Reflecting on the religious and political matters we discuss at AATW, I find myself asking, “What do we want?” In the Bible, we are instructed to bring our needs and the thoughts of our hearts to God in prayer. We are not guaranteed positive answers to our requests, because our requests are not always in line with the Kingdom. Nevertheless, prayer is part of our relationship with God: people who know and love each other deeply share their lives with each other. Our cynicism and disappointments over the years have made it harder to share our hopes and desires at times: but now is the time to be forthright. We are seeing a change, a return of God’s favour, and we must press in, praying for God to raise up godly leaders to govern our nations, and that He will direct them to enact just policies and laws. So, dear reader, what would you like to see in your country and in the Church? Here are a few of my prayers.
Restoring freedom of speech in the UK
I pray that God will lead Parliament to repeal either in their entirety or parts of the Public Order Act 1986 and Contempt of Court Act 1981. I pray that there will be no more arrests of street preachers, online commenters, and public officials for sharing genuine Christian principles as a prophetic witness in this land. I pray that there will be true, fair, informative public debate about what Christianity really means, and why Jesus is the hope of nations. I pray that we will have careful, thoughtful, and productive discourse about our wider national and economic problems and what we can do as individuals and as a nation to bring education, finance, policing, territorial matters, and healthcare in line with biblical ethics in a way that leaves people with genuine liberty.
Sanctity of life
I pray that in the UK and USA abortion will once again become illegal, except such rare occasions as are permitted under the Catholic doctrine of double effect, and that there will be proper frameworks to enable practitioners to identify when that principle applies without leaving room for its abuse. I pray that churches, communities, and entrepreneurs will find ways of effectively using resources to support mothers and families who find themselves unable to care for their children, and that the state will be guided not to hinder this work by imposing rules and regulations on counsellors, caregivers, and other agents of mercy.
Financial misfeasance
I pray that through changes in the culture of financial and non-financial institutions, and through legislation, where appropriate, the UK and US will see true banking reform that honours the principles of transparency, good faith, fiduciary duty, fairness, and self-restraint. I pray that through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, our nations will find the courage and wisdom to master money, and not to let it be our master.
All Along the Watchtower 
The irony is that if you tell any modern liberal about the Forbidden book index, they’ll cry with horror. And yet, they in so many ways have their own index when it comes to what ideas are to be ‘tolerated.’ We’re for ‘freedom’ so long as we dictate what is freedom.
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Yes, the Ministry of Truth spirit – it prowls the land suppressing honest debate. I salute you for continuing to lead small groups in your parish where you raise material that liberal Catholicism finds intolerable.
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Well the irony there is that the material that is found intolerable is the Catechism, The Gospels, St. Paul, and ipse Iesum Christum!
It’s no coincidence that these people are appalled by JP II and BXVI when they resisted governments which sought to dehumanize humanity. But it’s troubling that they praise Pope Francis, even if I’ve defended him at times, it’s a warning.
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Sounds a lot like St Paul’s prediction that people will no longer put up with sound doctrine. I’d hate to see a situation where you end up with an underground church with a true Pope and a visible church led by an antipope or similar.
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What’s happening in China as we speak is a bellwether moment in my estimation.
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I too have wants and needs that i lay at the feet of our Lord in prayer. But have we fully utilized the full use of prayer; for prayers of petition are only one of several types of prayer:
Adoration: Praising God.
Contrition: Asking for God’s forgiveness.
Petition: Asking God for a favor.
Thanksgiving: Showing God gratitude
Blessing: Where we are asking for God’s power and protection upon a person, a place, an object, or a special activity.
And then of course there is the two means of prayer: private and public which needs to be enacted.
I am afraid that simply prayers of petition are not enough and that we may not see the result which we desire. The reason may simply mean that God is seeking by crisis to up the awareness of the evils which, if simply righted, will not bring the world and its people to share your desire; in other words, we remain disjoined from one another (side against side).
We need an epiphany and perhaps God will bring good from evil as He has often done by the suffering and jailing of those with righteous intentions; think of John the Baptist.
