The Audacity of Faith: Breaking Through the Ceiling
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Luke 5:17-26
One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And behold, some men were bringing on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He immediately stood up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all, and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”
Grace Prayed For
The scripture passage prompts the reader to pray for the grace of audacious faith and persistent vigilance—the grace to act boldly on the hope we profess, removing any obstacle (physical or spiritual) that separates ourselves or others from the healing and forgiving presence of Jesus.
Reflection
Our Advent journey of vigilance and hope asks us: How badly do we want to be near Jesus? In this Gospel, we see four friends whose desire for the paralytic to be healed—to encounter the Christ—is so intense that they will not be stopped by physical walls or social scrutiny. They literally prepare the way for their friend by breaking through the roof! They demonstrate an audacious vigilance, an unshakeable faith that Jesus is present and that His power is ready for them.
Reflect on your own heart, the house where Jesus desires to teach and dwell. Are there ceilings of doubt, fear, or past hurts that block your own passage to the Lord? The friends’ actions are a profound witness. Their love for their friend pushes them past every obstacle, echoing the very extravagant love of our Trinitarian God that first burst into creation for us.
And what is the result? Not only is the man healed, but his deeper need—the forgiveness of sins—is addressed first. Jesus affirms, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” This is the radical hope we are called to witness: that Jesus cares about the core of our being, restoring us to God before He restores us physically. The crowd is left in astonishment, glorifying God because they have seen “incredible things.”
My beloved sister/brother in Christ, you and I are called to be those friends for the world. We are commissioned by our Baptism to be those who break through the obstacles—the noise, the cynicism, the despair—to bring others to the feet of Jesus. Our own intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is meant to be the light that shines through the cracks of our imperfect lives, a beacon of hope that says, “Jesus is here! There is forgiveness, there is healing, and God’s creation will be restored.” Let the audacious love of the friends inspire your own vigilance to prepare hearts, starting with your own, and to courageously give witness to His coming.
Daily Evangelization and Baptismal Mission
My own life has been impacted by Jesus’s forgiveness, much like the paralytic. He has lifted me from spiritual paralysis and given me the incredible hope of a new life. This is the witness I share. Preparation (Removing Obstacles): Like the friends who prepared the way by moving tiles, identify small ways you can remove obstacles for others to encounter God’s love. This could be preparing a meal for a new parent (a practical expression of Christ’s care), or actively preparing a space in your conversation to avoid gossip or negativity, ensuring your words build up, rather than tear down.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post