Vatican City, Feb 19, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Reflecting on Jesus’ miracles of physical healing, which are being described in the Sunday Gospel readings during the coming weeks, Pope Benedict XVI stressed on Sunday, that modern man is no less plagued by paralysis--namely caused by sin--and in need of God’s healing and mercy, than the scriptural figures in Jesus’ time were.
Before praying his Sunday Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope spoke specifically on the healing of the paralytic man, recounted in Sunday's liturgy from the Gospel of Mark which, he said, represents the image of human beings "prevented by sin from moving freely ... and from giving the best of themselves.”
“Indeed”, he said, “evil, taking root in the soul, binds man ... and little by little paralyzes him.”
It is for this reason, Benedict said, that Jesus “first says: 'your sins are forgiven,' and only afterwards adds: 'rise, take up your pallet and go home.' ... The message is clear. Man, paralyzed by sin, has need of the mercy of God that Christ came to give him, so that, healed in his heart, all his life can again blossom."
He added that "Today too, humans bear the mark of sin that prevents them from making swift progress in those values of fraternity, justice and peace that they have proposed in solemn declarations.”