My reflections for Jan. 19, 2006 - Sunday

February 19, 2006

Reading I
Isiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24-25

Thus says the LORD:
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.

(Isaiah prophesies the comng of a person, the Messiah, who will make a great path in the wilderness that will allow the people to return to the Lord. We now understand that the wilderness is the chaos in the world that results from sin and the path of return to Lord is repentance and God's forgiveness of our sins. The role of all in pastoral care in the Church today is to continue to facilitate this process in the lives of the people of God.)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14

R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Blessed is the one who has regard for the lowly and the poor;
in the day of misfortune the LORD will deliver him.
The LORD will keep and preserve him;
and make him blessed on earth,
and not give him over to the will of his enemies.
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
The LORD will help him on his sickbed,
he will take away all his ailment when he is ill.
Once I said, “O LORD, have pity on me;
heal me, though I have sinned against you.”
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
But because of my integrity you sustain me
and let me stand before you forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from all eternity. Amen. Amen.
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.

Reading II
2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Brothers and sisters:
As God is faithful,
our word to you is not “yes” and “no.”
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me,
was not “yes” and “no, ” but “yes” has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;
therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

(There is absolutely no doubt in the mind of Paul that we have been saved by the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. It is not a matter of "maybe" or "perhaps." It is certain beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for our salvation. Let us rejoice in this truth and never forget it. Let us thank the Lord for His goodness and take full advantage of His generous offer.... now!)

Gospel
Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
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.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind
what they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk?’
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
—he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
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.”

(I love meditating on the last line of this Gospel which says, "We have never seen anything like this." The ministry of Jesus must have been far and way above anything else that had been seen in recent years. Jesus has no peer when it comes to the working of miracles and the authority and effectiveness of His preaching. This can be true for us as well if we are willing and committed to living lives totally surrendered to the will of God.)

God's special verse/thought for me today.

my reflections
think: What has Jesus done for you that you could never have foreseen to have happened to you?

thank You Lord for: