“Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?” – Mark 2:9

       “You have developed a victim consciousness,” my mentor explained for my seeming knack of falling into abusive relationships. He helped me trace this unconscious dependency to an instance in my past when I felt helpless and unable to fight back. Thus began my journey to self-healing.

        “Rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

       To move forward, I had to face my demons. I put myself back to the times when I was betrayed, molested, and abused — and became less and less of myself as I let it happen. And there it was: self-recrimination.

        “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

       Which one is easier to hear or understand? Is it “Rise up! Let the past go. Change your reality. Choose a different path”? Or is it “Forgive yourself. Love yourself. No regrets for there are no mistakes, only lessons to be learned”?

       While the first saved me from the current situation, the latter made sure that it would never happen again. Forgiveness is the essential lesson that healed the past and ended the self-destruction. I am forgiven; therefore, I am free. Cecil Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

Reflect: “Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand mistakes and mend them.” (Pope Francis)

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, virgin, pray for us.

The people want a king because they see successful nations around ruled by kings. Samuel sees this as a rejection of God’s Kingship, and he refuses to do their bidding. Is God the King of our life or do we insist on ruling ourselves by our own wisdom? Is there any difference to what the people demanded from Samuel and what is happening to us today?

4 All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.” 6 Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the Lord, however, 7 who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king. 10 Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. 11 He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. 12 He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. 15 He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. 17 He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” 19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us. 20 We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the Lord, 22 who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”

R: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

15 [16] Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O Lord, they walk. 16 [17] At your name they rejoice all the day, and through your justice they are exalted. (R) 17 [18] For you are the splendor of their strength, and by your favor our horn is exalted. 18 [19] For to the Lord belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel, our King. (R)

The things we do when we are desperate can surprise us. Desperation can bring out the best and worst in us. In today’s Gospel, the friends of the paralytic are desperate to get him close to Jesus that they remove the roof of the house where Jesus is. Let us pray for the same desperation to remove sin from our life.

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 8 Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— 11 he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” 12 He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

think: In today’s Gospel, who do you identify with more – the paralytic, his friends, or the scribes? Why?

Read the Bible in one year John 10-12

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

TRUE FRIENDS LEAD US TO JESUS

Every new year presents us with many new opportunities in life, like new friends and new relationships. The readings today invite us to be careful in making new ties as the Gospel story presents us with the main consideration we must have about friends — they should always bring us closer to Jesus Christ.

       “They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left... Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’” (Mark 2:2-5, NIV).

         Indeed, whoever finds a true friend finds a treasure. Imagine the kindness of the four men who did everything just to have their sick friend healed by Jesus. They did not mind the difficulty of bringing him to Jesus. The house was overflowing with crowd but it did not deter them from opening the roof above. Mark noted so well that “Jesus saw their faith,” the faith of the four friends, that He healed their sick friend by forgiving his sins.

       Friends are always a gift from God. Good friends will do everything, even the craziest or the most painful, because they care for us. Friends do not only believe in us but, most of all, they believe in God, such that when they know they could not help us, they lead us to Jesus for answers to our problems. In the First Reading, Samuel was saddened when the Israelites requested God to appoint a king who would rule over them like the other pagan nations around them. Samuel knew the dangers of having a king who would turn away from God and lead people away from Him, which is what happened with Israel.

       Let us examine the friends we have but also how we are as a friend to them. Do we lead them closer to Jesus or away from Him when we don’t make a clear stand about moral issues now taken for granted, like the value of life, sanctity of sex and marriage, and the importance of the Holy Eucharist? Fr. Nick Lalog

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

What kind of a friend are you? Do you lead your friends to Jesus or away from Him?

Lord Jesus, keep us faithful to You and to our giftedness as a friend by leading our friends close to You, too. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________________________