Thursday, July 02, 2020 - Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9, 1-8 - In Christ, God reconciled the world to himself: he put the word of reconciliation in our mouth.

The mission of Jesus continues, he performs a miracle, before the people, for the glory of God. In this case, the healing of a paralytic who rises from his bed, because he and those who cared for him had faith. Our salvation depends first of all on our faith. Indeed, only faith can save. So when Jesus completed the healing, he added, "Trust, my child, your sins are forgiven." This means that when Jesus heals, He doesn't just take care of the body, He takes care of the soul. The salvation of our souls is paramount to Him.

On the other hand, the scribes were offended by Jesus' words of forgiveness. For them, only God can forgive. Even the people thought that Jesus was only a healer and not the Son of God. Jesus then specified that the Son of Man, who is none other than Himself, has the power to forgive here below. He heals our spiritual weaknesses. This power has been transmitted to the Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the sacrament of freedom that unites us with the loving and merciful God.

So now we see that more and more people are looking for a religion of miracles and healings to praise God. They forget that the healing of the soul prevails over the healing of the body, for Jesus is not only a healer but first and foremost the merciful Savior. Therefore, our faith and trust in God should not be based on outward signs such as miracles or physical healing, but rather on our love for Him.