Word to the Wise
Monday, December 6, 2021 - 2nd Week of Advent - Mon
[Isa 35:1-10 and Luke 5:17-26,267]Say to those who are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. [Isaiah] "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 said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God." [Luke]
Promise and fulfillment continue in today's scripture. Isaiah's vision of "the day of the Lord" speaks of the lame leaping like a stag. The wonderful scene of a paralytic being lowered through the roof to drop at Jesus' feet provides a dramatic fulfillment. But there is more to the gospel story than simple curing. There is healing and restoration, which also figure in Isaiah's prophecy. The paralyzed man would have been considered "unclean" by strict Jewish standards. He is not simply cured but he is able to "go home" and he does so "glorifying God."
One of the hard realities of the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season is that illnesses, misfortunes and divisions can become magnified. Instead of "decking the halls" we "deck" one another. The first Christmas without a recently deceased loved one is bittersweet. A Christmas made minimal because of economic struggles or loss of employment is hard. Gifts that should be freely given become mere formalities. It is a time that calls for healing and restoration on many levels. Many parishes will celebrate Advent Reconciliation services with the sacrament of reconciliation. But the sacrament is just the beginning of the process. The forgiveness and restoration of the sacrament must be then extended to others by those who have received it!!!
To whom must we extend forgiveness in this season? From whom do we need to ask for forgiveness? Where do we see the need of healing and restoration? These gifts are wrapped in the person who is compassionate and open to reconciliation. We don't have to shop for them. Can we offer our own healing from our own paralysis to others? These are gifts that "keep on giving." AMEN
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