Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 30, 2022
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
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 then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
My grandmother cannot leave her hospice bed. My grandfather diligently follows the new responsibilities for her care. He encourages her to sip through her straw. He spoons soup into her mouth. He maneuvers pillows to make her comfortable.
Other responsibilities derive from habits cultivated during their 65-year marriage. He prays the Rosary with her every evening. He holds her tremoring hands. If he cannot hear her, he leans in closer. When she whispers his name, he hugs her shoulders, smooths her hair, and assures her, “I’m here.”
But every Sunday, he departs for what he considers his most important responsibility. He returns with a clasped pouch swaying gently around his neck. A pyx holding the Eucharist awaits inside as Jesus makes the journey, carried across my grandfather’s shoulders, to my grandmother.
Today, the paralytic’s friends let the wood of the stretcher grind blisters into their hands by the weight of a loved one. They did not strike out on their mission because it was fun. They did not stage a first-century version of an impressive photo-op to generate media likes.
They journeyed on behalf of a man who could not move—caring for him along the way. It may have surprised them when, after all this effort, the man’s body was not triaged as the part most in need of healing. Christ already knew the story of his life better than his friends.
Christ, the greatest friend, and most attuned listener to the slightest whispers of the heart, answered the man’s deepest desires as he declared, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
Though we may not always carry stretchers, and our loved ones may not always rise and walk, the carrier and the carried bring one another closer to Christ.
I am one of those onlookers brought closer, too, as I stand in awe at the graces born from the effort to lift one another toward Christ.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you know that at times we can feel paralyzed by our own evil thoughts or from the fear, anxiety, or shame that comes from our own sinfulness. Help us, Jesus, to rise and walk away from the sins that paralyze us. Give us the strength and courage to walk away from any evil thought or habit that we harbor this day. Help us know that you have given authority to forgive sins because you desire our healing even more than we desire it ourselves. May we always reverence you with awe and admiration for all you have done for us. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Theobald left his home in France to pursue holiness in solitude; years later, his parents heard stories of a famous and holy hermit in Italy, and were shocked to learn that he was their son.
He was born in 1017 to a noble family. As a child, he was captivated by the early saints who fled the city to seek a life of solitude and prayer in the desert—saints like John the Baptist, Paul the Hermit, and Anthony the Great. He wanted to follow them in their pursuit of perfection and holiness.
As he grew, he was given a military command commensurate with his noble rank, and was asked to lead soldiers into the field. He spoke with his commander and explained that he had made a vow to leave the world and live as a hermit. He spoke so eloquently and passionately that he was released.
Theobald and a friend named Walter left their home region and began living as wandering beggars. They built for themselves two small shelters in the forest and gave their lives to prayer and work, in the monastic tradition. For their labor, they went into the village and hired themselves out as field workers, hauled stones for masons, and cleaned stables. While they worked with their hands, their minds were absorbed in prayer. What little they earned they spent on coarse bread, which was their sustenance.
People began to take notice, and Theobald and Walter became well known for their practices and their holiness. The two friends wanted to escape notoriety and its danger of pride, so they went on pilgrimage. They walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, then on to Rome.
They settled in Italy near Vicenza, and after two years there, Walter died. Theobald took it as a sign that he would soon die as well, so he gave himself even more to prayer and discipline. A number of followers gathered around him, and the local bishop ordained Theobald a priest so that they could celebrate the Sacraments together.
Stories of Theobald started to spread—people spoke of miracles and prophecies—and his parents learned that this famous hermit was their son. They traveled to Italy to visit him, and his mother resolved to stay with him; Theobald built her a small hermitage next to his. It was not long after that Theobald fell ill—he died on this date in 1066.
Theobald was canonized only seven years after his death. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Theobald, your were inspired by stories of saints who sought perfection in the desert—pray for us!