When John the Baptist’s ministry started drawing the attention of Israel’s religious authorities, he identified himself as the voice crying out in the desert to make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:23; Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3). Conversion in John’s mind was a call to clear a path for the Lord to come as quickly and easily as possible. Our Lord has now come. He also comes into our hearts if we let him. The “straight way” described by John goes two ways: Our Lord has come, but sometimes we are prevented from going to meet him. We can either throw up obstacles due to sin, or face obstacles that seem insurmountable. When a life becomes hardened by sin the sinner soon thinks there is no way out, and no way forward.
Today’s Gospel reminds us that sometimes we have to be creative to clear obstacles in the path to Our Lord. The original etymology of the word “conversion” literally means “with a turning”: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but logic fails when the straight path is blocked. The paralytics friends started thinking parabolically: up, over and down, with a thatched roof a little worse for wear. Our life may have to take a turn in order to get back on track toward Our Lord, but that is what conversion is all about: taking the right turn in life after having taken the wrong one.
The obstacles we face in the spiritual life cannot always be circumvented, but with the help of grace they can be surmounted. Ask Our Lord today to show you where your spiritual thinking might need to be less linear and more parabolic.
Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4–7, 10–22a; Psalm 89:16–19; Mark 2:1–12. See also 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday and 2nd Week of Advent, Monday.