GOSPEL POWER | JULY 1, 2021 | THURSDAY | Saint Junipero Serra, Priest | 13thWeek in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 9: 1 – 8

After getting into a boat Jesus crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— he then said to the paralytic — “Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Reflection

God created the world good, but sin brought disharmony  into God’s good creation. One manifestation of such  disharmony is sickness. Jesus is sent into the world precisely  to restore the lost harmony in creation and to re-establish God’s rule,  which is what his proclamation of God’s Kingdom is all about. In his  ministry of freeing people from infirmities, Jesus goes to the very root  of the problem by addressing the source of disharmony, which is sin.  Today’s Gospel episode is one such instance. It seems that, for Jesus,  healing the interior takes care also of healing the exterior. If not for  the unspoken accusation by the scribes, he would not have seen  the necessity of an explicit healing of the man’s physical paralysis.  The healing only externalized the interior forgiveness that already  restored the harmony in the man’s spirit

Prayer

Lord Jesus, give us a deeper insight into the devastating effects of sin,  and help us to avoid all occasions that lead to it. Amen