Fr. Paschal celebrating Mass

Fr. Paschal Scotti offered the following homily at the morning Mass on the feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers (January 13, 2023)

Who, but God alone can forgive the sins? In today’s gospel, we have the very powerful story of the healing of the paralytic. Our Lord who surely can forgive sins, which only God can do, heals this paralytic - he can walk. And it is very appropriate on this feast day, the feast of Hilary of Poitiers, doctor of the church and bishop of the fourth century. His great task as a bishop was to defend the full divinity of Jesus Christ against the so-called Arian heresy. He is often called “The Hammer of Arianism” or “The Athanasius of the West.” He was a major figure in the restoration of the council of Nicea’s definition of Jesus Christ: the Son is equal to the Father, in all things; that He is fully, truly God. Only God can forgive sins, Jesus Christ is God.

And because He can forgive sins, He can do everything. We all need help, all of us. Even the best of us need help: physical help, spiritual help, help in general. And we have a savior, a redeemer, a friend, an intercessor: Jesus Christ, who can make all of that happen. This would be a “lose-lose” world in which no matter what we do, in the end, we do lose. We all die, at the very least; and a lot more happens before that.

But with Jesus Christ, we have an intercessor, a friend. We have someone who understands, someone who can help us spiritually, physically, you name it. Let us ask Him for that power when we need it, every day. And we need it every day. Let us ask Him for that power in our prayers, in the Mass, and in all the things we experience. If we ask him, He will come. If we call on him, He will answer. One of the great deficiencies of so much of modern Christian life is the lack of Christ, the lack of calling upon Christ, the Savior, the Son of God, who makes all things possible. If we do it, He will come. If we call on him, He will answer us.

Ordination of Hilary of Poitiers