Word to the Wise
Thursday, July 6, 2017 - Thursday in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 22:1b-19 and Matt 9:1-8]THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017. THURSDAY IN THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Genesis 22:1b-19 and Matthew 9:1-8] When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage child, your sins are forgiven." [Matthew] For reasons known only to the evangelist, Matthew, the most colorful part of this scene is omitted - bringing the paralytic up on the roof and tearing off part of the roof to lower him into the room! However, colorful as that detail is, there are two more important things. Worthy of our attention. The first is that Jesus notices the faith of the stretcher bearers, just as he noticed the faith of the centurion. One of my Dominican brethren, recently deceased, was commenting on the fact that in the case of the paralytic, it was a community of faith that brought him to Jesus. The witness of a community of faith can be a powerful one. This is what draws some people to particular churches - the witness of the community. Do we find ourselves in such a community? The second, and very important, thing is that Jesus claims to forgive sins, a power that the audience would attribute only to God. They marvel that such a power would be present in a human being. Their faith is, at this point in the gospel, incomplete. This is, indeed, a power that Jesus has, and he has delegated that power to the church, most particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is important to remember, however, that the power still belongs to God, but it is exercised through human instruments, the bishops and priests. God can forgive in other ways as well through his infinite mercy. Faith and mercy come together in this scene today. Our faith can bring someone to God's mercy. AMEN
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