tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post2224313435676387814..comments2023-08-09T07:48:53.962-04:00Comments on Bear Witness to the Light: Do Not Forget The Works Of The LordFr. John L. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16167510362871783781noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-31594750834290848502011-01-14T14:58:34.853-05:002011-01-14T14:58:34.853-05:00Sarah, please don't put yourself down because ...Sarah, please don't put yourself down because you saw the similarity between healing of the body and the mind, on the one hand, and the forgiveness of sins, on the other; but did not think of the difference between the healing of the body and the healing of the soul in the Sacrament of Penance, which is ministered only by the priest. Thank you and God bless you for recognizing the difference when it was explained to you; that is the sign of a good student. After all, the wonders of God's love are infinite, and we will never understand them all. Let us thank and praise him for his goodness and mercy toward us. Amen.Fr. John L. Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16167510362871783781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-40871587479896182342011-01-14T12:16:29.609-05:002011-01-14T12:16:29.609-05:00'it is clear from the Scriptures, both in the ...'it is clear from the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament, where prophets and disciples of Jesus had healing power, but only the priests of the Church Jesus founded had the power to forgive sins.'<br /><br />Thank you so much for that, Father. Stupidly, I hadn't registered it before. And this is such an important teaching ... Major implications for everyone!Sarah in the tenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14652265020101487633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-7327800976890031132011-01-14T09:20:04.800-05:002011-01-14T09:20:04.800-05:00Sarah, not only is it "not obvious why a heal...Sarah, not only is it "not obvious why a healing might show the authority to forgive sins", it is clear from the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament, where prophets and disciples of Jesus had healing power, but only the priests of the Church Jesus founded had the power to forgive sins. <br /><br />That the priest of the New Covenant has the power to forgive sins is grounded in his vocation as "alter Christus" (another Christ). It is not by any human power, but because he is the only-begotten Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, that Jesus forgives sins. There is no need for him to invoke the Father, since he is one in nature with the Father. No doubt "this lack of an invocation" brought the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, to wonder what the source of Jesus' power was; they had a right to be concerned, since the devil has the power to work wonders. But there were a few -- Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who recognized Jesus as who He is.Fr. John L. Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16167510362871783781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-71257099206098456402011-01-14T03:39:50.581-05:002011-01-14T03:39:50.581-05:00“I say to you,
rise, pick up your mat, and go hom...“I say to you, <br />rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”<br /><br />It's not obvious why a healing might show the authority to forgive sins. Is it perhaps because Our Lord simply speaks the man well again: 'I say to you', in the same way that God spoke the Universe into existence? .. and the fact that He does not invoke an outside God to effect the healing? Actually, I cannot think of any instance when Jesus invoked God to heal anyone. Perhaps this lack of an invocation is what struck the Jews - and even made them fearful that He might be in league with Beelzebub.Sarah in the tenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14652265020101487633noreply@blogger.com