My friend, your sins are forgiven you.

"My daughter, just as you prepare in My presence, so also you make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyse what sort of a priest it is that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light."
(#1725:  St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul).

"One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.

"And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

"Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

"He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.” (Luke 5: 17 - 20).

Monday 5th December 2022 of the 2nd Week of Advent.

Our key Scripture for today has one fascinating line for me.
"The power of the Lord was with him for healing.... When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Two things are linked in a cause and effect manner. Faith provokes the power to heal, the power to unleash miracles.

Look at this incidence in Acts of the Apostles:
"At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked.  He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed,  and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about." (Acts 14: 8 - 10).

We see clearly that faith in the subject unleashes the power of miracle in the agent. Whether the Agent is Jesus, God, St Paul or any Christian. We conclude: No faith, no miracle.

Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare to meet the Lord by making sure our house is as clean as possible. How? Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do you believe in the power of God to heal through the Sacrament of Penance? I am a prime witness. Jesus healed me instantly from demonic oppression from alcohol through the Sacrament of Penance. He can heal anyone from anything if you demonstrate faith. Advent and Lent are the seasons of favor. The appointed time to come to Jesus and ask and you shall receive. Forget your foolish pride. Come to Jesus and be healed.

"I want you to go to confession weekly. This is necessary for the health of your soul and even of your body. You will experience the benefits of My merciful pardon and the saving power of My precious Blood. Prepare your confessions well. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and repent of the sins that He will show you. The work to which I have called you requires a great delicacy of conscience and an uncompromising purity of heart." (IN SINU Thursday, July 31, 2008 Saint Ignatius of Loyola).

To see an example of Examination of Conscience which you can use, click the link below. Permission is granted for printing anything you like on the website:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-good-examination-of-conscience.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com