Daily Gospel Reflection for December 11, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 5:17-26

“We have seen incredible things today.”

Don’t we know it, sister. I’ve seen some incredible things, but I’ve never seen a paralyzed person just stand up and walk after a prayer. The crowd here are amazed both by this physical healing as well as the spiritual wound that Jesus overcame in the man.

In 1st century Judaism, it was understood that sin was something that contaminated not just a person, but also others by proximity. This is why there was a Day of Atonement every year - to purge the pollution from sin from the place where God dwelt and from the people. If a person was crippled or sick it was because the person themselves had sinned against God or someone close to them (like parents) had passed on the effects of the sin. The only way Jewish people had been instructed to deal with sin was through offerings at the Temple because only God could forgive sin and nullify the effects of sin (see the book of Leviticus for extreme details).

When Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk?'" He is acknowledging that both can only be done through God. This is why the Pharisees are asking, "Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus focuses first on the one thing that is worse than physical illness: separation from God due to sins. Then to show His adversaries that He means what He says, He follows it up with the man’s physical healing. In response to this new life, the man immediately gets up and glorifies God.

Every time we find ourselves immersed in God’s mercy, we are like this man: We are healed and can truly glorify God in our lives again through our actions!

Ponder:

Can we turn our perspective regarding our penance after confession to that of joyful thanksgiving for the new life we’ve received through God’s love and mercy?

Pray:

Jesus, most loving and merciful companion, You want nothing less than the greatest intimacy with us. Help us to respond in joy to the hard moments, knowing that they bring us closer to You.