HerbEly

Paralyzed on the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

    The gospel for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time tells us how the friends of a paralytic forced their way in to see Jesus. The home was so crowded with an audience that there was no room through the door. Four men opened the roof and lowered the paralytic. Jesus, seeing this, said "…your sins are forgiven." Challenged by scribes as to whether He was presuming to do what only God can do, Jesus responded by telling the paralytic: "pick up your mat and walk.

    Many of us, at one time, have found ourselves physically, emotionally or spiritually so paralyzed that all we could do is wish for help. By asking for help we can be carried by our friends to the one who has the power to forgive and to heal. During the times when we are not paralyzed we can carry our friends through simple gestures, actual help and prayer.

 

"If you are willing…."

    In the gospel for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time we will hear a victim of leprosy say to Jesus, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." A selection from (Leviticus 13) gives us some background. Leprosy was a horrible, disfiguring disease. Those who had it were expelled from society. The victim did not even think that Jesus wanted to heal him. He just said "if you are willing…" believing that God could restore him to health and membership in society. 

    Many of us, at one time or another, find ourselves so down and despairing that we doubt that God even cares for us.  The leper did not have to believe that God actually cared for him. All he had to do is come to believe that God could restore him to health.

    Jesus' answer was to stretch out his hand and heal.