Transcript
Hi, my name is Emma Plant, I’m the Communications Manager at Archdiocesan Ministries and a missionary disciple doing my best to follow Jesus and grow in faith. I invite you to join me today in a moment of Lectio Divina. This is a slow, prayerful way of reading Scripture that helps us listen for God’s voice in the words. It invites us to read, reflect pray, and rest in God’s presence so the Word can move from our heads to our hearts and transform our lives. There’s more than one way to engage in this practice and today I invite you to listen as I read through a Gospel passage for a word or a phrase that stands out to you. When you hear a word or phrase that stands out, take time to sit with that. I’ll read through the text a second time and again invite you to listen and whatever the word or phrase that strikes you is, stay there and ask God what He’s saying to you. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This is a reading from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 5:17-25).
One day, while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by. They had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, He answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” He said to the one who was paralysed, “I say to you, stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God.
I invite you now to sit with that word that touched your heart. What is God trying to say to you? I’ll read the scripture one more time.
One day, while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by. They had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, He answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” He said to the one who was paralysed, “I say to you, stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God.
Thank you God for all the ways you speak to us. I pray as we carry these words in our hearts that you will continue to reveal yourself to us. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.