Dear all.
Gospel reading
Yesterday’s gospel reading of the healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:1 – 12) gives cause to marvel at the diametrically opposed understanding of what we think we need from God and what God knows that we need. There is a great lesson in this. Man, in the form of the paralytic sought healing and God offers him healing – but how different is the healing!… Man wants to be healed from his physical paralysis yet God’s first healing is of man’s spiritual paralysis.
This man wanted desperately to be healed. To him the only healing the mattered was that he could become fully able in body. He had no thought of spiritual healing. To God however what mattered was this person’s spiritual healing. Why? – because the body is born to die whereas the soul is eternal. From that perspective is better to enter heaven paralysed than to enter hell fully abled. Unfortunately, we humans mistake the minor for the major and disregard the major in pursuit of the minor.
No one alive today would have the audacity or temerity to say to a paralytic: “rise take up your bed and walk.” Such a person would soon be found to be a fraud as it is self-evident that no healing occurs. So, of the two alternatives: your sins are forgiven, or, rise take up your pallet and walk, we would all pick the latter to say to the paralytic because no human could prove or disprove that our words were or were not effective.
Yet Christ, to show that he is the Lord heals this paralytic, after he has forgiven him of his sins. What is observable to all is the physical healing. What is invisible but more beneficial is the spiritual healing. We humans approach God and always seem to request things of this world. We know however that this world will fail so perhaps it is now time that we turn our attention to the permanent and seek assistance so that our souls may be repaired and ready when we are before the master. What an opportune time to do this during Lent.
Programme for this week
The programme for this week is as follows: Compline 3:15 PM to 4:45 PM – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM Wednesday and Friday; Service of the Salutations to the Mother of God 7 PM to 8:15 PM Friday; Divine liturgy in English Saturday 10th of March 9 AM to 10:15 AM …… Do not forget…. Wednesday 6 PM to 7 PM catechism and renewal class; 7 PM to 8 PM adult bible study – please bring your Bibles.
Flowers for veneration of the Cross
This Sunday, being the third Sunday of Lent we have the Veneration of the Holy Cross to give us consolation. It is tradition that we give out small bunches of flowers to celebrate the continuity of life at that time. Please bring small bunches of flowers so we can distribute them at the end of the service.
Contributions for flower purchase
We have begun to collect money for flowers for the decoration of the Epitafio. Flowers are not cheap and the more money we collect the better our offering. Please give money to the pangari or to me for that purpose.
Thought for the week
There is a difference between what we want and what we need. We are like that five-year-old in the lolly shop who wants everything they see. God, is like the parent of that five-year-old child who saves them from themselves. True, the five year old may be resentful and angry from being denied whatever they want but they are saved from being violently ill from excess. Of course the difference between us and the five-year-old is that we do not have to stop if we do not want to and then we suffer the consequences of our sins.
Until next time.
In Christ.
Father John Athanasiou – 0411 061 554
Write a comment: