Forgive me Father

Mark 2:1-12

          One of the most difficult things in life (for a Roman Catholic) is to go to confession and accept the forgiveness that is offered. If God is willing to forgive you, who are you not to accept?! Probably a second problem (for all of us though) is forgiving others. How long can you hold a grudge? How long will you hold on to anger that is eating you alive from the inside out? How often have you heard the ridiculous phrase, I forgive but I never forget. That is just so bogus. There is not an ounce of forgiveness in that statement.

       One of the primary reasons Jesus was willing to be nailed to the cross was for the forgiveness of our sins. It would seem almost a slap in the face not to forgive others. In fact, I think there is a section of scripture that says something just like that, 'you will be forgiven in the same measure you forgive others'.

        To take this concept even further, how about asking someone for forgiveness? Very often we can tell when someone is angry with us. As Jesus willingly was nailed to cross, how hard should it be for us to submit to a brother or sister who is angry with us and say" will you forgive me?".   

         The points to ponder then are our forgiveness,  how we forgive others and last but surely not least, can we forgive ourselves. Can you forgive yourself?

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’