On Wednesday, we read from St. Mark’s Gospel how the Lord healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. The whole town began to gather at his door, and he began to heal them and cast out demons. The Lord then embarked on a short tour around the towns and villages of Galilee doing the same.
In today’s Gospel he has returned to his home base, in the fishing village of Capernaum, where he began to preach from the stoop of his doorway.
The Lord reveals something profound about himself in this encounter. That not only does he have the power to cure paralysis, he has the power to look into a man’s heart and forgive his sins. Something, only God can do. He is God. And this healing miracle serves as a sort of Theophany—in which God reveals Himself. To those who are paying attention—Jesus reveals he is God incarnate in the midst of his people.
While this Gospel passage certainly reveals something about Jesus’ identity and mission, I’m always deeply impressed by the four men who climb Peter’s roof in order to bring their friend to Jesus.
These four men, in a sense, foreshadow the Church, who will have the mission of bringing souls to Christ. In my hometown, there is a Christian community called the Friends church, and they take very seriously this duty of bringing their neighbors to church with them. And they have been wildly successful, and have had to expand their church multiple times.
If only the Catholics in my hometown were as good of friends as the Friends.
The Christian has the duty of being like those four friends in the Gospel, working together. Notice it’s not just one person, a lone wolf, but four people, working together to bring their friend to Jesus. We are to be good friends who go to serious lengths. When’s the last time you climbed a roof, done something kind of risky, in order to bring someone to Jesus. Christians are to take risks to help people encounter Jesus.
We need to be good friends, and we need good friends. Not people who will keep us out too late on Saturday night so that we are too tired to go to Mass on Sunday. Or people who will introduce new vices into our lives. But friends who will encourage us in holiness.
But we need to surround ourselves with the sort of friends that would go to the length that the four men did in the Gospel, to break through a roof in order to bring their friends to Christ. True friends care about your eternal soul, not just having a good time or enabling your sinful habits. A good friend will tell you when you’ve been selfish and need to go to the Sacrament of Confession.
May we be good Christian friends, may we know the help of good Christian friends, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the preaching and teachings of the Pope, Bishops, and clergy may be a source of strength and guidance for the Holy Church and deliverance from the evils of the enemy. And that Christians may work together in bringing the spiritually paralyzed to Christ.
That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, and that married couples may be generous and faithful in raising children according to the law of Christ and his Church.
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, those facing religious persecution, immigrants and refugees, those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.
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