Sunday of the Paralytic (Acts 9:32–42; Jn. 5:1–15)

“See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you” (Jn. 5:14). Sin strikes not only the soul but also the body. In some cases this is very evident; in others, though not so obvious, the truth remains the truth: all bodily illnesses, always and without exception, arise from sins and on account of sins. Sin is committed in the soul and directly makes it sick; but since the life of the body comes from the soul, from a sick soul the life proceeding is naturally not a healthy one. Even the mere fact that sin brings darkness and anguish must act unfavorably on the blood, which is the foundation of bodily health. But when one remembers that sin separates a person from God—the Source of life—and sets him at odds with all the laws operating both within himself and in nature, one marvels all the more that the sinner remains alive after sinning. This is the mercy of God, awaiting repentance and conversion. Consequently, the sick person ought, before any other matter, to hasten to cleanse himself from sins and to be reconciled with God in his conscience. This will clear the way for the beneficial action of medicines as well. It is said that there was once a notable physician who would not proceed with treatment until the patient had made his confession and received Holy Communion; and the more serious the illness, the more insistently he required it.