Word to the Wise
Friday, January 18, 2013 - Friday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 4:1-5, 11 and Mark 2:1-12]When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, "Child, your sins are forgiven."
ST. MARGARET OF HUNGARY, O.P., virgin
Scriptures may vary at Dominican locations.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, "Child, your sins are forgiven."
Notice the difference in the words "their" and "him!" We don't know much about the paralytic's faith at all. We do know that the four men who brought him, lifted him to the roof of the house, tore off part of the roof (one wonders what the owner thought!) and lowered him down in front of Jesus were men of faith! It is THEIR faith that Jesus sees and so he speaks to HIM, the paralytic!
In our western culture, religious faith has become so individualized and privatized that we may not realize the power that our faith can have for others! There are folks who in many ways are religiously or morally "paralyzed" and need concerned friends to help them. On another level, I recall my visit to the famous shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France back in 1985. In the evening there is a procession which includes the sick in wheelchairs who are assisted by special volunteers in many cases to reach the waters and to be a part of the big procession. The sense of faith in that context is very strong! In a situation like the one in the gospel today, the strength of faith of the stretcher-bearers leads them to do something dramatic because the crowd unintentionally keeps them from getting to Jesus! What are we prepared to do as a matter of faith to help someone else? Remember, it is OUR faith that can make a difference! AMEN