*** 1st Reading ***

Amos 7:10-17

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel,

then sent word to king Jeroboam of Israel, “Amos is conspiring against you in the very center of Israel; what he says goes too far. These are his very words: Jeroboam shal die by the sword and Israel shall be exiled from its land.”

Amaziah then said to Amos,” Off with you, seer, go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there by prophesying. But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is a king’s Sanctuary and a national shrine.”

Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet or one of the fellow prophets. I am a breeder of sheep and a dresser of sycamore trees. But Yahweh took me from shepherding the flock and said to me: Go, prophesy to my people Israel.

Now hear the word of Yahweh, you who say: No more prophecy against Israel, no more insults against the family of Isaac! This is what Yahweh says: Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword, your land shall be divided up and given to others, and you, yourself, shall die in a foreign land, for Israel shall be driven far from its land.”

 

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

 

**** Gospel ****

Matthew 9:1-8

Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and came to his hometown. Here they brought a paralyzed man to him, lying on a bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic, “Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.”

Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man insults God.” Jesus was aware of what they were thinking, and said, “Why have you such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? You must know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

He then said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up! Take your stretcher and go home.” The man got up, and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for giving such power to human beings.

 

Gospel Reflection

Ateenage boy did not go home for weeks making his parents and two brothers worried and angry. When he finally came back, it took only minutes of talk and his parents gave him a welcome hug.

His two brothers never talked to him and have gone angrier as weeks passed. The mother sensed their cold attitude toward their returning borther. She called them and asked, “Why can’t you welcome him back?”One of the brothers answered, “Well, you can easily forgive him because you are a mothr.

We are not.”The mother answered, “It is not my being a mother that made me forgive him. It is being him. Being in his place.” God-through Jesus-gave humans the power to forgive. Such a power is not for us to be another God but to be another human, frail as we are, and in need of healing.