They went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles…
(Generous men from Cenacolo Community carrying a pilgrim up Apparition Hill!)
St.Nicholas
Dear Family of Mary!
The Gospel reading for today is the powerful story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man who was let down through the roof by his friends. Here is that amazing event:
On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, `Your sins are forgiven you,’ 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 man who was paralyzed — “I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.” (Luke 5: 17-29)
We marvel at the power and wisdom of Jesus! He was able to do so much through one situation, healing a paralyzed man, showing his ability not only to heal but to forgive sins, speaking to the hearts of the Pharisees and teachers boldly and with surgical precision, and building up the faith of the people.
But what I want to talk about is the love and perseverance of the men bringing the paralytic to Jesus. They must have carried him a long way to get to the house where Jesus was staying. They must have had great love for that poor man, to do such a thing. And when they reached the house, and they could not get in by the door, they had the courage and the ingenuity to climb up on the roof. They had to hoist that man up with them, and then find the exact spot to start tearing the tiles away, so they could lower their friend down at Jesus’ feet. Wow!
I am sure Jesus did not overlook their charity. And their hard work paid off with a stunning healing of their friend. They had great mercy to do that.
While in prayer, on my last trip to Medjugorje, I was given the thought that Mary TV is a lot like those men who carried the paralytic to Jesus. There are millions of people who cannot get to Medjugorje, and never will get there probably. But the little team of Mary TV has found a way to get them to Medjugorje, by lowering those people from all over the world down through the digital roof to where Our Lady is waiting for them in Medjugorje! It is a huge task, but the Mary TV team will not flag in zeal.
And though our team on the ground is doing the physical and technical work, it is the whole Mary TV family that is supplying what is needed to do the job. You are helping us with prayer, and you are helping us with your precious donations to pay for the equipment and manpower to get the job done. You are making a way to lower down millions of people though the digital roof, into Medjugorje!!
On Friday, November 3, at English Mass, Fr. Michael Fitzgerald closed his homily with these words:
“Today I invite you to spare a thought for the young man on the TV camera, and all of Mary TV. Are they not also missionaries? Without ever leaving their village, standing behind the camera, bringing the whole Mass, the music, prayers, reading, the Gospel to many countries throughout the world. I know one home in Cork, in Ireland, will be listening to this Mass. And what an example those young men in Mary TV give to all of us, by their devotion and reverence. We thank God for all working in Mary TV. And support them with our love and prayers. Let us conclude with the words of Our Lady in her last message; ‘Dear children, I am with you in this time of Mercy. And I am calling all of you to be carriers of peace and love in this world.'”
Thank you Fr. Michael for your wonderful words of encouragement to Mary TV! I think that those cameramen are like the men who carried the paralytic to Jesus. Those cameras are heavy and they carry them all over Medjugorje, bringing us all closer to Jesus and Mary through the prayer in Our Lady’s village. And the technology that Mary TV has mastered in order to send out all that prayer throughout the world is like the ingenuity of those men on the roof. This task of bringing the world to Medjugorje is very much like the task that the friends of the paralytic had. In both cases it takes love, courage, dedication and ingenuity!
Thank you to all of you who are part of this work! Thank you to all our prayer warriors, our donors, our contributors, our team members on the ground in Medjugorje and around the world, and especially thank you to Our Lady who has called us to help her to find her children all over the world and bring them to Medjugorje.
May 8, 1986 “Dear children! You are the ones responsible for the messages. The source of grace is here, but you, dear children, are the vessels which transport the gifts. Therefore, dear children, I am calling you to do your job with responsibility. Each one shall be responsible according to his own ability. Dear children, I am calling you to give the gifts to others with love, and not to keep them for yourselves. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
May we all give the gifts to others with love!
In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV 2021
PS. Here is the link to our matching grant campaign. It is a wonderful way to help us lower down the people of the world into Medjugorje through the digital roof!!! Incidentally, just today we found out that one of our main switchers in the Mary TV Studio has failed and we need to purchase a new one, for $18,000! We need your help!!!
