Am 7:10-17Amaziah: “Amos has conspired against you, saying you'll be killed and Israel exiled.” [to Amos:] “Flee! Don't prophesy here.” / "I was a shepherd, but the Lord told me to prophesy. Your wife shall be made a harlot, your children fall by the sword, your land divided, and Israel exiled...."
Ps 19:8-11"The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just." The law of the Lord is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true, precious, and sweet, giving wisdom, joy, enlightenment, and justice.
Mt 9:1-8People brought Jesus a paralytic on a stretcher. Jesus: “Your sins are forgiven.” Scribes: “He's blaspheming.” Jesus: "Why harbor such evil thoughts? Is it easier to say that, or ‘Rise and walk’? So you'll know the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins” [to paralytic:] “Rise and go.” He rose and went home. The crowds were awestruck and glorified God...
Zec 2:14–17 Rejoice; I'm coming to dwell among you. Many nations will join the Lord, but the Lord will hold Judah as his portion and choose Jerusalem. Be silent before the Lord! He stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
Lk 1:46–55"The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name." I proclaim the Lord's greatness; he looked on his handmaid. All will call me blessed. He showed power, routed the proud, threw down rulers, lifted up the lowly, filled the hungry, sent the rich away empty, helped Israel, and remembered the mercy he promised.
Rom 5:12, 17–19Sin and death entered the world through one man, and death spread because everyone has sinned. But one man, Jesus, will cause everyone to reign who receives the gift of righteousness. As one man’s fall brought condemnation, so the good act of one man brings everyone life.
Jn 19:25–27Near the cross stood his mother, and Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved, Jesus said to his mother and the disciple, “This is your son,” and “This is your mother....”
Creighton: If I had been watching Jesus and the paralytic, I'd think of doubt, fear, struggle, paralysis, and resistance before faith, forgiveness, mercy, belief, and trust. What happened? Really? What would happen next? I'd reach out to someone who I hope believed and would help me believe, making a difference in my life. May I show faith, strength, and courage when someone reaches out to me.
One Bread, One Body: "Love the Lord with your mind": Everyone at the scene of today's gospel could have had a part in the healing: Jesus healed and forgave. The friends brought the man to Jesus. The man had the humility to receive forgiveness. The crowd responded with praise. But the scribes opposed the healing with silence and evil thoughts instead of participating by faith, repentance, or praise; their accusation of Jesus made them obstacles to healing.
Do my thoughts give glory to God? Are they of peace, or affliction? Do they include me in or distance me from God's work? Lord, transform my mind by focusing it on your will, "what's good, pleasing, and perfect," on "all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or praiseworthy."
Passionist: Today Jesus tells a paralytic to have courage because his sins are forgiven. The scribes were scandalized Jesus would say that. Jesus turned on its head the idea that deformity was evidence of sin by declaring the man forgiven while still paralyzed. Forgiveness flows as a free gift from God; we don’t need to be healthy, wealthy, well known, or anything else for our relationship with God and others to be healed. All have been given authority to forgive and reconcile. Jesus' answer to Peter is a call to unlimited forgiveness. May we accept and practice that authority.
DailyScripture.net: "Take heart; your sins are forgiven": Sin and unforgiveness cripple mind and heart and stifle love's healing power. Only Jesus' forgiveness can heal and cleanse us. The scribes regarded Jesus' forgiving the paralytic as blasphemy because only God could forgive sins. Jesus proved his divine authority and power by healing the cripple's physical ailment as well as freeing him from his burden of guilt. The Lord wants to heal us of mind, body, and soul, to free us from the power of sin. What keeps me from his healing?
Elizabeth of Portugal (Elizabeth of Aragon) set up hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions, endured her husband’s infidelities, made peace in political arena, was devoted to prayer and the poor, died on the field trying to make peace.
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