الياس بجاني: عجيبة شفاء المخلع وأهمية الصلاة من أجل الآخرين أهمية عجيبة شفاء المخلع أنه لم يطلب من يسوع أن يشفيه، بل أن يسوع استجاب لطلب الذين حملوه على فراشه واتوا به إليه.. مما يعني أن الصلاة من أجل الآخرين أحياء كانوا أم أموات يستجيب الرب لها وكذلك هو يستجيب لطلب شفاعة العذراء والقديسين.
The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic & The Power of Praying for Others Elias Bejjani/March 30/2025
On the fifth Sunday of Lent, Catholic Maronites reflect with great reverence on the Gospel of Saint Mark (2:1-12), which recounts The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic. This powerful miracle underscores the immense value of intercession, affirming that prayers and supplications for others are faith-driven acts that Almighty God attentively hears and graciously answers.
Notably, the paralytic man in this Gospel passage did not personally seek Jesus’ help, nor did he ask for healing, forgiveness, or mercy. Many theologians believe that Jesus frequently preached in Capernaum’s synagogue, the very town where this man lived, yet he remained distant—lacking faith, hope, and spiritual awareness. He did not believe that the Lord could cure him.
What makes this miracle particularly remarkable is the unwavering faith of the paralytic’s friends, relatives, or perhaps some of Jesus’ disciples. They were convinced that if Jesus merely touched him, the man who had been crippled for 38 years would be healed. Their deep faith and determination compelled four of them to carry him on a mat to the house where Jesus was preaching. When they could not break through the crowd, they climbed onto the roof, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic before Jesus, pleading for his healing.
Moved by their faith, Jesus first forgave the man’s sins: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Only afterward did He heal his body, commanding: “Arise, take up your bed, and walk.”
Like the scribes in the Gospel, many today question why Jesus prioritized the forgiveness of sins over physical healing. His divine wisdom reveals that sin is the true death, leading to eternal suffering in Hell. Sin cripples the soul, destroys faith and hope, erodes morals and values, and numbs the conscience, separating individuals from God. Jesus sought to restore the man’s soul before curing his body, teaching an eternal truth: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).
Our merciful God never turns away those who seek Him in faith and humility. He listens with boundless love and responds in His divine wisdom, time, and manner:”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:15)
Within this divine context of mercy and intercession, prayers for others—whether they are living or deceased, loved ones or enemies, relatives or strangers—are acts of faith and compassion. God listens and responds because He never abandons His children, provided they turn to Him with sincere repentance and trust. Numerous biblical passages demonstrate God’s acceptance of prayers offered on behalf of others:
Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant at the request of the Centurion, not the servant himself. (Matthew 8:5-13)
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in response to the pleas of his sisters, Mary and Martha. (John 11:1-44)
Praying for others—whether family, friends, strangers, or even nations—reflects faith, love, and hope. Almighty God, as a loving and merciful Father, hears these prayers and answers them according to His divine wisdom, which often transcends human understanding:
“Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22)
God is always waiting for us, His children, to seek His mercy—whether for ourselves or for others. He never leaves us alone. Moreover, it is our duty of faith to extend a helping hand to those who cannot pray for themselves—the lost, the suffering, the unconscious, and the paralyzed. This spirit of intercession is why we also pray to the Virgin Mary and the Saints—not as objects of worship, but as intercessors who bring our pleas before the Lord.
O Lord, grant us the grace of faith, hope, wisdom, and patience.Help us to be loving, humble, and compassionate.Guide us on the path of righteousness.May we stand with the just on the Day of Judgment.God sees and hears us always—let us live in reverence to Him in all we think, say, and do.
N.B: The above piece was first published in 2012/It Is Republished with minor changes
“The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic
Gospel of Saint Mark ( 02/1-12): “The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic”: “When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— He said to the paralytic— “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
