Praying in the shadow of the US Capitol

On a perfect summer evening, in the light of a full “super” moon, with the US Capitol as a background, I joined hundreds of men, women and children to pray for protection of our religious freedom.  At this event, hosted by the Knight s of Columbus, we lifted our hearts and minds to God ask we asked Him to protect the rights of Christians.

               A couple of hundred faithful individuals, coming from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia gathered to pray Compline, the night prayer of the church, lead by Dominican Brothers studying at the Dominican House of Studies.  Baltimore Archbishop William from Baltimore who leads  the USCCB’s  Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty spoke a few words and led us in the prayer by St. Thomas More and the prayer for Religious Freedom (both found at the bottom of this post).

               The words of both St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More were read and religious and lay people lead the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  The hundreds who attended, ranging from infants to septuagenarian, held LED tea light candles.  The Dome of the U.S.  Capitol was a beautiful back drop of the event.  One participant commented, “Who wouldn’t want to pray for religious liberty on the lawn of the Capitol?”

               This is one of hundreds events that will be held during the Fortnight for Freedom.  The final event will be a mass to be held at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast DC on July 4^th.

 

Prayer by St. Thomas More written while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London

Give me the grace, Good Lord
To set the world at naught. To set the mind firmly on You and not to hang upon the words of men's mouths.
To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly pleasures. Little by little utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of all its business. Not to long to hear of earthly things, but that the hearing of worldly fancies may be displeasing to me. Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help. To lean into the comfort of God. Busily to labor to love Him.


To know my own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty hand of God. To bewail my sins and, for the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity. Gladly to bear my purgatory here. To be joyful in tribulations. To walk the narrow way that leads to life. To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before my eyes my death that is ever at hand. To make death no stranger to me. To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of Hell. To pray for pardon before the judge comes. To have continually in mind the passion that Christ suffered for me. For His benefits unceasingly to give Him thanks.


To buy the time again that I have lost. To abstain from vain conversations. To shun foolish mirth and gladness. To cut off unnecessary recreations. Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ. To think my worst enemies my best friends, for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred. These minds are more to be desired of every man than all the treasures of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and laid together all in one heap. Amen

Prayer for Religious Liberty

O GOD OUR CREATOR, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.

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. Amen