Friday 13 January 2023

Today is Friday the 13th of January, in the first week of Ordinary time.


The community of Taizé sing Dieu ne peut que donner son amour: “God can only give faithful love, tenderness and forgiveness.”

Dieu ne peut que donner son amour, notre Dieu est tendresse
Benis le Seigneur ô mon âme et du fond de mon être son saint nom.
Dieu est tendresse
Benis le Seigneur ô mon âme, n'oublie aucun de ses biens faits.
Dieu qui pardonne
Lui qui pardonne toutes tes
Offenses, qui te guérit de toute maladie.
Dieu est tendresse
Qui rachète à la fosse ta vie,
Qui te couronne d'amour et de tendresse.
Dieu qui pardonne
Le Seigneur est tendresse et
Toute grâce, le Seigneur deborde d'amour.
Dieu est tendresse
Il n'agit pas envers nous selon nos
Fautes, ne nous rends pas selon nos offenses.
Dieu qui pardonne
Comme est la hauteur des cieux sur la
Terre, puissant est son amour pour qui l'adore.
Dieu est tendresse
Comme est loin l'orient de l'occident, il éloigne de nous nos péchés.
Dieu qui pardonne
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 2:1-12
When he 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 peoplecame, 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!’
This is a most extraordinary story; try and imagine that you are present in the scene and think how you feel as you watch it taking place…
Imagine for a moment that you are trying to get one of your own friends to Jesus. Are you bold enough to remove the roof too?
“We have never seen anything like this”; have you ever seen anything like this?
Now listen as the passage is read again, and ask what most delights you in it.
Finally, you might like to look back at all the thoughts and feelings that came to you during this time of prayer, and turn them into a petition to God, or perhaps to Jesus.
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.