The Gospel passage read during the liturgy today was about a paralytic miraculously healed by the Lord. The man suffered in his illness for 38 years and waited to be healed staying near the pool where once a year the first person to enter was healed (John 5:1-14). 

This pool prefigured the fountain of Baptism offered by Christ to every believer where, not just once a year but anytime and at any hour, they can be healed and cleansed from the spiritual filth and born anew for a new life. Five porches leading to the Bethesda pool symbolize the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses, which comprised the Hebrew Bible and offered a path to salvation. The books, according to the Savior Himself, testified of Him (John 5:39). Therefore, the multitude of crippled men lying around the pool represented fallen mankind afflicted by sin and waiting for the coming of the Messiah and their salvation.

The Gospel story about the paralytic figuratively tells us about the debilitating spiritual decay. It usually sets in as a result of despondency, depression, and sloth. It is worth remembering that any effort, albeit a minor one, and patience exercised by the faithful at such moments will not go to waste. The Lord is the all seeing One who, whenever He deems necessary, will surely stretch out His helping hand and say: “Rise and walk!” We have to keep in mind that to receive salvation without an effort is impossible since the Kingdom of Heaven may be acquired with a great effort where those who apply such force will enter (Mathew 11:12).