There may be nothing more beneficial perhaps that bringing our issues into the forefront of debate and fighting by dialectic and by our actions for that which brings more Glory to God and draws all men closer to God. Morality and ethics must be instilled and I doubt that we will be allowed to remain static in the fight. We must, somehow show our good will by taking sides and sadly to even suffer martyrdom if that is necessary. There is nothing more pleasing to God than a man who will give his life for his friends. And friends in that context are those whom you love in Christ; a band of brothers and sisters who share agape love with one another because of their love and friendship we share with our Lord.
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And perhaps the better question to ask our Lord is, “What do you want?” Perhaps we need to lay aside our misgivings about what we can do because of our own personal weaknesses and have faith that all things are possible in Christ. “Here I am Lord, I’ve come to do Your Will.”
And discerning His will is where we might like to spend a bit more contemplative prayer in order to arrive at an answer that will inspire us to do things that we know we cannot do on our own but with the help of God might bring about change for the good.
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Indeed. I’m sure we can all work more on this, but I am particularly concerned by the way in which the leadership of our churches is deaf/unhearing in this regard. We shouldn’t need Archbishop Cranmer crying in the wilderness, but there we are: John the Baptist versus the Temple authorities all over again. I’d rather Cranmer than Canterbury at the moment.
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I’m sure John the Baptist wasn’t seeking his beheading but it was not without merit for the Church.
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Maybe the Catholic hospitals in Ireland should submit to “beheading” – Cranmer suggests they should close if the state tries to compel them to perform abortions.
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It would take the virtue of courage to submit to martyrdom for the love of God and I think praying for fortitude must be one of the prayers we offer to God . . . and perhaps He will sustain us in such trials.
Sadly, the great liturgist and theologian Romano Guardini, just before he died, said something to the effect that people no longer are capable of worship. I think that this is probably quite true. We no longer have that simple attitude that peasants of yesteryear possessed and maybe Christ is awaiting our turning to Him as our source of strength so that we no longer fear the who can only kill the body but not the soul.
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Perhaps part of the reason is that we have destroyed the sense of awe, of mystery and majesty – how often do we really hear preaching on the OT, the theophanies accompanied by lightning, etc? Who – other than prophecy buffs – really preaches on the thunders of Revelation?
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Not many, just as we do not hear about how to gain Heaven and avoid Hell; or the need of virtues to combat our fallen natures. We need to turn ourselves around and have a heart to heart with our Lord.
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I guess this ties in with yesterday’s post about the loss of virility in the Christian context. God know, I am a coward, but I take solace that God has propped up cowards like myself at times and served as their strength . . . even the strength to become heroic . . . though it is the Grace of God that accomplished their feats of bravery.
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As Plato pointed out so long ago, true courage is not possible without fear.
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Indeed that is wisdom. And the most important fear is the fear of failing God and failing our friends.
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Scoop, did you see ‘Catholic’ Michael Sean Winters’ comments on watching when the revolution comes conservatives being decapitated?
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No. Do you have the link?
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I saw it reported here and it links to his article:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dissident-catholic-journalist-ill-enjoy-watching-conservatives-executed-for
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That is unbelievable. I knew he was a kook like James Martin but this is beyond the pale of being considered human. I guess he wants another French Revolution. Why the National Reporter keeps somebody after such speech is incredible even if they are a bunch of heretics.
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The irony, again—why is there so much irony? It’s because these folks are ignorant—is that it was those against the Church who were beheading, and yet they see themselves as the Saviors of the Church.
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Yes, the Church of Freemasonry.
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Let’s bin the Equality Act as well, while we’re at it.
I know what you mean, but it’s worth noting that the deliberate killing of a child (abortion) is never permissible.
Double effect covers a case where you take an action to save the mother – removal of the foetus in an ectopic pregnancy – knowing a side effect will be the death of the child.
The death of the child is not willed or directly caused.
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Good point. An ectopic pregnancy is virtually unsalvageable anyway as there is approximately a 1 in 3 million chance of its survival if taken from the filopian tube and placed elsewhere and the mother’s death is a true concern.
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