Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 1-12) in which Jesus cures the paralysed man who was lowered down through the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching. Fr Paul says the healing of the paralytic is a double cure because he is cured of both sin and disease. Mark often relates these stories in ‘sandwiches’, that is, he puts one story between two halves of another story (like the beef in a burger). The link joining the two halves of the story is the phrase ‘Jesus said to the paralytic’ in verses 5 and 11. The scandalized scribes materialize only for the middle bit of the story, which to them seems blasphemous. They are right that only God can forgive sins, for sin injures God’s world in a way which finally only God can put right. Yet, Jesus not only forgives sin he also physically cures the man. The two actions reflect on each other, because the visible physical cure is evidence for the invisible forgiveness of sin. So, the impression of Jesus’ authority continues to grow until the only possible conclusion can be found – this is God among us. Today in our reflection, Fr Paul suggests we remind ourselves… God is among us.