January 14, 2005 - Friday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Your Sins Are Forgiven You

Readings:
Heb 4:1-5,11; Ps 78:3, 4, 6-7, 8
Mk 2:1-12

Opening Prayer

God our Father,
we are your people
at times paralyzed by our fears
and our fascination with sin.
Let your Son speak among us
his mighty words of forgiveness and courage,
to raise us above ourselves,
above our cowardice and compromises,
that we may go resolutely
the way to you and to one another
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction:

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews tells the Jewish Christians, dispersed on account of their faith, not to seek to return to the city of rest, Jerusalem, and to Palestine, but rather to seek the rest and peace of living in the love of God; they are on the march to the promised land of heaven. They should not seek the “rest” of being installed securely in their home country. Likewise, we should not seek our “rest” and security in the things we have, the place we live, but be constant seekers of the rest of being at peace with God and people.

First Reading: Heb 4:1-5, 11

Therefore let us fear while we are invited to enter the rest of God, lest any of you be left behind. We received the Gospel exactly as they did, but hearing the message did them no good, because they did not share the faith of those who did listen. We are now to enter this rest because we believed, as it was said: I was angry and made a solemn vow: they will never enter my rest - that is the rest of God after he created the world. In another part it was said about the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. But now it is said: They will not enter my rest.

Let us strive, then, to enter the rest and not to share the misfortune of those who disobeyed.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78:3, 4, 6-7, 8

R (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!

What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
we will declare to the generation to come
The glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength.
R (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!

That they too may rise and declare to their sons
that they should put their hope in God,
And not forget the deeds of God
but keep his commands.
R (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!

And not be like their fathers,
a generation wayward and rebellious,
A generation that kept not its heart steadfast
nor its spirit faithful toward God.
R (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Gospel Introduction:

Miracles are called “signs” in the Bible. They are, like the cure of the paralytic, visible manifestations that something has happened inside the person. The paralytic can walk. He can stand up and move as a human being, as a person who is forgiven and can get up from the paralysis of sin. Could not we too give “signs” to the people around us by raising them above their miseries, that God is alive in us?

Gospel Reading: 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!"

Commentary

JESUS is back at his new home, Capernaum, the house of Peter's mother-in-law. This is a house church where the Word is preached and the hunger for it spreads so that people bringing a man on a stretcher can't get near Jesus. But they are resourceful and ingenious. They climb on the roof, remove some tiles and lower him down. And Jesus sees their faith and comforts the man with words of forgiveness even though some teachers of the Law are horrified. They can rejoice in hope given, so Jesus puts it clearly: is it easier to forgive or to heal this man so paralyzed? And he commands him to get up and walk and he obeys and walks away! The crowd is awed and praises God.

What of us? Does our religious correctness keep us from rejoicing in the Good News of forgiveness to each and everyone? Do we think it's easier to heal physical ills in a community than it is to forgive one another? Is our faith as imaginative and hardworking as the faith of this man's friend was? Small church communities are where we must practice all this.

General Intercessions

–          That the Church, aware of its own shortcomings and missed chances, may humbly offer forgiveness and new chances to all who err, and become in the world a sign of forgives and reconciliation, we pray:

–          That our homes may be places of mutual understanding and reconciliation; that the young may learn from their parents and each other to forget injuries and hurts, we pray:

–          For all Christian communities, that we may be less concerned about our rights and injured pride and learn Christ’s way of reconciliation and creating one another anew, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
let your Son come here among us
to take us by the hand
and to order us to get back on our feet
with joy and courage.
Renew us with his body and blood
that we too may be to one another
his uplifting word and helpful hands,
that people may praise you
now and for ever.

Prayer After Communion

God our Father,
your Son was attentive to people,
to their ills and their needs.
May he live in us today
and make us his voice
that brings reconciliation and peace,
his heart that loves without boundaries,
his hands that build up a world
of justice, dignity and service.
We ask you all this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Blessing

Let us try with all that is in us to put back on their feet those paralyzed by their own fears, limitations and condemnations and to accompany them on their journey to God and to one another, with the Blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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