Before the paralytic got to Jesus/a nurse prespective/"Your sins are forgiven"

 Starting the day with prayer with my deacon father and mom... they in their well worn books of prayer and me on my phone breviary.   The old and the new patch up and allow us to be on the same psalms and petitions and readings of the morning  prayer of the first week of ordinary time.

Starting with the readings last night Pat and I shared over the phone the paralytic brought on mat by 4 friends and lowered through the roof to be place in front of Jesus for healing - Mark2:1-12

This reading has been a powerful one in our family since John's battle with cancer and all the prayer warriors who lowered him for healing in front of Jesus, and his finding his faith through brain cancer!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html

 St Ignatius looks on while we pray the prayer of The Church... He was responsible for our coming into the Church 47 years ago as my parents were on an Ignation retreat and dad was reading Isaiah 55:1-2 when the Holy Spirit told him to come into the Catholic Church with his family of 13 strong.  My dad was a Protestant minister at the time!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

As I was awaking in my parents' home this cold January morning... Pat called to report that school was called off there due to winter snow storm, which is missing us here... the paralytic kept coming to me with all the depth and beauty of this amazing story in it's many facets!  I was led to consider the work it took to get to the point of him being carried on that stretcher to Jesus by 4 men/his friends.  As a paralytic he needed to have total cares given him to get clean, toileted, dressed, fed, and then to be carried with a man on each corner of his mat.  His needs had been met by others for how long?  Possibly years or a lifetime!  Imagine how humbling and hard it is for him and for those needed to care for him!  This background adds so much to the words of Christ to him of first of all his sins being forgiven and then as a sign that He as the Son of God can forgive sins...
"But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

With the added background to his coming to Christ by the help of his friends and all the years of care and loving ministering to his needs... Truly so powerful and blessing beyond measure!

Praying the Our Father together and then on to the prayers for our huge family... dad spoke of how 4 of us were lowering mother for healing today as Paula and I were taking mom to see her neurology doctor and try to get some answers.

Mom and Paula a year ago for Paula's birthday celebrated here with mom, dad and another sister, Marty.

Mom's Christmas Cactus is humbly blooming a few weeks late... brings some cheer to our hearts though.

It is a gift to be sharing our prayer and Jesus coming to us in The Word that is read in every Catholic Church around the entire world every day!  I am heading over to the St Joseph Catholic Church across the river to spend my hour in adoration for Father Denny - Seven Sisters lifting up each of our priests with each day.  So powerful and important to keep them lifted up or should I say lowering them into the presence of their Lord!!!  They are the voice of Jesus to us... "your sins are forgiven!"  LOVE is poured upon us in Reconciliation, Eucharist, Mary, the Saints, the Holy Spirit, Baptism, Holy Orders and the Priesthood.... too much LOVE!

My aging mother is so important to me!   I love to have both my parents together in their own home and my time with them is total GIFT!!!

Jesus, how I love you and am filled with unending blessings a small slice of heaven here on earth if only we share our Faith with JOY!  Yes, we are like the paralytic in how we are weak and lowly and needy, so when you forgive us we are raised up to go carrying our mat and then are wanting to serve others without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Will you pray a rosary on the 1st of every month? Catholics around the country unite to pray for the graces necessary to stop abortion and to stop the culture of death in all its forms and establish the Culture of Life in all souls, in all minds and in all hearts. If we can count you in, sign up today at http://www.catholicaction.org/heaven_by_storm_1115.