1 Cor. 1:4-8; Mt. 9:1-8
In
our Gospel today, our Lord does a healing.
However, it is more than that. He
is acting sacramentally. He has forgiven
the sins of the paralytic, something which cannot necessarily be seen. The Pharisees accuse Him of blasphemy. So he does something which can be seen, the
healing. He is able to heal by His
authority, and, therefore, a fortiori, by His authority, he is able to forgive
sins.
St. Paul gives us a context for this. In the genius of the traditional Missal, this Gospel is paired with this Epistle, in which St. Paul addresses the Corinthians about their destiny in their newfound faith. Our purpose in this life is to get to heaven. And this is how we await the coming of our Lord at the end of time, this is how we persevere, by the practice of the sacraments.
In this one brief Gospel passage, we have the whole Paschal Mystery. Our Lord has entered into a boat. The boat is always a sign of the Church. By His birth and incarnation, He has descended into humanity and established the Church. He passes over the water. The sea is a sign of all the mysteries of life, those things which we do not understand. He passes over them. This is not just a term which says He went from here to there. He encounters all the mysteries of life and overcomes them. We see this when He calms the sea. And He enters into the city, a sign for the world.
He heals the paralytic, who rises, takes up His mat, and goes home. This is resurrection language. Our Lord rises from the dead, and ascends into heaven to prepare our heavenly home.
It is by the Lord’s Paschal Mystery that He gives us this life, and it is through our faith and the sacraments that we receive it. Today, we celebrate this Mass, the Sacrifice of our Lord, the sacrament of the cross and resurrection, and of His real presence, just as St. Paul says, the grace of God given us in Christ, that in all things we are made rich in Him, the testimony of Christ confirmed in us.
Sometimes, it is
the little words which have so much meaning for us. After the Lord has forgiven the paralytic, he says, “So
that you may know.” And he does the
healing. The Lord forgives. But, if we did not have an outward sign, how
would we know? This then, is the basis
for all our sacramental practice in the Church.
The Lord gives us outward signs which signify a reality which is unseen.
St. Paul gives us a context for this. In the genius of the traditional Missal, this Gospel is paired with this Epistle, in which St. Paul addresses the Corinthians about their destiny in their newfound faith. Our purpose in this life is to get to heaven. And this is how we await the coming of our Lord at the end of time, this is how we persevere, by the practice of the sacraments.
He heals the paralytic, who rises, takes up His mat, and goes home. This is resurrection language. Our Lord rises from the dead, and ascends into heaven to prepare our heavenly home.
It is by the Lord’s Paschal Mystery that He gives us this life, and it is through our faith and the sacraments that we receive it. Today, we celebrate this Mass, the Sacrifice of our Lord, the sacrament of the cross and resurrection, and of His real presence, just as St. Paul says, the grace of God given us in Christ, that in all things we are made rich in Him, the testimony of Christ confirmed in us.
