HOMILY

Fr Adrian Bregolin
Vicar of the Rector Major
18th January 2008

Dear brothers and sisters in the Salesian Family,

Today, the excerpt from Mark which the Liturgy offers us presents us with one of the more striking episodes in Jesus' life. What we would like to see is what is the more direct message coming from the Gospel and what links that might have with our reflections developing over these days of Salesian Spirituality.

The scene that Jesus presents: in someone's house, surrounded by a large number of people; despite the uncomfortable circumstances he succeeds in speaking freely to the people who have taken up every vantage point even crowding the entrance to the place. At a certain point, amongst the women's cries, the men shouting, the sense of amazement and fear of what is happening, suddenly... the ceiling, probably made of straw and mud, opens up and the bits and pieces fall on those standing underneath. Everyone looks up in surprise and sees a stretcher with a man lying on it being slowly lowered down to where Jesus is standing. The only one who remains calm and is not overwhelemd by the noise and the panic is ... Jesus himself, unaffected by the chaos around him. Rather he is fascinated by the faith of those who, working to a somewhat detailed plan, after examining all the possible means of access to the room for their patient, seek the Word of salvation in Jesus, the Messiah. And the paralytic? We see him silent and immobile, especially in such a disconcerting situation... He is physically ill, but in terms of health of soul he is better off than anyone else in that house! His illness does not in fact stop him from seeing Jesus as his Saviour and the Son of God giving him back hope, even in his sinful circumstances.

Against everyone's expectations, Jesus frees him from the worst illness that can corrupt humankind, that is, sin, and this certainly makes the poor paralytic happy. He hadn't even asked to be freed from his illness (he merely wanted to see Jesus) "My son, your sins are forgiven". Hearing that was enough for him. Nevertheless there are those who doubt. And in fact the doubts of the Scribes and Pharisees was not an illegitimate one: according to the Scriptures the faculty to forgive sins belonged only to God.
Jesus' reply: "Is it easier to say to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven” or to say: 'Get up and walk?' So... What is the easier of the two? Certainly not forgiving sins! Why? The answer is simple: because whoever forgives sins must necessarily know the feelings, the state of mind, the possible desire to repent, be contrite inwardly and other matters of the kind. Who could know all this but God alone?
So, if Jesus heals the paralytic next, he does so to show that it is much easier to effect a physical recovery and healing than to pardon sin. And again, if Jesus is able to show that he can heal a sick body, this is to show that he can do the same thing for the human spirit. So he rightly forgives sin showing that He is the Son of God.

This Gospel is first of all an invitation to accept Jesus in faith as the one who can give inner healing and fullness of life.

In these “Salesian Spirituality Days” we are reflecting on education. The Rector Major has invited us to rediscover our commitment to educate with the heart of Don Bosco. What urges us along in this calling of ours? The desire for fullness of life for our young people! And what is asked of us Christian educators according to the heart of Don Bosco…? To bring the young to Christ Jesus who gives fullness of life, freedom from sin. The same episode of healing which we have read and meditated on becomes a kind of icon of our educational activity. In fact the people in this Gospel episode could well symbolically represent what happens to the chief protagonists in education.

The paralytic is brought in on a stretcher and is powerless to effect any kind of movement. Immobilised and wordless s/he awaits salvation. Not only in body but also in spirit. We are to recognise the paralytic as an image of our youngsters, our youth. How many of them are simply paralyzed by their inward and outward situation! How many are waiting for someone who can understand them, help them, free them.
The four people who are carrying the paralytic are those with compassion for him, who support him. They are not overwhelmed by the difficulties they face, and they invent a new solution so as to succeed in their intentions. These can be an image of the true educator. People who stand by humanity and the lives of the young. They don't stop: they want to bring young people life.
The paralytic is lowered into the house. Home is the place par excellence for the family, thus for true identity, the place for life. And at the centre of this home is He, the Lord of life, Jesus. Think of how we are called to bring “our young people back home”. “At home” here means authentic experiences, truly human experiences, the “divine” experience of a profound understanding of Jesus. He is always at home for us to restore us to full identity and life.
The healing of the sinner represents the profound recovery of dignity for the child of God. For us this is every young person. It is the fullest experience of healing and life. It is the rediscovery of renewed life under the sign of Grace.
We are told that the paralytic: got up, took his bed and went..: he does what Jesus tells him to do and carries his past with him (his stretcher) as a precious reminder of his meeting with the One who has saved him. Is it not the case too for so many of the young people we have helped? They carry memories of their tough experiences, but above all the joy of being healed, remotivated for their life. The past then becomes a sign and place of acknowledgement.
And we can add the crowd to this acknowledgement. The crowd that blocked the entrance to the house where Jesus was now becomes an assembly praising what he has done.

Once again here we are giving thanks to the Lord of life. He has brought us into the Salesian vocation to be bearers of life, so we can love every young person who is in difficulty, especially the poorest and most defenceless of them, those whose rights are most violated. In Don Bosco he has given us an original educational style inspired by love, understanding, constant hope in Jesus whose desire is always “to save mankind”.

This is the reason for our praise. This is the reason for our joy.

Rome, 18 January 2008

Fr Adrian Bregolin
Vicar of the Rector Major