Friday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
In today’s Gospel, we encounter a Jesus whose authority reaches the deepest wound of the human heart: sin. When the paralytic is brought before Him, Jesus first offers forgiveness, revealing that healing begins within, where guilt and brokenness silently bind us. His authority to forgive sins is not exercised with severity, but with joy and readiness, responding to repentance with mercy rather than reproach. By forgiving, Jesus restores not only the man’s body but his dignity, freedom, and communion with God and others. This scene reminds us that repentance is never met with rejection; it opens the door to a grace that both heals and lifts us up. Forgiveness is not an obstacle to joy, it is its source, because where sin is released, life can finally move again. Let’s reflect: Do I truly believe that Jesus desires to forgive me and restore me fully, and am I willing to bring my deepest sins and paralyses before Him in repentance so that I may rise and walk in new life?
Don Giorgio