DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
“Sins-Forgiveness”: In today’s Gospel, Jesus cured the paralytic and forgave his sins. The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ authority as they did not accept Him as the Messiah. Ponder on, “Do we value the Sacrament of Reconciliation, during which Christ our Lord reconciles us with His Father, in the Spirit? If so, how do we show this?”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Luke 5:17a, 18-22a. 23-25
Jesus was teaching one day, and among the audience there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem. Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’
But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralysed man – ‘I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.’ And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.