We must pray literally without ceasing - without ceasing; in every occurrence and employment of our lives. You know I mean that prayer
of the heart which is independent of place or situation, or which is, rather, a habit of lifting up the heart to God, as in a constant communication with Him.
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton -
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AM 7:10-17; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
MT 9:1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus 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 men.
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Reflection on the Scriptures |
Jesus is God and fully human. Today’s Gospel reminds me of that so strongly. Becoming fully human means he laughed, he cried, he worried, he rejoiced. Because he was fully human, he died for our sins. It can never have been easy to be God and man; as human, he must have been annoyed or frustrated. Yet he mostly was patient and kind. But that didn’t mean he avoided asking his followers and
those who doubted him tough questions.
His followers had the faith and the belief that this man who called himself the Son of God was just that. They couldn’t really understand, but they had faith in Jesus. When the followers brought the paralytic man to Jesus, the reading says he “saw their faith” and forgave the sins of the man. Jesus told him to “Rise, pick up your stretcher and go home.” I love the simplicity of
that.
Being God and human, he must have always had an idea of what the scribes were thinking. In this case, he calls them out for what they were muttering to themselves and reminds them of his authority. I need to be reminded of that authority of the Son of God. Jesus can forgive my sins and allow me to walk in the light. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus tells the paralyzed man:
“Courage.” It takes courage to believe as Jesus’s followers did. It takes courage to take that leap of faith. Let the miracle in my life be the faith of his followers. I ask for the grace to believe and ask for the forgiveness of sins. I ask for the grace to glorify God and to show gratitude for God’s presence in my life. I pray for the courage to continue to take the leap of faith and live out that faith every day.
- by Carol Zuegner
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Sixteenth Revelation, Chapter 77
"Accuse not thyself overmuch, deeming that thy tribulation and thy woe is all thy fault."
"All thy living is penance profitable."
"In the remedy He willeth that we rejoice"
For the penance that man taketh of himself was not shewed me: that is to say, it was not shewed specified. But specially and highly and with full lovely manner of look was it shewed that we shall meekly bear and suffer the penance that God Himself giveth us, with mind in His blessed Passion. (For when we have mind in His blessed Passion, with pity and
love, then we suffer with Him like as His friends did that saw it. And this was shewed in the Thirteenth Shewing, near the beginning, where it speaketh of Pity.) For He saith: Accuse not [thy]self overdone much, deeming that thy tribulation and thy woe is all for thy fault; for I will not that thou be heavy or sorrowful indiscreetly. For I tell thee, howsoever thou do, thou shalt have woe. And therefore I will that thou wisely know thy penance; and [thou] shalt see in truth that all thy living
is penance profitable.
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