Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according Saint John 6,36-38. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"

Before giving my opinion, I would like to recall Saint Augustine's commentary on this passage. The miracles of Christ are for him a figure in relation to the eternal salvation; symbolically, the Saint says that the pool's water represents the Jewish people enclosed between the five gates, that is, the 5 books of Moses, meaning within the limits of the law.
The shakening water represents the Passion of the Lord; whoever does not reject it and accepts it, so to say, immerses himself in that water, and is healed.
To be healed, I summarize Augustinian thought, one must have the humility to accept the faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the cross. One must believe in an incarnate God, born of woman, arrested, bound, scourged, outraged, finally crucified, dead and buried. Who despises this condition of humility in God, says the Saint, doesn't want to be cured of pride.

I confess that sometimes me too I'm horrified thinking of the pain Jesus suffered in his body and, as a man, also of the torment he felt before spontaneously offering himself to His death. But I realize that one has to believe in him with faith, to be humble like Our Lord.

Jesus is divine mercy made person, and he helps all those who ask him in faith. When someone is really in extreme difficulty, the Lord notices it, feels compassion and helps spontaneously, without being asked.
In this case, to Jesus' question "Do you want to be healed?" the paralytic feels the need to justify himself, in some way to explain why he is not in a position to do like the others.

Beyond the symbolism of Saint Augustine, in this passage I see the Faith that God gives to those who ask for it and want it. Faith is the precious gift of God allowing us to understand the mystery of pain and the reason for the evil, that exists and that seems to prevail in the world.
This faith that each one of us must try to propagate and transmit to others, within the limits of his objective possibilities, with the example of his life, so that the people who come into contact with us cannot say

« ......Sir, I have no one to put me into the
pool when the water is stirred up.... ».

Facing with this task that is not easy, especially if we are afraid and think that we cannot do it in front of the evidence of our human weaknesses and our errors, if we truly have Faith we must pray Our Lord Jesus to help us.
For my part, knowing that Jesus never denies anything to His Mother, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted and help of Christians, I always and constantly turn to her in all circumstances asking for her maternal intercession. And especially I ask Her that my faith grow more and more. I suggest to everyone this remedy.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5,1-16.

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'"
They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

			Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ Saint John 5,1-16.

`How to be or become a follower of Jesus Christ in the world and in your situation`
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" Before giving my opinion, I would like to recall Saint Augustine's commentary on this passage. The miracles of Christ are for him a figure in relation to the eternal salvation; symbolically, the Saint says that the pool's water represents the Jewish people enclosed between the five gates, that is, the 5 books of Moses, meaning within the limits of the law. The shakening water represents the Passion of the Lord; whoever does not reject it and accepts it, so to say, immerses himself in that water, and is healed. To be healed, I summarize Augustinian thought, one must have the humility to accept the faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the cross. One must believe in an incarnate God, born of woman, arrested, bound, scourged, outraged, finally crucified, dead and buried. Who despises this condition of humility in God, says the Saint, doesn't want to be cured of pride. Gesù and the paralytic in the Bethesda pool I confess that sometimes me too I'm horrified thinking of the pain Jesus suffered in his body and, as a man, also of the torment he felt before spontaneously offering himself to His death. But I realize that one has to believe in him with faith, to be humble like Our Lord. Jesus is divine mercy made person, and he helps all those who ask him in faith. When someone is really in extreme difficulty, the Lord notices it, feels compassion and helps spontaneously, without being asked. In this case, to Jesus' question "Do you want to be healed?" the paralytic feels the need to justify himself, in some way to explain why he is not in a position to do like the others. Beyond the symbolism of Saint Augustine, in this passage I see the Faith that God gives to those who ask for it and want it. Faith is the precious gift of God allowing us to understand the mystery of pain and the reason for the evil, that exists and that seems to prevail in the world. This faith that each one of us must try to propagate and transmit to others, within the limits of his objective possibilities, with the example of his life, so that the people who come into contact with us cannot say « ......Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.... ». Facing with this task that is not easy, especially if we are afraid and think that we cannot do it in front of the evidence of our human weaknesses and our errors, if we truly have Faith we must pray Our Lord Jesus to help us. For my part, knowing that Jesus never denies anything to His Mother, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted and help of Christians, I always and constantly turn to her in all circumstances asking for her maternal intercession. And especially I ask Her that my faith grow more and more. I suggest to everyone this remedy. Matthew 21:21. "Jesus answered them: Truly I say to you: If you had faith and did not doubt... (omissis)... if you also said to this mountain: 'Get out of there and throw yourself into the sea,' it would be done". Lino Bertuzzi Mar 29, 2022 End `No fear! the Mercy of Jesus is INFINITE` Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5,1-16. There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat." He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'" They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?" The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath. Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB