Forgiveness at the heart of the Gospel
M Mons. Vincenzo Paglia
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Gospel (Mk 2,1-12) - After a few days Jesus entered Capernaum again. It became known that he was in the house and so many people gathered that there was no longer room even in front of the door, and he announced the word to them. They came to him with a paralytic carried by four people. However, since they were unable to bring it to him due to the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was and, having made an opening, lowered the bed on which the paralytic was lying. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: "Son, your sins are forgiven." There were some scribes sitting there who were thinking in their hearts: «Why does this man speak like this? Blasphemy! Who can forgive sins if not God alone?”. But Jesus, having immediately known in his spirit that they thought thus within themselves, said to them: «Why do you think thus in your hearts? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic: Your sins are forgiven, or to say: Get up, pick up your mat and walk? Now, so that you may know that the Son of Man has the power on earth to forgive sins, I command you - he said to the paralytic - get up, take up your bed and go to your home". He got up, took his bed and left in the presence of everyone and everyone was amazed and praised God saying: "We have never seen anything like this!".

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

Jesus returns to Capernaum again and goes to Peter's house which has now become the usual home of that small community. The souls of the people who flocked were filled more and more with hope and in their faces we could see the growing desire to feel good, to have a more peaceful life, a less anxious future. And therefore even for a paralytic there was hope of recovery. Some friends took him and brought him to Jesus. When they reached the door, they were unable to enter because of the large crowd. Not at all resigned, they climb onto the roof of the house, uncover it and lower the sick person into the room where Jesus was. The love of these friends for that sick person is surprising. Not only do they not give up when faced with the difficulties they encounter, as often happens to us who give in at the first difficulty we encounter, but they invent the impossible to help him. The perseverance of the love that those four friends have for the paralytic and the trust they place in the healing power of that young prophet are the two pillars that introduce us to the miracle that is about to happen. Jesus, as soon as he sees that sick person, not only makes him get up from his bed but also forgives him his sins. That paralytic gets up again both in body and heart. He has fully recovered. Like everyone else, that sick person also needed to be healed in his heart and not just in his body. It is the meaning of Jesus' evangelizing mission: everyone needs to convert their heart to the Gospel. The Gospel of love must also be announced to the poor so that they in turn can communicate it to others. With this miracle Jesus shows that salvation not only also belongs to the poor, but it is from closeness to them that the new kingdom that he came to inaugurate begins.