Gospel Mark
2:1-12
When
Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at
home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not
even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to
him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the
crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they
let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were
sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is
blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his
mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking
such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your
sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you
may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” –he said
to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose,
picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were
all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like
this.”
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Reflection:
Are you
humble enough to admit that you’re a sinner?
We have
in our gospel a paralytic who is also a sinner; in the midst of great odds four men brought
him to Jesus. It did not matter to them if they have to climb the roof and
broke thru it. Knowing their own frailties the four men and the paralytic
himself summoned every ounce of courage that they have to be in-front of Jesus.
What an expression of faith, what an expression of hunger to be forgiven by
Jesus and what an expression of humility.
The faith
of the paralytic and also those who helped him eventually paid off for Jesus
forgave him of his many sins. Not only that he was forgiven by Jesus he got a
bonus because he was also physically healed of physical sickness.
We may
not be aware of this but our spirits longs to be forgiven and healed by Jesus
as well through the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession. We may not be aware
also that the sins that we have committed are the ones that prevent us more
blessings from Jesus.
It takes
great courage, effort and tons of humility to approach your priest and ask for
his time in confession. If we humbly submit ourselves to this healing Sacrament
we would receive enormous spiritual and physical blessings. Let us therefore be
like the paralytic and his four companions who braved the great odds just to be
near Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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