Gospel – Luke 5: 17-26
One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed.
They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the one who was paralysed–” I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God.
Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Ellie and Hugh Forker, RIP
Reflection:
In today’s Gospel, we see there are times when we need to ask Jesus for help and healing, or to help others to do so. It was the faith of his friends and not the paralysed man’s own faith to which Jesus responded, “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.” When we forgive, and when we are forgiven, a crippling burden is lifted from our shoulders. We can then, like the man in this episode, rise and walk.
This Gospel is powerful as it shows us the importance of praying not just for ourselves but for others also. I know this from a personnel level. The power of your prayer has helped my Brother Paul on to the road of recovery back home to his loving family. Never underestimate the power of Prayer!
- Do you see strange things in your encounter with Jesus?
- Do you think that today the Church is faithful to this parable of Jesus?
