I have witnessed people throughout my years helping others encounter Jesus. I would be a millionaire if I received a dollar for the number of times a parent (mostly mothers) who have prayed and asked for prayers for their child(ren) who are not connected to Jesus the church. There is no question that Christ followers are genuinely concerned about family and friends’ faith journey. No question, many followers today persist as the paralytic’s friends in the Scripture passage today. The questions offered by Michael White and Tom Corcoran provoke reflection on friends and family in faith:
What is your reaction to the idea that God can use others’ faith to bring his grace into your life? How do you feel about that?
Who are the people you could ask for faith-based support when you are struggling to believe?
Whom can you encourage to lean on your faith when they are weak?
As a priest, I seem to have an open door for those who are struggling or in a spiritual desert. Pope Francis told priests years ago NOT to make the confessional a “torture chamber.” People are struggling in many ways and don’t need to be put down, rejected or tortured. Like the paralytic man, they need friends to lift them to the roof for an encounter with Jesus. In my role, the door must be open!
I see many at CCHS with open doors!