The Paralytic

Long ago, at the time when Jesus of Nazareth walked on planet Earth, there was a man who longed to be healed. (1) 

He was paralyzed and lived in a hut in the town of Capernaum and even his family had abandoned him, tired of having to take care of him all the time. 

This paralytic man heard of a prophet who healed people without distinction: the blind, deaf, mute, paralyzed and even lepers. Many had already been healed by Him, and the paralytic man also felt immense desire to be cured by that prophet. 

One day the paralytic man heard that Jesus had arrived by boat at the city and asked a friend to take him to where the Prophet was. 

	The friend did so. As it was impossible for him, by himself, to carry the paralytic, he convinced three friends to help him. Thus, with the paralytic man on the cot that served as his bed, each holding a hand, they managed to carry him and went on to look for Jesus.  Asking around, they learned where the Prophet was and, with high
spirits, they went towards the house.

However, as they approached, the paralytic man's heart sunk. The place was full of people who surrounded the house hoping to see Jesus! All were there for the same reason. 

His friends asked people to make way for the paralytic as he wanted to be healed by Jesus, but the crowd reacted, and a man shouted angrily: 

- Why is he different from us? We also want to see the prophet and to be healed by Him. If this paralyzed man was in such a hurry he should have come in early! 

And another added: 

- When we got here, the house was already full and we had to content ourselves with waiting here in the street. And people keep on arriving!... 

But the paralytic man would not give up. And so great was his desire to be healed by Jesus that some people were moved and decided to help him. But no one knew what to do! 

Until someone smart suggested: 

- If he cannot enter by the door, may he enter through the roof! 

Laughter erupted from all sides but an old man considered: 

	Upon seeing the man that was lowered on his cot through the roof, and because of the faith that he and those who helped him had shown, he said:  - Men, your sins are forgiven.  So, some scribes (men among the Jews who were the lawyers and also clerks and copyists of texts) who were sitting nearby thought to themselves:

- Why does this man speak this way? This is an insult! Isn't God the only one capable of forgiving sins? 

Jesus, who had heard their thoughts, said: 

- What are you thinking? That it is easier to forgive the sins of the paralytic or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk? 

Then, to show that He had the power to forgive sins on earth, He said to the paralytic man: 

- Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 

Then the man got up, full of joy, took the cot and left in plain sight of everyone. 

The crowd, stunned, praised God, saying: 

- We have never seen anything like this! 

At that moment, everyone there got filled with hope, joy and faith, because this man called Jesus could only be a godsend to help, teach, guide and heal men on earth. 

And a great sense of veneration involved them as they recognized in Jesus the Savior that the Jewish people had waited for so long. 

This story shows us that when we really want to achieve something, we can do it. Even if it seems impossible, if we seek a way out, we can, for there is nothing that is impossible with the help of God. 

How many things we have learned and that seemed impossible to us? Surely you do not remember, but to balance yourself on two legs and walk was difficult! Remember all the falls it took until you could ride a bike? Or to rollerblade, or to skateboard? How many bruises, how much suffering! But today, you ride it confidently and dream that one day you will be able to ride a motorbike, don't you? 

So, when you are worried about a test at school, desperate by thinking you do not know anything and that you will "never" be able to improve on a certain subject, think of God and ask for help, it will not fail you. 

However, asking is not enough for we must also act as the paralytic man in this story did. Strive to resolve the issue that separates you from what you want, using your determination, your courage and your will to win. 

Imagine that paralyzed man's situation! For him it was not easy to be led upward. Think of the fear and insecurity that he felt as he was lifted to the roof of the house! And what if he fell off the cot? His situation would be worsened. What if it did not work and his friends could not withstand his weight? And what if they could not lower him from the roof to the floor of the house? Certainly, he would have many questions, and the biggest one of them: What if the prophet after all that, refused to heal him? 

But he resisted everything and went ahead with courage and determination, receiving that which he wanted so: a cure. 

So, never doubt what you want. If it's good for you, use your faith, your confidence to get what you want, and the Lord will bless you, as Jesus himself said: 

"If you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, move there and to there it will move, and nothing will be impossible." 

Jesus speaks of the mountain - a major obstacle - but by our faith - even if small – we will able to move it, because this mountain are the difficulties, resistances, ill-will, in short, everything that separates us from what we want to accomplish. 

So, have courage, faith and determination. Thus, with God's help, you will always win!                     

                                                   MEIMEI

(1) Text based on the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verses 1-12, and in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 5, verses 17-26, psychographed by the medium Célia Xavier de Camargo in Rolândia - PR - Brazil.