesus' word, that word can spread if we live it faithfully and openly.  AMEN