Friday, January 14, 2005

10:47 pm

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68
    
 
Friday, 14 January 2005
Friday of the 1st week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St Felix of Nola  
 

Saint Augustine : “Some people came bringing to him a paralytic”



Letter to the Hebrews 4,1-5.11.

Therefore, let us be on our guard while the promise of entering into his rest remains, that none of you seem to have failed. For in fact we have received the good news just as they did. But the word that they heard did not profit them, for they were not united in faith with those who listened. For we who believed enter into (that) rest, just as he has said: "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter into my rest,'" and yet his works were accomplished at the foundation of the world. For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this manner, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works"; and again, in the previously mentioned place, "They shall not enter into my rest." Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience.

Psalms 78,3-4.6-8.

We have heard them, we know them; our ancestors have recited them to us.
We do not keep them from our children; we recite them to the next generation, The praiseworthy and mighty deeds of the LORD, the wonders that he performed.
That the next generation might come to know, children yet to be born. In turn they were to recite them to their children,
that they too might put their trust in God, And not forget the works of God, keeping his commandments.
They were not to be like their ancestors, a rebellious and defiant generation, A generation whose heart was not constant, whose spirit was not faithful to God,


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2,1-12.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins? Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"-- he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home." He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Augustine (354-430), bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and doctor of the Church
Discourse on the Psalms, Ps. 36, n° 3, § 3

“Some people came bringing to him a paralytic”


A man whose inner forces are weakened to the point of being incapable of doing any good, may we not pick him up as the paralytic of the Gospel and open him the roof of the Scripture to let him down at the feet of the Lord?

You understand, I am sure, that such a man is a spiritually paralyzed man. And I see this roof (of the Scriptures), and know that the Christ is hidden under this roof. I will then do, in accordance to my possibilities, what the Lord approved in those who opened up the roof of the house and let down the paralytic at his feet. In fact, the Lord said to him: “My son, take courage! Your sins are forgiven”. And Jesus healed this man’s inner paralysis: he forgives his sins and strengthens his faith.

But there were certain people there whose eyes were unable to see the healing of the inner paralysis. They took the doctor who had operated this as a blasphemer. “Who is this man, they said, who forgives sins?”. “He commits blasphemy! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”. But since this doctor was God, he could hear the thoughts of their hearts. They believed that God really had this power but they were unable to see God present in front of them. Therefore this doctor operates also on the body of the paralytic, to heal the inner paralysis of those who talked in this way. He does something they can see so that they may believe too.

Therefore take courage, you as well, whose heart is weak, you who are sick to the point of being incapable of any good faced with all what happens in the world. Courage you who are innerly paralyzed! Let us open up the roof of the Scriptures together so as to go down at the feet of the Lord.



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