Each time we Catholics pray the Hail Mary, we remind ourselves of what we are. “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” Mindful that we are sinners, we begin the Mass by asking God to forgive us.
Oddly enough, some people claim there is no such thing as sin. For them, the idea that certain kinds of human behavior are inherently wrong and necessarily harmful to those who engage in them is outmoded. They think of sin as an attempt by the Church to keep people from doing what comes naturally to them. Behavior that was universally deemed immoral in the past is gaining acceptance today. This approach to sin is quite common in the crazy world around us.
Others feel that sinfulness is so deeply rooted in human nature that they see themselves as being totally powerless to do anything about their own sinfulness. They pray that God will be merciful to them in the end.
In his book, Being Catholic, Archbishop Daniel Pilarcyzk of Cincinnati argues that both approaches are actually denials of sin. The first denies that sin is real and harmful to the sinner as well as what it might do to others. The second denies that God has any interest in what we do here and now. Any Catholic who endeavors to truly understand the faith does not deny either the reality of sin or God’s willingness to forgive.
Today’s readings link sin and suffering. In this day and age, that may seem preposterous but in biblical times, physical pain and suffering that could not be explained were often associated with moral evil. That is not to say that all illness is or was the consequence of sin but when you consider the obvious consequences caused by sin, such a link cannot be ignored.
Mark had good reason for saying the man in need of healing was a paralytic. How often have we found ourselves paralyzed by our sinfulness? Many relationships have come to a standstill because of someone’s wrongdoing. More than once I have heard of siblings who haven’t spoken to each other in years coming together and making up. What is needed to rebuild a paralyzed relationship is the willingness to reconcile and for someone to say, “I forgive you.” The same could be said for many marriages that have come close to breaking up.
Alas, few of us who are wounded by feelings of guilt think to recall the words found in Isaiah today, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!” The good news is that God constantly rebuilds the relationships we have with him as the need arises. God even extends forgiveness to us in the most tangible manner possible, through the words of absolution in the sacrament of reconciliation, a sacrament many Catholics tend to ignore. His son, Jesus, empowered the apostles and subsequent generations of priests to forgive sins on his behalf.
God knows everything but for our sake, God chooses not to remember everything, but not us. We often let allow past memories color our relationships much like the lab animal that learns how to respond to given certain stimuli.
I may not remember where I laid a certain book down but by golly, I can’t forget certain things I have done in the past that have hurt others or things that others have done to hurt me. In other words, unlike God, we don’t always wipe away certain offenses, which leave us, figuratively speaking, paralyzed.
Sin is a form of paralysis that afflicts all of us. Some complain whenever I speak of sin for they want a homily that makes them “feel good” about themselves but we are never going to feel good about ourselves unless we confront our own sins.
Some people tend to think of sin only as an offense against God and other people. But sin is also an assault on our own being, an act of self-violation that damages us. Sin alters our personalities and makes us different. Thanks to sin, there are times we find it hard to settle our differences. There are people we find hard to be kind to. There are important tasks we don’t seem to get done. There are obligations we fail to honor. There are activities we engage in that the Church tells us are wrong but our peers claim are all right. Sin creeps into our lives because we suffer from a paralysis of the will and of the spirit.
Jesus said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” He then said, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat and go home.” No longer paralyzed by the guilt generated by sin, he stood up and walked away, knowing full well that he was loved, forgiven and ultimately freed from whatever guilt that had been paralyzing him. He walked away freed of his paralysis.
Forgiveness sets us free but to be forgiven, we must first admit to the sin and guilt that are paralyzing us. Forgiveness frees us to move forward with life. Jesus uses a miracle, not only to prove his authority as the Son of Man, but to demonstrate that forgiveness provides the healing touch we all need in order to “feel good” about ourselves and others.