SATURDAY
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (Luke 5:24).
The forgiveness of sins is an inward, spiritual miracle, while the healing of paralysis is an outward, physical miracle. Through this event, the intervention of divine power in the order of the moral world is justified and confirmed, just as it is in the course of events in the physical world. Indeed, the latter takes place for the sake of the former, in which lies the ultimate purpose of all things.
The Lord does not violate human freedom, but enlightens, awakens, and inspires wonder. The most effective means of accomplishing this is an outward miracle. The possibility of such a miracle is rooted in the existence of a rational creature endowed with freedom. This connection is essential.
Those who deny God's supernatural intervention in the world also deny human freedom. For the latter necessarily requires the former.
Conversely, those who confess the truth of God's activity in the world, beyond the natural course of events, may boldly say to such people: “We feel that we are free.”
The awareness of freedom is just as powerful and undeniable as the awareness of our own existence. Freedom necessarily requires the direct providential activity of God. Consequently, our acknowledgment of His providential interventions is as firmly grounded as our awareness of freedom itself.
+ St. Theophan the Recluse - Thoughts for Every Day of the Year