If we refuse to pray for our enemies, we will not see any change in the status quo. And I think everyone of all parties thinks the status quo isn’t great.
By Chris Sparks
It’s Holy Week. Good Friday looms. And we’re caught in the same maelstrom of history we’ve been in for some time now, with huge headlines every single day, it seems.
It’s a good time to remember how Jesus shows us the purpose of our life as Christians — not in worldly pursuit of power, revenge, or wealth, but in self-sacrificing love for God and neighbor. That means praying and offering Masses for the people in those headlines, leading nations, parties, and causes, whether or not we support them, whether or not we even like them or could tolerate their presence.
Think of a person you fear, whose influence you think is pernicious in our world today. Now ask yourself one question: Do you love them? One more question: Do you pray for them?
Good and bad actors
We all ought to be having Masses said for good actors and evil actors on the world’s stage, the Mother Teresas and, yes, the wicked dictators. In fact, we ought to be praying for everyone who causes us fear, or tempts us to hatred, or ignites our rage.
We ought to be praying for those who stand atop the headlines, whose immortal souls are facing the gravest sort of threats through celebrity, power, money; through all the temptations of partisanship, all the traps and snares set for them by ideology, by pride and all the Seven Deadly Sins, made so much the more potent by the world, the flesh, and the devil for those in the news.
We are not powerless in the face of current events. Prayer is powerful. We profess to believe that. Do we really believe that? And do we take seriously the Gospel, the whole Gospel, which commands us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and do good to those who do evil?
Holy Week challenge
Do we take seriously this Holy Week the challenge of the imitation of Christ, of the One who turned the other cheek, who endured the evil of the world attacking Him directly, who went like a lamb to the slaughter, a scapegoat for all the sin of the world? Are we able to cry out, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”? (Lk 23:34)
Saint Faustina wrote,
Whatever Jesus did, He did well. He went along, doing good. His manner was full of goodness and mercy. His steps were guided by compassion. Toward His enemies He showed goodness, kindness, and understanding, and to those in need help and consolation. I have resolved to mirror faithfully these traits of Jesus in myself during this month, even if this costs me much (Diary, 1175).
Love like God does
We Christians must do the same. Our path to salvation is becoming sons and daughters of God in the Son of God, through participation in communion with Jesus through the Sacraments, through faith, through grace. But in order to do that, we must learn to love like God does:
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Mt 5:43-45; see also Rom 5:10).
We are meant to love our neighbors, all of them, including our enemies — especially our enemies. We are meant to pray for those whom we love, begging Divine Mercy on them, for that’s the only way we’ll ever see Divine Mercy for ourselves. “For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” (Mt 7:2).
Make your list
So as we face unprecedented times for our country and the whole world, make your list. Who inspires your easy admiration? Pray for them. Who inspires fear, hatred, or concern? Pray for them. Who is part of your political party? Pray for them. Who is part of the opposing political party? Pray for them.
If we refuse to pray for our enemies, we will not see any change in the status quo. And I think everyone of all parties thinks the status quo isn’t great. Let’s help heal the world through our prayers, through the grace of God welcomed into the present time by our Rosaries, our Chaplets, our First Saturdays, our Masses.
Let’s live the spirit of Holy Week, of the Crucified Divine Mercy Incarnate, of God Himself, and of all the saints.
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