Friday 17 January 2025

Today is Friday the 17th of January, the feast of Saint Anthony, in the 1st week of Ordinary Time. Salt of the Sound sings, ‘It Is Well With My Soul’. Take a moment to recognise the presence of Jesus as you begin to pray today… Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part but the whole Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! It is well with my soul Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 2:1-12 When [Jesus] returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’ The people were “bringing to him a paralysed man”. Imagine you are one of the people bringing this man to Jesus… imagine the moment… feel the weight of the man you are helping to carry… take in the details… “they removed the roof above him”. Imagine this task too… what is the roof like? How easy or difficult is it to remove? What do you see beneath you once you break through? You hear Jesus say to the man: “stand up, take up your mat, and go to your home”. Were you expecting this? How did Jesus sound when he said it? Is this what you hoped for? Now listen once more as the passage is read again. Does anything really strike you this time? “They were all amazed and glorified God”. How would you like to speak to Jesus as this prayer time ends? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.