Reflection: Today’s Gospel is one
of my favorite stories in scripture. I
am always greatly humbled by the amazing faith of the paralytic and of those
who carried him. Simply trying to be
near Jesus, they climbed a roof, made a hole, and lowered the paralytic
down. It is easy for us to be near Jesus
in the Sacrament, in Adoration, and in the Holy Eucharist. Are we striving to be with Him with the same
passion and faith as the paralytic and his friends? Are we finding ourselves spending time with
Jesus as often as we should?
Big
Picture: Carry your
friends to Christ
Discussion
Starters:
Younger saints: What does it mean to be physically paralyzed? How did Jesus help the paralyzed man? (Jesus told him “Child, your sins are forgiven”). How are our sins forgiven? (By seeking forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When was the last time you sought forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?)
Older saints: What does it mean to be spiritually paralyzed? (To be paralyzed by sin). Have you ever known someone who was spiritually paralyzed and needed to be carried to Jesus? Did you help carry them? Why or why not?
Younger saints: What does it mean to be physically paralyzed? How did Jesus help the paralyzed man? (Jesus told him “Child, your sins are forgiven”). How are our sins forgiven? (By seeking forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When was the last time you sought forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?)
Older saints: What does it mean to be spiritually paralyzed? (To be paralyzed by sin). Have you ever known someone who was spiritually paralyzed and needed to be carried to Jesus? Did you help carry them? Why or why not?
Fun
Fact: Evangelii Nuntiandi identified
evangelization as the mission of the
Catholic Church (Father James A. Wehner, “A Primer on the Theology of
Evangelization: Implications for the
United States).
Saint
of the day:
Name: St. Volusian
What they are remembered for: St. Volusian was named as Bishop of Tours, France in 488. He was forced to leave his see in 496 and fled to Spain, where he later died in that same year.
Feast day: January 18
Name: St. Volusian
What they are remembered for: St. Volusian was named as Bishop of Tours, France in 488. He was forced to leave his see in 496 and fled to Spain, where he later died in that same year.
Feast day: January 18
Daily
Notes:
What is paralyzing your family members or friends and keeping them from Christ? How can you carry them to Christ for healing, just as the friends of the paralytic did?
ReplyDeleteMy family members are paralyzed by science. They can't seem to break through the roof of scientific "facts" spun by media, etc. that try to disprove the bible and Jesus. Anyone out there have any good books they recommend on this topic?
ReplyDeleteMy niece read "The Language of God" by Francis Collins. He is not Catholic but gives a Christian argument for the existence of God through evolution. I have not read it but maybe it might be a starting point.
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