1st FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 2:1-12) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Mk 2:7)

FIRST READING - 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a

"You will cry out because of the king, but the Lord will not answer you on that day."

A reading from the Book of Samuel

⁴ Therefore all the elders of Israel assembled and went to Samuel at Ramah ⁵ and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, like all the nations, to rule us.”

⁶ Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to rule us.” But he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ The Lord said: Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king. ¹⁰ Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. ¹² He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry. ¹³ He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵ He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials^[a] and his servants. ¹⁶ He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. ¹⁷ He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves. ¹⁸ On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”

¹⁹ The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “No! There must be a king over us. ²⁰ We too must be like all the nations, with a king to rule us, lead us in warfare, and fight our battles.” ²¹ Samuel listened to all the concerns of the people and then repeated them to the Lord. ²² The Lord said: Listen to them! Appoint a king to rule over them. Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, “Return, each one of you, to your own city.”^[b]

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 2:1-12

"The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth,"

✠From the Gospel according to Mark

^1 [a]When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.^{[b] 2} Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. ^5 [c]When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” ^6 [d]Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, ⁷ “Why does this man speak that way?^[e] He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” ⁸ Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? ^10 [f]But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— ¹¹ he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” ¹² He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

1st FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 2:1-12)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

Today's Word of God continues to tell all humanity about God’s power and strength, which is capable of driving out all sickness and infirmity in this world.

There is nothing that God cannot do.

When humans are rendered helpless by paralysis and other diseases, but turn to God, He will heal them all. That shows no one has the power and might like God.

The proof is that when the paralyzed man was carried by his brothers to meet Jesus to ask for healing, with just one word from Him, the paralyzed man stood up and was able to walk again. Furthermore, he also healed the soul’s ailments by forgiving all its sins.

When both the soul and the body are purified, that person returns to normal, like everyone else.

Only the Almighty God has the power to forgive all sins for humanity. And only the Almighty God has the power to heal all physical illnesses for humanity.

God also made it known to all humanity that:

• There must be love and solidarity among fellow human beings.

When someone has faith and the love of God, that person must also know how to share it with their fellow human beings and not live selfishly, only caring for oneself without thinking of others.

• Look at the image of those who removed the roof to lower the paralyzed man down to where Jesus was, asking Him to heal the man.

This shows that their actions were an act of love for their fellow human beings, and also demonstrate their absolute faith in the power of the Son of God, and are worthy of God's praise.

Furthermore, God also teaches everyone: Do not be envious, do not be arrogant, and do not provoke others. When those who are filled with divine grace and sent by God to heal do not try to find every way to criticize God's holy will.

God also warns those who are falling into Satan's temptation to oppose God’s work and oppose those chosen by God to be vigilant and not fall into Satan's temptations anymore!

Just as in the time of Jesus, some people tried to criticize and oppose Him, yet God continues to dwell among and accompany humanity today.

Those who are intentionally opposing God’s plan must be vigilant and rise to walk on the path of God's light and truth; do not walk in darkness anymore!

Return to God’s love and reconcile with Him. Let us acknowledge our condition as sinful human beings who have received God’s mercy and love, and therefore do not live in sinful passions, selfishness, envy, and arrogance anymore!

Instead, we must rise to love, to care for, and to support our fellow human beings, and together collaborate in God the Father’s plan of salvation, leading souls back to His love. That is what pleases God the Father.

God the Father calls upon all humanity to care for and support our fellow human beings in faith.

Let us bring God to everyone, so that all may also experience God the Father’s love and mercy.

Thanks be to God. Amen.