“Experiencing the God of blessings pouring down graces on us!”
(Based on Heb 4:1-5, 11 and Mk 2:1-12 – Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 1)
There is a popular quote in Hindi, which goes so:
“Bhagwaan jab deta hain, chappar phaad kar deta hain”
The meaning of the words are given below:
Bhagwaan (God) jab (when) deta hain (gives), chappar (roof) phaad (tear open) kar deta hain (gives)!
Therefore, literally, in English, this quotation would get translated as:
“When God gives, He tear opens the roofs and gives!”
The Gospel of the Day gives a similar scene of “The roof being torn open!”
We are travelling very quickly with St Mark’s journey of the ministry of Jesus.
We were with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee, where He called the first disciples (Mk 1: 16-20)
Then we came to the synagogue, where Jesus cures a man with an unclean spirit (Mk: 1: 21-28)
Then we reached Simon’s house, where Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law (Mk 1:29-31)
Then we went to the mountains to pray with Jesus, who always remained focused (Mk 1: 35)
Then we met a leper, unacceptable in the society, who was made clean by Jesus (Mk 1: 40-45)
The journey moves fast and immediately…
At Capernaum, a great crowd has gathered in a house, where Jesus is preaching (Mk 2:1-2)
The house is fully packed with people cramming to hear the Lord..
The house is brimming with persons seeking the healing of the Lord..,
Then comes a group of thick friends who have brought their paralytic friend to Jesus.
They came with much expectation to get their friend whole and well again.
They sought with an eager and earnest desire for the Lord of power and healings.
But as they approached the house… their hopes would have gone down!
The thick crowd of people would have slimmed their hopes!
The massive gathering at the door would have thinned their anticipations!
But when the chips are down, one is given a chance to find strength one never knew one had & put it toward the greater good.
They came seeking for blessings…
They came seeking for the God of blessings…
.But it seemed, that the firmament was closed to shower down blessings!
But then they had a hope…similar to that of …” Bhagwaan jab deta hain, chappar phaad kar deta hain!”
Yes …”When God gives, He tear opens the roofs and gives!”
And so they decided to take on this same principle that God uses to shower His blessings:
“To tear open the roof!”
“Unable to get near Jesus, because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above Him” (Mk 1:4)
“Opened up the roof” has other translations…
… “dug a hole through the roof”
…“removed part of the roof”
… “uncovered the roof”
We would perhaps think the roof was some primitive, thatched roof.
But most likely, that was not the case…
As per the architecture then, this roof was more than likely a mud clay roof with tiles
To lower their paralyzed friend through the roof, they literally had to do a major demolition of the roof.
Well… picture this…
You’re in this packed house – people crammed to the max…trying to listen to Jesus.
All of a sudden you start to hear some banging on the roof.
These friends would have literally tore the tiles off the roof, made a hole & lowered the paralyzed man by a rope into the house.
Then the roof materials begins to fall in on you!
Well… picture the people’s responses…
They would have been astonished, amazed and some even angered!
They were there to listen to Jesus….they had come early…they had won their spot…
They were perhaps hearing their life-transforming sermon!
It’s at this point, that the “roof starts tearing down!”
But Jesus, the God of blessings, is immensely pleased and edified by their faith and trust!
Their “tearing of the roof” is blessed by “pouring down of blessings”
Their “tearing of the roof” is rewarded with a “cleansing of sins”.
Many of the times, we too face similar barriers and blockages in our experience for the Lord.
Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of discouragements, disappointments and distresses?Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of ‘end-of-the-road’ feelings and ‘hopeless situations’?Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of problems which seem impossible and unsolvable?Difficulties and barriers will always be many in life…
Hardships and challenges will often stare on our face…
But let us have the grit and the guts to be ready to “break through the roof” of all such adversities!
Then, we will experience the God of blessings also pouring down graces on us… “Chappar phaad ke!!” (breaking the roof)
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
WAYS OF COMING TO KNOW GOD
Created in God’s image and called to know and love him, the person who seeks God discovers certain ways of coming to know him.
These are also called proofs for the existence of God, not in the sense of proofs in the natural sciences, but rather in the sense of “converging and convincing arguments”, which allow us to attain certainty about the truth.
Reflection Capsules 