After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
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?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins?”
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home. (Mt 9:1-7)
There are certain things Jesus did that are repeated several times throughout the Gospels: healing, raising from the dead, forgiving sins.
Thank God for that!
Jesus does not want His people to be shackled by sin. No. He wants them to be free from sin.
That is why He gave us the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that we can receive absolution.
Whenever we sin, we have the opportunity to confess our sins to the priest and to have those sins forgiven.
How great is that?!
Jesus does not hold back His love or His mercy. He gives it freely.
The problem is that so many people do not avail themselves of the opportunity to receive forgiveness. They are determined to do things on their own. They do not think that they need God.
We are frail, faulty, mortal people. We all make mistakes. We all sin to one degree or another. We are all in need of forgiveness.
Do we have the faith to come before the Lord and seek His forgiveness and healing love?
FAITH ACTION: When was the last time you went to confession. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that if you respond “longer than three months”, you are overdue. If it has been a while, make a resolve this day to go to confession soon.