“He Sees Our Faith, Heals Our Evil Thoughts”
by Beth DeCristofaro
And there people brought to him a paralytic
lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage,
child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to
themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and
said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts?” (Matthew 9:2-4)
Piety
God the Father,
We give you thanks for all the marvels you
have created.
We praise you and we bless you for the
inestimable
grace of life that you give to us.
Transform us, make us better Christians,
living testimonies of your mercy and of your
power.
Strip us, Lord, of all roots of bitterness,
of false pride and haughtiness of heart.
Make us meek and humble of heart
as was our Lord Jesus Christ,
and never let us wound with our words or
actions
the dignity of any person.
Put in our hearts the ardent desire
to work earnestly for those who are poor and
in need.
Show us the garment with which you clothed us
the day we received you as Lord and savior of
our lives.
May we wear those garments at the service of
our neighbors and this community.
Use us, Lord, for your work. Amen
(Adapted
from Ligia de Milla, El Salvador, Prayer Without Borders)[i]
Study
Today’s U.S. holiday celebrates the American
Colonies’ bold step toward freedom and away from tyranny. History is full of such moves as well as
power grabs, oppression, genocide, yet also advances in peace or religion. The paralytic and his friends in today’s
Gospel sought freedom which comes from healing but the scribes could not see
that Jesus offered grace far vaster. He
challenged them for much more change of heart than they were willing or ready
to give.
Sigrid Unset, Winner of the 1928 Nobel Prize
for Literature, converted to Catholicism.
Of her faith journey, she said “In a way, we do not want to find Truth –
we prefer to seek and keep our illusions.
But I had ventured near the abode of truth in my researches about God’s
friends …. So, I had to submit … and I was received into the Catholic Church.”[ii] Jesus did not and does not work in illusions
although all too often it is what we settle for. The scribes and leaders did not want to upset
their worldview.
When we identify God’s Kingdom with country
or with a religious institution or even with our good works, we fool ourselves. We “harbor evil thoughts,” making our own
idols. The glorious truth, vaster than what the friends of the paralytic, the
scribes and most of the time we comprehend, is that grace opens us to desire
freedom and gives the courage to turn away from “evil thoughts.” Jesus acknowledges our faith with love and
healing.
Action
What is
one illusion which I hold just too dear and which I have made an idol? Ask Jesus for his grace that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. Ask Jesus to heal
you.
[i] “prayers
and reflections for the journey” Catholic Relief Services, https://www.crs.org/file/7643/download?token=JnOfYUGP
[ii]
Give Us This Day: Daily, p. 155, June 2018.
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