1st Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Spiritual Paralysis and the March for Life

The Gospel of the healing of the paralytic is one of those passages that Christians really take to heart and shapes Christian identity. We Christians are to be like the friends of the paralytic: to not only bring others to Jesus, but to go out of our ways, even in dramatic fashion to bring others to Jesus. The friends in the Gospel  climb the roof and lower the paralytic down—that’s how dedicated they were, that’s how much they cared.

Each one of us would do well to think of someone in our life who just seems paralyzed—they are paralyzed because they do not know the healing and love of Jesus Christ. And we should be bringing that person to Jesus in our prayer every day, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in how else we are called to bring that person to the Lord.

This morning in our nation’s capital tens of thousands of Christians and people of good-will are marching for those who cannot march for themselves. They are bringing the unborn to the popular consciousness and the consciousness of our politicians to bring about a change of heart. They are marching to bring a national tragedy to an end—an embarrassment to history--the legal allowance to murder unborn babies because they are unwanted by their parents. In a sense, they are marching to heal a national paralysis—the inability to get up and do what is right—to protect innocent life—they are bringing the paralyzed to Jesus, and may they be blessed and protected for their efforts.

Spiritual paralysis can afflict every one of us—when we allow the attitudes and errors of the world to keep us from doing what is right, when we allow spiritual sloth to keep us from prayer, fear to keep us from reaching out to those in need, preoccupation with worldly endeavors to keep us from pursuing the works of God.

May we be committed to bringing others and bringing ourselves to the healing of Jesus, that He may raise us up to walk in the ways of righteousness, justice, goodness and peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church may live out their baptismal call with greater conviction and faithfulness.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

That the March for Life in Washington D.C. will help to transform our culture and inspire many to adhere to the Gospel of Life.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord