St. Anthony's Catholic Church

Fr. Matt’s Corner:  . . . see, I am doing something new!. . .

            Greetings to you again, my dear friends in Christ. Good news!  Jesus says, Behold, I make all things new … see, I am doing something new!  Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  It is I, I, who wipe out, for My own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more.

            “Hmm, I was with you Jesus, right up to that last part … it seemed so nice, so fresh and exciting:  something new!  But now, well, here you go harping on my sins and offenses again.  It just seems so judgmental, so intolerant.”

            Unfortunately, friends, this seems to be the view of our culture: to deny that sin exists (or at least to deny that it exists in us – in me).  In that cozy darkness of denial, the light of God’s great mercy can certainly seem “judgmental” or “intolerant”.  In fact, God is both judgmental and intolerant, and He displays both of these characteristics in today’s Gospel.  Jesus is intolerant of paralysis, death, envy, fear, selfishness, spiritual complacency, lust, greed, … – Jesus is intolerant of everything that keeps us from being fully alive!  He is judgmental and intolerant of every kind of dysfunctional human “No” to God’s great “YES”.  As God is faithful … the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was not "yes" and "no,” but "yes" has been in him. For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him.  He came so that we might have life and have it to the full!  He came to make us new again!

            And so, he says to the paralytic and to you and me, “Your sins are forgiven.  All that paralyzed you, I wipe out; your sins I remember no more.  Therefore, rise, pick up your mat, and walk!”  He is judgmental and intolerant because He is Love; and He loves us.  Sometimes, we might be like that paralytic who probably didn’t want his sins pointed out, but Jesus did point them out – precisely to cast them out:  Your sins are forgiven! 

            For you and I, then, there are two steps on display in our journey to God (to life in abundance!).  First, we must have our own sins forgiven by Jesus – that He might make us new and do something new in us.  That’s why He gives us the Sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation). If we won’t let Him cast out the old, how can He do in us the new? Second, it then becomes our turn to do what the paralytic’s friends did for him (perhaps even against his will!) – that is, it becomes our turn to bring others to Jesus. 

          Peace to all of you this holy day and to all who love the Lord in simplicity of heart,

Fr. Matt