THE WORD
Am 7,10-17 / Mt 9,1-8
Jesus entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’ But that you may know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he then said to the paralytic. “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.
IN OTHER WORDS
In Argentina, I once absolved the sins of a troubled woman who had had four forced abortions and saw how she was transformed from pain to joy, freed from the thought of “condemnation” to hell.
Jesus Christ wants us to be healthy and happy. In today’s gospel, we find Him in total control of the situation over sickness and manifests his love by curing the paralytic man. Jesus also cures the soul/ spirit. How?
1. Jesus forgives. He restores the health of the paralytic by forgiving and accepting him. Jesus forgives us but we also need to have that courage to accept it like the woman in the story and the paralytic in the gospel.
2. Jesus heals. There are times when Christ’s answer to our clamor to get well from physical sickness is NO but spiritually he always heals us, giving us strength and hope to go on even in suffering. He shares our suffering and pain.
3. Jesus liberates us from the slavery of sin that hinders us from moving on and growing/living a meaningful life in Him. He teaches us to be transformed persons – avoiding the root causes of our sickness and the slavery of sin. He offers us a new and clean life.
In times of sickness, Jesus’ comforting words to us are the same, “Courage my son; your sins are forgiven; rise and be a good person”. There is no sin too big that God cannot forgive; there is no sin too small that God cannot see. Like the paralytic man, let us humbly beg Jesus to heal us by trusting Him. Surely he will show us his mercy and liberating authority.
- Fr. Romulo Laguicao, SVD | Argentina
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
