“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.” (Luke 5:19).
I recently heard a story about Saint Josemaría and a dying man. When there was once a man who was dying in hospital who had told the nuns caring for him that he would not receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The man said, “I’ll die, but I won't confess. When I was seventeen, I swore I'd never go to confession, and I've kept my promise.”
Fifteen minutes later the man – in tears – received the sacrament of Reconciliation. The nun who told the story said, “I don't remember any single case in which he failed to hear the confession of a dying person.” And he achieved this task “with affection, lots of prayer... and never (ever!) giving up on souls, because he loved them.”
And I have been reflecting on this idea of quitting. Because it is truly so easy to quit… But it is only when we persevere and DO NOT QUIT that marvellous things can happen…
“Men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralysed, 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’...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 paralysed – ‘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.” (Luke 5:17-26).
That man’s friends did not quit on him. Instead, what they actually did was overcome everything that was put in their way so that they could help their friend.
And that made them God-like. Because it is God who taught us to do that… “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of My Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14).
And there are so many souls who ar depending on the struggle and on my unwillingness to quit.
Saint John Vianney was implored by the Evil One to quit on his congregation as he was robbing Hell of souls through his vocation.
And I have been reflecting on that today, as I go about my business. It is a very good reminder not to quit!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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