1st Week in Ordinary Time
13th January 2023 (Friday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: HEBREWS 4. 1-5, 11
1.Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2.For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3.For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4.For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5.And again in this passage he said “They shall not enter my rest.” 11.Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
PSALM 78:3 and 4bc, 6c-7, 8 (R. See 7b)
Response: Never Forget tht deeds of God
Gospel : MARK 2. 1-12
1.And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2.And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3.And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4.And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5.And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6.Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7.“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8.And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9.Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10.But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11.“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12.And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Destined for rest!
Indicative: God has destined us for a life of peace here and now and later in eternity. This is the “rest” that God prepares us for{alertSuccess}
1. Today’s Word of God mentions rest. Rest is the time when tension, instability, and unrest cease, and peace and stability are restored. God recurrently promises the wandering and unsettled Israel that they will enter into His rest. In this context, it can refer to a time of settlement, a peaceful and harmonious dwelling.
2. Obedience and fidelity are the ways to enter into that rest. One aspect of this rest is seen in the gospel. It is the healing of a paralytic. They come to Jesus with a commendable faith. True faith seeks ways and means to get to Jesus’ presence and get healed.
3. They find no way to come directly before Jesus because of the enormous crowd. So they open up the roof above him and drop the paralytic on the mat right in front of Jesus. This is symbolic of deep faith. True faith is nothing but breaking through and opening up the roof of our hearts and standing before God.
4. Jesus rewards their faith. He heals not only physically but also spiritually. He forgives his sins. Thereby, two things become clear: healing from a sickness is not enough but healing from sin is more important. Second, he has the authority to forgive sins because he is the Son of God. Therefore, to say, “your sins are forgiven” is not an act of blasphemy but an act of concern.
5. It is again interesting to see again the symbolic tenets of true faith. Jesus says, “Rise, pick up your mat, and go home”. The paralytic did exactly the same. He rose, picked up the mat, and went home. True faith calls for response and cooperation with the direction and action of God.
Imperative: To be healed, I must constantly and promptly rise from my fallenness, my lying down on the bed of sin. I must shake off my lethargy and walk and go home, that is, get reconciled with God{alertSuccess}