Sunday, May 26 (13), 2024
Sunday of the Paralytic
Acts 9:32-42; Jn. 5:1-15                                              

“Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” [Jn. 5:14].  Sin assaults not only the soul, but also the mind.  Sometimes it is more obvious, sometimes less, but the truth remains the same: sickness of the body is related to sins and sinfulness.

A sin takes place in the human soul and makes it sick right away; however, since the life of the body depends on the soul, a sick soul cannot bring about bodily health.  The darkness and distress alone, brought about by sin, ought to adversely affect our physical health; but when we remember that sin separates us from God Who is the source of life, that sin puts us at odds with all natural laws of our own body as well as the environment, ─ it remains to wonder how a sinner could stay alive at all once he commits a sin. This is God’s mercy, a mercy which expects our conversion and repentance.

It means that a sick man first of all should haste to cleanse his soul of sins, to reconcile his conscience with God in the Sacrament of repentance.  This will pave the way for the healing action of medicine.  There was a well-known doctor who would not begin treatment of a patient until he went to confession and had Holy Communion, and the more serious the case, the firmer was his order.

Read more about the author