Healing of the Paralytic

Our parish priest, Fr. Lawrence, looked to St. Augustine for his beautiful interpretation of the Gospel reading.
He explained that the paralytic was carried by four friends, and lowered down to the feet of Jesus: 4 is the number of man, of man's effort.  The paralyzed man was carried to the Lord to be made whole: 3 is the number for God.  Three plus four equals seven. 7 is the number for perfection ~ of wholeness and healing.
Father closed his homily by asking us to pray that our human nature may be humbly lowered and placed at the feet of Jesus where God's healing power is made manifest.

Multiplication of the loaves and the fishes.

This morning Fr. Lawrence asked us to sit down as he read the Gospel account of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. We are lower than the angels, he explained. The detail of asking the crowd to sit down on the grass was Christ's way of helping us realize that as we prepare for receiving Him in the Eucharist we need to recognize our lowliness and acknowledge our total dependence upon Him.

To greatness
prefer humility,
and you will rest
in the Heart
of Jesus.
Basset, Paris

With the warmth of the divine rays, I cultivate in my heart the great virtue of humility.
Bouasse Jeune
Plate 103