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Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted - a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with
gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.
- Rabbi Harold Kushner |
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1 SM 8:4-7, 10-22A; PS 89:16-17,
18-19
MK 2:1-12
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so
that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking
themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the
paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." USCCB Lectionary
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Mark 2:1-12 (Jesus can forgive sins)
The Scriptures teach us that sin is a power which keeps us from growing and which breaks up relationships. In today’s reading Jesus shows us
that he can heal us from physical and spiritual paralysis.
* Some theologians have stated that we sin most often not by doing malicious and destructive things but by settling for less than the best in ourselves. Think about this.
* What is paralyzing your love for family members? Pray for the grace to overcome any obstacles.
Paperback, Kindle
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 6: The Journey to Individuation: The Ego-Self Relationship Egotism, Egoism and Individuation
When I shared with a spiritual director friend a draft of Part I of this book project, he was put off by the emphasis on Ego. “Even with your distinction between the Ego and the false self conditioning that distorts its development,” he wrote, “there is still far too much emphasis given to the Ego and individualism. Individualism is what’s wrong with our world, and you seem to be giving it
credibility. I hope you re-think that.”
My response was given by way of a phone conversation, agreeing with him about the problem of individual-ism, but also noting that this is not the same as individ-uation. Individualism for me is synonymous with Ego-centrism or Egotism, which this book does not advocate. In fact, those terms indicate an Ego that is
not authentic, but is centered on its own Persona and corresponding interests in a manner that violates the transcendental precepts of attentiveness, intelligence, reasonableness and responsibleness, as described in our previous chapter. Those precepts move us out of ourselves into relationship with others and the creation in a spirit of truthful seeking and discerning. Egotists, on the other hand, have their intelligence and will governed by the programming of the false self system. It is not
enough for them to be themselves; they must be better-than or have-more-than others in a manner that elevates their status culturally. They are generally selfish and give “Ego” a bad name.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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