USA Independence Day Read:  Am 7: 10-17      Mt 9: 1-8

DAILY PRAYER

“The people at once brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.’”  (Mt. 9:2)

These men, including the paralytic himself, had tremendous confidence in the divine power and goodness of Jesus.  There is no other explanation as to why they would go through such hard work to get to where Jesus was in the first place. 

Jesus gave the man far more than a restoration of bodily health: He gave him health of the soul by forgiving his sins. Spiritual health is not the kind of health that is always first sought after, but Jesus attends to our needs in the way that is most beneficial for us.

We often think that God should act differently, that He ought to do things as we would.  Instead of trusting God to realize His will and to guide us to salvation and true happiness, we think God should follow our selfish whims.

The men in today’s Gospel asked nothing of the Lord, and yet He satisfied their needs.

Perhaps our measure of another’s worth is exaggeratedly skewed to our favor and benefit. Someone or something is good if I benefit from that person or thing.  If not, it is of little importance.

Those who approached Jesus filled with their worldly wisdom and using their “wisdom” to judge His Words and actions of Jesus, always left very unsatisfied — and without the benefit of His divine consolation nor the power of His healing Hand.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 107:9 “He satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with good things.”

OUR PRAYER CONTINUES