Many of us find ourselves glued to the television these days. We find some divided loyalties within our countries and even in ourselves as individuals. While we want to be patriotic, we find ourselves struggling with the concept of war. We know the Church’s teaching about the circumstances today to be true and led by the Holy Spirit, but we know for peaceful resolutions to really take place, that it takes willing participants on all sides and so we struggle with how to form our consciences. While we may find ourselves with many answers, we also arrive at many questions.

We do have sure knowledge despite our questions. It is good to have a starting point as to where God would want us to participate with His plan. Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins. He did not come to merely save Catholics from their sins. The whole of humanity is the object of His love. Whether it is embraced or not is left up to the human will.

While we may have the tendency to leave this to individual responsibility, we can be reminded of the paralytic in Mark’s Gospel.(2:1-12)

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.  They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.  Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven."  Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,  "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?"  Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"–  he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."  He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Why do I mention this pericope from the Gospel? It carries a very startling distinction that calls us to task. The paralytic never asked for healing. Let me say that again: The paralytic never asked for healing. It was because of the faith of the four who interceded for him that he found healing.

Will you and I act of the faith that we profess to have. We say that we believe in the power of prayer. We are called as part f the communion of saints to intercede in imitation of Christ as we expect the Saints in Heaven to intercede for us. We are no to pray only for our country and our troops. But we must also pray for the salvation and repentance of those who kill innocent people. We must pray for those who would place others in harms way through the terror of having made threats against family if they didn’t cooperate in suicide bombings. We must pray for God’s mercy to be so expressive to turn the hearts of these people away from such terror. We must pray for those whom we perceive to be our enemies. That I Christ’s command. We must lower those who are paralyzed by culture or lack of exposure to freedom and do not know anything but terror techniques to accomplish goals. They have limited knowledge. We may find it very easy to project on them what we take for granted... our education and freedom. Many in this world have never been allowed the opportunity to think and make decisions in freedom. They only practice what they are familiar with... terror. We pray for those who are paralyzed in their cultures and political positions and hope that there are those who will pray for us when we are paralyzed by our own emotional responses to the happenings in the world rather than rising above the world and living God’s will.

As a Lenten sacrifice, let us remember to include the conversion of our enemies in prayer. But let us also pray that we may use our freedom responsibly. Yes, we are proud Americans. But let our pride in America never overshadow our responsibility as those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We know what people call us to do. What does God call us to do?