We apologize. We sent the wrong post yesterday. This is the correct post for yesterday. We will send the post for today shortly. God Bless!
As I write this blog, it is my first day back to work after being out sick for 2 whole days. It’s that time of year where students are coughing, sniffling, and teachers are catching every germ quickly! In Today’s Readings, I feel a closeness with the paralyzed man. It’s humbling to be sick, to need and rely on others. It contains a type of weakness that is truly uncomfortable. Personally, I stayed in my room in bed for the past 48 hours… I didn’t want to spread germs with my roommates and I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I can’t help but think of how this paralyzed man must have felt! He is being carried to Jesus and unable to make it through the crowd. Lucky for him, he’s got some amazing people in his life. The friends or family or whoever was carrying him on his cot decided not to stop and go back home. They didn’t give up and say, “Sorry, you can’t see Jesus. There’s no way we’d be able to get through the crowd.” Nope, they literally carried their paralyzed friend to the top of the roof of where Jesus was. They carried him and lowered him on his stretcher so that he could be in front of Jesus. Seriously, what incredible friends.
As the story continues, Jesus didn’t encounter him and automatically heal his disability. He began with a different healing, the forgiveness of his sins! This was automatically the first thing Jesus did when he saw the faith of this man! The Pharisees questioned him internally. It states, Jesus “knew their thoughts and said in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? 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.” Exactly after this statement, he looks upon the sick and paralyzed man and commands, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
I don’t know about all of you, but at this moment I just want to jump up with my fist in the air and scream out to Jesus in full support. “YES, YOU GO JESUS! YOU TELL EM AND SHOW EM!” Jesus doesn’t just talk the talk, but ALWAYS follows through. In this intense moment that he has come to forgive sins- because He is God and He CAN. He doesn’t stop there, he heals his illness in a split second. He tells him to rise… I love that word. It’s commonly used by Jesus in special moments like this in Scripture. For me, this word gives warmth and tenderly leads me to keep going. It calls me to get up when I have fallen, to move, and to simply continue. Sometimes that can be hard, especially if you’re sick in bed. I don’t mean just physical illness, but spiritual as well. As human beings we are made body and soul, both are vital and important to who we are as sons and daughters of God. You could be sick from the cycle and chains of sin, sick with a physical or mental disease, or sick and weary trying in your journey of holiness. We can all relate to this man, even if we are not physically constrained to a stretcher. At least, I know I can.
There are a few points Jesus wants our hearts to know this day. First, we are all ill and in need of our Divine Healer. No matter how perfect life may seem, we all truly need healing in one aspect or another. I’m sure we can all agree on that! Second, we should have genuinely good people around us. If you don’t know who would carry you up a roof on that stretcher then pray a prayer of finding more faithful friends. If you wouldn’t BE that friend who carries another up a roof than go out of your way to serve others more today. Third, let’s rise. Let’s hear His tender voice repeat those words to us in the deepest part of our hearts and let’s do it. Rise in His grace, strength, and love. Rising in holiness, virtue, and recommitment to our friendship with Christ. Let’s continue on for love of Him.
Briana is a Catholic Doctrine teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school in Cleveland, OH. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese
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