“If Jesus were to look at our country today, I wonder if He would say, “The Philippines is suffering from paralysis.”
Not the paralysis of the body, but the paralysis of the heart.
In the Gospel, people bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. Before healing his body, Jesus first says something unexpected: “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” Jesus reminds us that our deepest sickness is not always physical. Sometimes, it is spiritual and moral.
As I reflect on our nation, I believe there are three kinds of paralysis that we need Jesus to heal.
First, the paralysis of selfishness.
Many of the problems in our country begin when people stop asking, “How can I serve?” and begin asking, “What can I get?”
Corruption is born when personal gain becomes more important than the common good. Public money that should educate children, heal the sick, build roads, and feed the poor ends up in private pockets. That is not simply a political problem. It is a spiritual sickness.
Second, the paralysis of fear.
Many people know what is right but are afraid to do it. Some are afraid to report corruption. Others are afraid to speak the truth because they might lose their job, their position, or their friends.
That is why Jesus first tells the paralytic, “Take courage.” Healing begins with courage—the courage to choose what is right even when it is difficult.
Third, the paralysis of hopelessness.
Perhaps this is the most dangerous of all.
Many Filipinos have begun to believe that nothing will ever change. We hear people say, “Corruption has always been there,” or “Honesty doesn’t pay.”
But Christians can never afford to lose hope. Jesus is still in the business of healing hearts. And when hearts change, families change. When families change, communities change. And when communities change, nations can change.
There is one detail in today’s Gospel that I love. The paralytic did not come to Jesus alone. His friends carried him. Sometimes God heals people through the goodness, courage, and faith of others.
That means each one of us has a role to play in healing our nation.
Let me end with a simple story.
A little boy once asked his grandfather, “Lolo, why do people throw their trash anywhere even when there is a garbage bin nearby?”
The grandfather smiled and replied, “Because, my child, it is easier.”
Then the boy asked, “Why do some people cheat, pay bribes, or steal?”
The grandfather answered, “For the same reason. They think it is easier.”
The boy became quiet for a moment and then asked, “Lolo, what can I do? I’m only one person.”
The old man gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and said, “Son, a nation does not become sick all at once. It becomes sick one wrong choice at a time. And a nation does not become healthy all at once either. It becomes healthy one right choice at a time.”
The boy nodded and said, “Then I’ll begin with my choices.”
The grandfather smiled and replied, “And when enough people begin with themselves, God can heal a nation.”
Final Words
My dear brothers and sisters, perhaps that is exactly what Jesus is asking of us today.
Instead of waiting for everyone else to change, let us allow Christ to heal us first. Let Him heal our selfishness, our fear, our dishonesty, our indifference. A healed heart makes honest choices. Honest choices build honest families. Honest families build honest communities. And honest communities build a just nation.
Like the paralytic in today’s Gospel, Jesus says to each one of us: “Take courage… Rise.”
May we rise—not only from our personal weaknesses—but also from the paralysis that has wounded our nation. And may future generations be able to say that our country began to heal because ordinary people chose to follow Christ, one faithful decision at a time.