7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

  Is 43: 18-19,21-22, 24-25;  2 Cor 1:18-22;  Mark 2: 1-12 


Aesop's Fables are very famous for the messages they give. The fable "The Hare With Many Friends" speaks about friendship. A Hare was very popular with the other animals in the jungle who all claimed to be her friends. One day she heard the hounds approaching her and hoped to escape them by the aid of her Friends. So, she went to the horse, and asked him to
carry her away from the hounds on his back. But he declined, stating that he had important work to do for his master. "He felt sure," he said, "that all her other friends would come to her assistance." She then applied to the bull, and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his horns. The bull replied: "I am very sorry, but I have an appointment with a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you want." The goat, however, feared that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon it. The ram, he felt sure, was the proper friend to ask for help. So she went to the ram and told him the case. The ram replied: "Another time, my dear friend. I do not like to interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been known to eat sheep as well as hares." The Hare then applied, as a last hope, to the calf, who regretted that he was unable to help her, as he did not like to take the responsibility upon himself, as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By this time the hounds were quite near, and the Hare took to her heels and luckily escaped.



Today's Gospel sets before us a contrast to this. Four men came to the house carrying on a stretcher a friend of theirs who was paralyzed. They could not get through the crowd at all, but they were men of resource. When they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd they let down the paralytic through the roof.



The roof of a Palestinian house was flat. It consisted of flat beams laid across from wall to wall. The space in between the beams was packed with brushwood packed tight with clay. So it was easy to dig out the fillings. So the four men dug out the filling and let their friend down direct at Jesus' feet.



It is the faith of the friends who have brought the paralytic to Jesus. It is the faith of the community being exercised on behalf of an individual. Here is a man who is saved by the eager and expectant faith of his friends. It still happens today. For example, there are many who are saved by the faith of their parents. When Augustine was living a reckless and immoral life, his devout mother came to ask the help of her saintly bishop Ambrose. "It is impossible," he assured her, "that the child of such prayers and tears should perish." Many of us would gladly bear witness that we owe all that we are to the faith of godly parents. There are also those who are daily saved by the faith of those who love them.



Helping a friend in trouble is a big deal, and it won't always be easy. But be proud that you are doing the right thing. True friendship always laughs at barriers and cross all obstacles. But how many of us are able to retain long lasting friendship?



In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” "Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." ”Triple filter?" "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and...” "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” "No, on the contrary..." “So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test through, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?" "No, not really." "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"



The second lesson the passages gives us is that physical health is related to mental and spiritual health. When the man was brought before Jesus He looked at the man and said, "Child, your sins are forgiven." The Jews integrally connected sin and suffering. The Rabbis had a saying, There is no sick man healed of his sickness until all his sins have been forgiven him."



Now the scribes did not like what Jesus said. In their hearts, they asked themselves, who is this man who speaks in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone? Knowing the thoughts of the scribes, Jesus asked them what was easier, to say to the man, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Stand up and take your mat and walk?" Jesus proceeds to say, "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' - he said to the man who was paralyzed - 'I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.'"



Here, Jesus was conveying God's forgiveness to the man. In the Bible we see many occasions where God had conveyed his forgiveness through the prophets. When David repented of his sins God sent prophet Nathan to assure him that God had forgiven him. Nathan said to David, "The Lord had put away your sins you shall not die." Jesus taught that God is willing to forgive man who wishes to turn away from evil. But often what happens in our life is that though God forgives us, though the society forgives us, we are not willing to forgive ourselves. We dwell in the weight of our deeds.



One of the most powerful depictions of our reluctance to forgive ourselves is given in the Hollywood film, The Mission. The main character, Robert De Niro, kills his brother and makes a living by capturing and selling Indian slaves. He reaches a point, however, where he experiences deep sorrow and true repentance for the life he has lived and receives his priest's assurances in the sacrament of reconciliation that God has forgiven him. But he cannot break free of his guilt until he finds the grace to forgive himself. He devises a penance for himself. He puts all his armour and weapons -- the reminders of his old life -- in a huge net and drags this net through forests, rivers and finally up the steep cliffs of a mountain on his way to the Indians he has once enslaved. It seems to us like a terrible and unnecessary punishment. But, when the Indians see his suffering, they accept his sorrow and forgive him. Then he forgives himself and cries aloud. Not until then is he free.

God is always among us with the offer of forgiveness. It is our decision to accept it and make ourselves healthy physically, mentally and spiritually.

May God bless you.

Satish