Monday of the Second Week of Advent

It happened, on a certain day, that he again sat down, teaching. And there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present, to heal them. And behold, some men were carrying in the bed of a man who was paralyzed. And they sought a way to bring him in, and to place him before him. And not finding a way by which they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they climbed up to the roof, and they let him down through the roof tiles with his bed, into their midst, in front of Jesus. And when he saw his faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: “Who is this, who is speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?” But when Jesus realized their thoughts, responding, he said to them: “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’ But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralytic, “I say to you to: Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.” And at once, rising up in their sight, he took up the bed on which he was lying, and he went away to his own house, magnifying God. And astonishment took hold of everyone, and they were magnifying God. And they were filled with fear, saying: “For we have seen miracles today.”