Friday 12 January 2024

Today is Friday the 12th 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.”

(Lyrics currently unavailable)

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 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!’

In this encounter with a paralysed man Jesus both forgives sins and enables the man to stand tall and walk.

What is stopping me from moving forward confidently in my journey with Jesus? I share this with Jesus now.

What is stirring in me as I hear Jesus say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’?

What do I want to say to Jesus about this?

I say it now.

Listening again, I focus on those who brought the paralysed man to Jesus. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me find creative ways to bring people to Jesus.

In these last moments of prayer, I give thanks that Jesus has forgiven my sins. I resolve to walk boldly into God’s future.

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.