Read: 1 Sm 8: 4-7,10-22 Mk 2: 1-12

“‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves: ‘Why does this man talk in that way? He commits blasphemy! Who can forgive sins except God alone?’” (Mk 2:5-7)

Some of the great “evils” that befall humanity are based in physical pain and suffering, and moral or spiritual pain and suffering. We are seemingly more terrified of, more susceptible to, and more affected by, physical problems than over spiritual ones.

The ones who brought the paralytic to Jesus, and the paralytic himself, were seeking a physical cure for a physical ailment… not a spiritual healing—a healing from sin. As opposed to the woman in the Pharisee’s house who sought only her moral and spiritual rehabilitation from the Lord: “She stood behind him at his feet, weeping so that her tears fell upon his feet.” (Lk 7:36-50)

But Jesus, seeing into their minds and hearts the openness and desire to be whole and forgiven, first forgave their spiritual illness, which was greater and more important, even if not felt in the same way: “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

There are still those who deny Jesus’ power over the ravages of sin and His power to cure. They are those who downplay confession and its power to cleanse the soul.

They do not believe in Jesus’ capacity to cure the soul of sin, before the priest in the Holy Sacrament of Confession.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 51:4 “Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.”