Thirteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 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”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

With faith all things are possible. We just have to believe in God’s Love and Mercy and trust that whatever happens will be for the good. It takes a great deal of spiritual courage to bring our fears, doubts, and sins before God and to place our hope in Him. Evil thoughts might try to convince us that God cannot forgive what we have done or we are not worthy of forgiveness, but we shouldn’t listen to them. Instead, we should seek our God and present ourselves to Him as we are and ask for Him to heal us and make us as we should be. Only then can we rise from our infirmities, pick our lives off the ground, and go home to our Heavenly Father.

Are we willing to bear our sins to God so He might cleanse us of them? What can we do to cultivate a deeper faith and hope in God’s Mercy? How will we lead our lives once we are granted forgiveness?

O Lord, forgive us our sins and lead us home to you.

Amen.