January 18, 2019Friday
1st Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Heb 4:1–5, 11Gospel: Mk 2:1–12
Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door. While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to him. The four men who carried him couldn’t get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, “How can he speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?”
At once Jesus knew through his spirit what they were thinking and asked, “Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’
But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
And he said to the paralytic, “Stand up, take up your mat and go home.” The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God saying,
“We have never seen anything like this!”
DAiGITAL EXPERIENCE
Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience
Miracle-making and remission of sins are two actions only God can do. Jesus did both. He cured the paralytic and forgave him his sins. The inevitable conclusion would have been that Jesus was God. But the Pharisees refused to believe. Jesus drove the last nail on the Pharisees when he asked, “Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ They were dumbfounded when the man rose up and walked as ordered. Any person can claim that he has the power to remit sins. But only God can corroborate such claim with miracles.
In “Spenser’s Ireland” Marianne Moore wrote, “you are not free until you have been made captive by supreme belief.” It was too much for the Pharisees to believe that a human being like Jesus could act like God. Thus, instead of bowing to the facts that hinted to Jesus’ divinity, they sought to kill him. The supreme belief in the power of Jesus failed to hold them captive because their biases were stronger. They were not truly free.
To be truly free we need to submit ourselves to a belief more superior than the belief our minds can establish. This implies submission to a superior mind. This is only possible through faith, such as the faith of the paralytic. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT <message/ name/age/address> at i-send sa 4467.