Amos 7:10-17 / Matthew 9:1-8
An amateur is a person who engages in a pursuit on an unpaid rather than a professional basis.
But an amateur may also be seen as incompetent or unsuitable for a particular specialized activity.
The word amateur has its roots in the Latin amator which means ‘lover’, and also from amare which means ‘to love’.
In the 1st reading, Amos tells the Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, that he was not a prophet, and neither does he belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets.
It was the Lord God who called him to prophesy and he did it out of love for the Lord.
In the gospel, it was the faith of the friends of the paralytic, as well as their love for the paralytic, that made them bring the paralytic before Jesus.
Jesus saw their faith, as well as their love, and with that He cured the paralytic.
Many good and amazing things are brought about by simple acts of faith and love.
We may think that we may be amateurs when it comes to discussions about the faith and religion.
But with simplicity and humility, God will work wonders and marvels through us.