And he entered again into Capernaum after a few days; and heard that he was in the house.

And immediately many gathered so that they could not even sit in front of the door; And he spoke to them.

And they came to him with what was taken, which was carried by four.

And not being able to get close to him from the people, they discovered the roof of the house where he was, and after digging, they lowered the bier on which they lay.

And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the captive: Son, your sins are forgiven! And some of the scribes sat there and thought in their hearts:

Why is this man blaspheming God? Who can forgive sins but one God?

And immediately Jesus understood with his spirit that they were thinking like that in themselves, he said to them: What are you thinking like that in your hearts?

Which is easier? Say to the taken: Your sins are forgiven; or say: Get up and take your bier and walk?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he said to the taken:

I say to you: Get up and take your coffin and go to your home.

And he immediately opened his mouth, and taking the bier he went out in front of everyone so that everyone was wild and glorified God, saying: Never in such a way that we have not seen.

(Holy Gospel according to Mark 2, 1-12)

When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was visiting cities and villages and preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven, he once stopped at the home of a resident of Capernaum, and according to custom, he preached here. Many people had gathered, so that the door of the home could not be reached. Four men brought the one taken who was living on a bed, to be seen by the one who heals every disease and every infirmity among the people (Mat. 9:35). But, since they could not break through such a crowd to reach Christ, they climbed up to the roof of the house with the sick man, uncovered the roof tiles and, having made an opening wide enough for the patient to descend, lowered him on a stretcher before the Lord Himself. When the Lord saw their faith, he said to the one taken: Son, your sins are forgiven, and then, in order to show the unbelieving scribes with the miracle of healing in front of everyone that he is the God-man, who has the power to forgive sins on earth, he said to him: I am speaking to you: Get up and take your coffin and go home. And he got up immediately and took the bier and went out in front of everyone (Mark 2:11-12). All the people who saw this miracle marveled and, glorifying God, testified that they had never seen anything like it. Here, that is the reward of the God-man for the faith of those who brought the taken away!

And if they had brought him to an earthly physician, he would no doubt have considered it superfluous to pay attention to his sins, and would have cured him of his carnal affections with material rather than spiritual remedies. The divine miracle worker, however, acts differently: he heals the carnal sickness through the forgiveness of sins: Son, your sins are forgiven. Why so? Well, because mental preoccupation, that is, sins, was the cause of bodily preoccupation. Because all diseases and death have their beginning in the sinfulness of the human soul. And here, for many thousands of years, sin gives birth to all diseases of the soul and body.

But why did the Holy Church establish that the Gospel story about the rapture is read today? Certainly because she sees in all of us those who are sick from predestination, that is, from sin, and wants us all, for the sake of healing, to turn to Jesus Christ. And it is true: we are all taken. Every sin of ours is a sin. And that sin is really a mental illness, each of us has felt that. Our heart suffers from every sin, the mind becomes numb to everything spiritual, the will for good deeds weakens, so to speak, all the foundations of our life become ill, because when the heart, the main driver of our life, becomes ill, then the disease affects the whole person. That is why the Holy Church, knowing how important it is for a person to have firmness of heart and steadfastness on the rock of faith and God's commandments, sings in unison with us: Establish, Lord, on the rock of Your commandments, my wavering heart (Canon of Andrew of Crete, song 3)

So we are taken. Some of us, moved by our conscience, realize our own illness and go to Christ to be healed of our sinfulness; and others, unfortunately, need other people's sincere help in order to understand their illness and wish with all their heart for healing from Jesus Christ. Ah! If someone would bring these people, like the one taken, with the power of his faith and good-intentioned advice to sincere contrition before the face of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who took our sins and illnesses upon Himself, he would do such people the greatest Christian service. There are many among us who are taken by the spirit and who really need the sincere help of others. They themselves are so weak in faith, they have weakened their heart so much with various passions, that they are not capable of taking a single step in faith and Christian life.

And what? Are there no such people among you, beloved, who would help their weak and weak in faith brothers? Aren't there sincere believers among us, who would help unbelievers with their life-giving faith? Are there not those who would reason with their brother who lives in ignorance and licentiousness and advise him to turn to Christ with sincere repentance and faith? Brethren, you who are weak in faith and who live licentiously and licentiously, say, would you like to be delivered from your helpless spiritual rapture, the end of which will be eternal torment in the fires of hell? Do you want to fall before Jesus Christ Himself and be healed by Him? This can easily be done. Every Friday, and if necessary on other days, Jesus Christ in this holy temple receives to Himself all those who have been taken by sins and heals them by faith through the priest. Every time a sinner sincerely repents for his sins, the Lord Himself tells him from the inside: Son, your sins are forgiven. What prevents you from approaching Jesus Christ by faith and receiving healing from Him? Come, be healed: we now all announce the reception during the entire Holy Forty. Everything is received by Christ Himself. Priests are only witnesses before him, mediators between him and you. Just don't forget, you must come to Jesus Christ with a clear awareness of the fact that you are sinners, that without Him you are powerless and dead in soul, you must believe with all your heart that He is your Creator and Judge, and that only He has the power on earth to forgive sins ( Mark 2:10). Also, don't forget that after healing from a sinful pregnancy, it is foolish and dangerous to consciously cause a new pregnancy. Here, you have become healthy, says the Lord, do not sin again, so that the worst does not happen to you? (John 5:14). Amen.

Taken from the book: Saint John of Kronstadt, GREAT LENT,

Svetosava Literary Cooperative, Belgrade 1993.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNzNkP7Esto