12th of January (English)

Gospel text

(Mc 2,1-12): 

Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door.

While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to him. The four men who carried him couldn't get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, «My son, your sins are forgiven».

Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, «How can he speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?».

At once Jesus knew through his spirit what they were thinking and asked, «Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins». And he said to the paralytic, «Stand up, take up your mat and go home». 

The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God saying, «We have never seen anything like this!».

The Application

Many at times we have an impression that our prayers are not heard. Even today, this can be an example. People brought this man for a simple physical healing. Whereas Jesus is proposing a spiritual healing, which is more important than what is visible. This inner healing will lead this person to the external healing and many of us and even the people who brought this person to Jesus were simply ignorant. Are we still ignorant in our judgement………………..?

The second aspect which is very important as a Christian is, the pardon. Without being able to reconcile with God and with our brothers and sisters, we can’t receive the healing that God propose to us daily. This pardon is the first step towards happiness and joy. Many of us are not able to be fully liberated and joyful, because we refuse to forgive. Some of us are not able to and others simply don’t wish to. Jesus seems to remind us this importance of getting reconciled with God.

For our daily application, I would like  to invite you all to play the role of every personages available in today’s gospel.

Jesus: the capacity to see the invisible needs of others and not to be animated by the crowd psychology. All say, then it should be right………;;(Jesus rejects)

The people: available to the need of the sick person and take the risk to reach the person to Jesus. They glorify the Lord.  

The elites: Simply fixed to the rules and regulations. Though outwardly smiling, but internally accusing Jesus.

The sick person and the silent spectators: the simple spiritual consummators without doing anything…………..  

Either these personages may help us to imitate their qualities or a call for a conversion.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Reverse your relation with sickness, by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)

"Take up your bed. Carry the very mat that once carried you. Change places, so that what was the proof of your sickness may now give testimony to your soundness. Your bed of pain becomes the sign of healing, its very weight the measure of the strength that has been restored to you." (excerpt from HOMILY 50.6)

«‘My son, your sins are forgiven’ (...). ‘Stand up, take up your mat and go home’»

Fr. Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido 
(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see the Lord surrounded once more by crowds: «so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door» (Mk 2:2). His heart is melted by people's needs and makes him to bestow upon them as much relief as possible; by forgiving, teaching and healing them at the same time. He certainly offers them physical help (as in today's parable, by curing the paralytic), but —actually— He is intent on getting the very best for each one of us: the well-being of our soul.

Jesus, our Savior, wants to give us a true hope of salvation. He even forgives our sins and sympathizes with our moral feebleness. Before anything else, He most emphatically says: «My son, your sins are forgiven» (Mk 2:5). Later on, we are given to see him connecting the remission of our sins —which He generously and tirelessly grants— to a most extraordinary miracle, seen by our very eyes. As some kind of external guarantee, as if to help us to open our eyes to faith, after forgiving the paralytic's sins, He cures him of his paralysis: «Stand up, take up your mat and go home. The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out» (Mk 2:11-12).

We can revive this miracle quite often through Confession. With the words of forgiveness said by the minister of God («I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit») Jesus —discreetly— accords us once more the external guarantee of remission of our sins, guarantee that is tantamount to the spectacular cure of the paralytic of Capernaum.

We are now beginning a new ordinary time. And, we believers are now reminded of the urgent need we have of a sincere and personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the All-Merciful Lord. In this liturgical time, He urges us not to slacken our pace nor to neglect the necessary forgiveness He offers all of us in his dwelling, the Church.