Okay, you Americans - here is the prayer the USCCB has provided you to battle the criminal and his confreres that now control your White House:
(1) Why wasn't the intercession of the Blessed Virgin included in the prayer? Ah, yes, it's the USCCB. My hunch is that had the Blessed Mother been included, the prayer would have had that much more efficacy (this is said without diminishing Christ's absolute Kingship, omnipotence of God, etc.). Jesus cannot say "No" to requests made by His Holy Mother. Yes? If it truly is a "decisive hour in the history of our nation", how can Catholics be so naive as to not include a petition to Our Lady. Lepanto anyone?
(2) In the prayer there's a hint - too much of one, of what might be called the deistic-political. That is, the prayer starts off with: "O God our Creator". Is that not too loud of an echo of your Declaration of Independence: "Nature's God...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights"? Why not start off with: "Praise be to Jesus Christ, Lord of History, Redeemer of Humanity..." or something to that effect? Make it a really Catholic prayer. Too over-the-top? Too embarrassingly straightforward for the bishops? They'd rather speak about "religious freedom" rather than getting to the guts of your dilemma, i.e. Catholic morality?
Too much John Locke, America.
He is your country's precarious linchpin.
The tabula rasa haunts you and will continue to do so unless you resolve the issue.
Knowledge gleaned only through perception and experience. Un uhhhh...
No revelation from without?
"Separation of Church and State", you say?
What, then, is the nature of that "separation"?
Separated or separable?
There is a distinction, you know.
Distinction, distinction!
Haecceitas... calling Duns Scotus.
But, then, I'm a Catholic monarchist who believes that a nation must confess itself to Christ the King and His Social Reign. But, then again, I'm just a Canadian who likes Rush, back bacon and hockey. So, what do I know?
Please fire away in the com boxes if you so desire. Neo-Cats especially welcome.
H/T My Big Fat Catholic Blog for prompting this post.
Prayer for the Protection of Religious LibertyCritical questions/comments on the prayer and associated matters from someone viewing the affair from afar, north of your border:
O God our Creator,
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome-
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us-
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
(1) Why wasn't the intercession of the Blessed Virgin included in the prayer? Ah, yes, it's the USCCB. My hunch is that had the Blessed Mother been included, the prayer would have had that much more efficacy (this is said without diminishing Christ's absolute Kingship, omnipotence of God, etc.). Jesus cannot say "No" to requests made by His Holy Mother. Yes? If it truly is a "decisive hour in the history of our nation", how can Catholics be so naive as to not include a petition to Our Lady. Lepanto anyone?
(2) In the prayer there's a hint - too much of one, of what might be called the deistic-political. That is, the prayer starts off with: "O God our Creator". Is that not too loud of an echo of your Declaration of Independence: "Nature's God...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights"? Why not start off with: "Praise be to Jesus Christ, Lord of History, Redeemer of Humanity..." or something to that effect? Make it a really Catholic prayer. Too over-the-top? Too embarrassingly straightforward for the bishops? They'd rather speak about "religious freedom" rather than getting to the guts of your dilemma, i.e. Catholic morality?
Too much John Locke, America.
He is your country's precarious linchpin.
The tabula rasa haunts you and will continue to do so unless you resolve the issue.
Knowledge gleaned only through perception and experience. Un uhhhh...
No revelation from without?
"Separation of Church and State", you say?
What, then, is the nature of that "separation"?
Separated or separable?
There is a distinction, you know.
Distinction, distinction!
Haecceitas... calling Duns Scotus.
But, then, I'm a Catholic monarchist who believes that a nation must confess itself to Christ the King and His Social Reign. But, then again, I'm just a Canadian who likes Rush, back bacon and hockey. So, what do I know? Please fire away in the com boxes if you so desire. Neo-Cats especially welcome.
H/T My Big Fat Catholic Blog for prompting this post.
