Ordinary Time

“Four came, carrying a paralytic” Mk. 2:1-12

Today’s Gospel presents us with a paralytic, next to him four people. We do not know who they are, probably relatives, friends, or neighbors. From experience, we know that the presence of a sick person is unsettling. It forces us to think about how we live, the meaning we give to what we do, when we listen to them, we implicitly acknowledge our vulnerability. Sickness reveals to us that we are not self-sufficient, that we need each other. The four who carry the paralytic have listened and have been moved to help him, their faith has become action; in this way, both they and the paralytic have been saved. Let us ask for the grace to listen to the needs of others and to help them as much as possible.