Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 2: 1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way?  He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what 
they were thinking to themselves, 
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
–he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once, 
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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As nice as that sounds – the forgiveness of sins – the scribes don’t seem to care. All they see is a man paralyzed, lying on a stretcher! 

If Jesus is the miracle worker he claims to be, then why not heal this poor man’s body? 

The scribes see what many do – only that which is physical.

Jesus sees beneath the surface. He sees this man’s soul. The miracle of physical healing has a shelf life.

But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.

That’s what matters in the end.

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While it was a beautiful thing to have this man’s body healed, Christ the Teacher always takes us deeper. He encourages this man – and all of us today – to focus on healing what matters most, our soul.

Is there any part of me that is paralyzed – by sin or weakness?

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Let these words of Christ wash over you: “Take courage, your sins are forgiven.”

May the same Lord who cleansed this paralytic with a single command, also purify us today.

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Image credits: (1) Bob Young, Medium (2) letterpile.com (3) Faithlife Sermons

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Gospel: Mark 1: 40-45

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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A few weeks ago, a parishioner approached me asking to be given the Sacrament of Anointing, which is reserved for those who are either sick, gravely ill, or near the point of death.

First and foremost, the Sacrament offers the forgiveness of sins. Then there’s an optional prayer for physical healing, which is sometimes granted.

In this person’s case, cancer was growing inside her lungs. So, I anointed her, prayed for healing, and awaited the results of her next scan.

Last week, she called me in tears saying that the cancer had disappeared! The doctors had no medical explanation, but we knew it was an act of the Holy Spirit.

She’s shared this miraculous story of healing with many people since.

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The same type of miracle unfolds in today’s Gospel.

A man is slowly dying from leprosy. His skin is covered in boils and sores, leaving him physically and socially isolated from others.

Suddenly, Jesus passes by. So, the man rushes over, kneels down at his feet, and says to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

So, Jesus does what no one else would – he touches him. 

Then he does what no one else can – he heals him.

This man is so elated that he tells everyone! In fact, he tells so many people that Jesus cannot enter another town; he has to remain in deserted places because so many people are coming to him.

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Our mission at St. Pius X is to create opportunities for people to experience that love and healing of Jesus. For example, we will celebrate a Mass of Anointing on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at 11 am.

Come pray with us. Invite a friend. Perhaps the Lord will grant the healing you seek.

Whenever he does, be like person in the Gospel – tell others to “come and see.”

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Image credits: (1) Bruce Gerenscer (2) Ridge Kids Family Connections, WordPress (3) healingourbrokenness.com, Pinterest

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Gospel: Mark 1: 29-39

On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, 
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons 
throughout the whole of Galilee.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel describes a full day in the life of Jesus.

We begin mid-morning, where we encounter the Lord casting out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue. This is his first public miracle (according to Mark’s Gospel), revealing his definitive power of evil.

“After lunch,” Jesus enters Simon Peter’s home, where he heals Simon’s mother-in-law who is deathly ill. This second miracle reminds us that, like the synagogue or the local parish church, the home is a sacred place. It’s a “domestic church.”

The Lord continues his ministry of healing until after sunset. I’d imagine by the end of the night, Jesus was exhausted.

But the Gospel tells us that he rose, “very early before dawn,” where he went off on his own to a deserted place to pray. Jesus must’ve began each day that way … up early, in prayer.

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Prayer is essential for growth in our spiritual lives. It sustains us.

The Lord reminds us that the best time to do it is “very early before dawn,” before the stress and weight of other commitments compete for our time.

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So, how much time do I spend in prayer each day? Have I tried praying like the Lord, “very early before dawn?”

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If not, then try it tomorrow. Give the Lord the first few minutes of your day and see what happens. It may bear unexpected fruit over time; God is never outdone in generosity.

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Image credits: (1) The Busy Woman (2) Salt Strong (3) The Word for the Day