Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - In his Sunday Angelus on 19 February reflection Pope Benedict XVI focused on Jesus’ work of healing lepers and paralytics. He pointed out that Jesus “shows that he wishes to heal the spirit first of all”...“the paralytic is the image of every human being prevented because of sin from moving freely, walking along the path of goodness, giving the best of self. In fact when it takes root in the soul evil binds the person with ties of falsehood, anger, envy and other sins paralysing him little by little”. This is why before healing his material sickness Jesus says to the paralytic : “Your sins are forgiven”. “The message is clear: man, paralysed by sin, needs the mercy of God which Christ came on earth to bring so that healed in his heart his whole life may flourish anew”.
The Pope continued: “Today too humanity bears the signs of sin which prevent it from advancing quickly in the values of brotherhood, justice and peace to which it is committed in solemn declarations”. Humanity’s progress on the path of integral development is hampered by many things nevertheless “the Word of God calls us to have faith and trust, like the people who carried the paralytic to Jesus the only one who can truly heal”. In this regard Benedict XVI mentioned his first Encyclical Deus caritas est in which he says to believers and to all the world “God is the source of all authentic love”. “Only God’s love can renew the human heart - the Pope said -, and only if it is healed in its heart can paralysed humanity stand up and walk. The love of God is the true force which renews the world”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2006 - righe 21, parole 315)
