Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth week of the Lent

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the

people heard that he had come home. They gathered in

such large numbers that there was no room left, not even

outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some

men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four

of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of

the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus

by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man

was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the

paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some

teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to

themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s

blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they

were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why

are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this

paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up,

take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the

Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he

said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go

home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view

of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,

saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Marc 2: 1 - 12

Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth weekLent 2019

The good news given to us by Jesus is that we are “God’s children”, and brothers one to the others. The truth of our

filiation and our fellowship is very important in our journey toward the heavenly eternal home, thus we shall not repeat Cain

words: “Am I my brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4, 9).Each and every one of us cannot live and fulfil his mission

without a community, a Saint Community, the Community of Jesus Christ. We must not think that “God does not need us”. If those four men did not react or if they had run away from the

initiative that demanded effort, the paralysed man would have not been healed. To go through this life and attend the Kingdom

of our Father, every one of us needs help others. Therefore, we have to be strong, and start to support each other.

What about the paralysed man sleeping in every one of us?Let us repeat for him the words of Jesus so that

he would be restored, be recreated: Be strong, get up and walk, follow me, with your brothers,

because God needs all of you.Be strong, carry your mat, carry your cross and follow me.

Be strong, let your cross be a sign that awakens the faith of others.

Be strong, have faith in your filiation, and let the circumstances that paralysed you to become a cross that will make you rise,

sanctify you, and bring you closer to God.

Sister Eleanor Sarkis

Meditation

Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth weekLent 2019

• Ezekiel 37: 1-13 “I will make breath enter you, and you

will come to life”

• Acts 3: 1-10 “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

walk.”

• 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 “Therefore encourage one

another and build each other up, just as in fact you are

doing”

• 1 Corinthians 12: 12-29 “Now you are the body of

Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”

• 1 John 3: 19-30 “If our hearts condemn us, we know

that God is greater than our hearts”

Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth weekLent 2019

Texts for meditation

Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth weekLent 2019

Reading from the fathers of the Church

Before I was, you created me. Before I could wish, you shaped

me. Before I glimpsed the world's light, you saw me. Before I

emerged, you took pity on me. Before I called, you heard me.

Before I raised a hand, you looked over me. Before I asked, you

dispensed mercy on me. Before I uttered a sound, you turned

your ear to me. Before I sighed, you attended me. Knowing in

advance my current trials, you did not thrust me from your sight.

No, even foreseeing my misdeeds, you fashioned me. I lie here

on a cot struck down by evil, sinking in disease and torment, like

the living dead yet able to speak. O kind Son of God, have

compassion upon my misery. Hear the sobbing of my agitated

voice. Bring me back to life with the dew of your blessed eyes as

you brought back your friend from breathless death. In a

dungeon of infirmities, I am captive, bitter and in doubt. Give me

your hand, sun that casts no shadows, Son on high, and lift me

into your radiant light.

Saint Gregory of Narek (950 – 1003)

Be strong… and carry your mat

Fifth weekLent 2019

Psalm 31

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to

shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my

rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of

your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord,

my faithful God.

I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

as for me, I trust in the Lord.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my

affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but

have set my feet in a spacious place.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.