praying for shooters and molesters

Today in A Year with the Church Fathers, we hear from St Gregory the Great. He tells us to pray for people who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. People who say that He isn't the Messiah, isn't the savior of the world. He says we should lift them up in prayer anyway. Because, as he says, "as long as life remains in the body, we must not despair of anyone's restoration."

When you read the news today, you hear one of two things on a regular basis. Either there's been another shooting, or there's been another celebrity accused of indiscretion. In both cases, you have an opportunity to pray.

We can pray for the victims of the shootings and their families. We can pray for the victims of the celebs. Those are pretty much a given. But we also need to remember to pray for the shooters. And pray for the celebs. Not all of the accusations are true, and some celebs are trying to clear their names from false accusations. But those who are guilty also need our prayers. Their lives are taking a drastic turn. It's easy to look down your nose at them and call them names. But are we without sin? Do we have room to point our fingers? As fellow sinners, let's lift them up and pray they receive the help they need to get their lives fixed. Maybe, like the people St Gregory prayed for, they'll even find Jesus along the way.

God, thank You for reminding us to pray for sinners... and reminding us that we're sinners who need prayer, too.