Praying with the Heart of St. Paul
This
Sunday’s second reading (1Tim2:1-8) really caught my attention. It
has long pricked my conscience, but I heard parts of it I never
noticed before. I would welcome feedback from any priest or
theologian regarding the comments I make here.
In
verse 2, we are told to offer prayers “for kings and for all in
authority.” This I have done, but it has been a challenge,
especially since 2008. Readers of this blog have heard me bemoan the
policies of the Obama administration many times, as many Christians
have. But I have consistently prayed for him.
After
the disaster of 2012, and an election I do not believe was validly
conducted, it became even harder to do. I have wondered, were
Germans supposed to pray for Hitler? We are to pray for our enemies,
I know, and I do not compare Mr. Obama to Hitler, but how am I
supposed to pray for this man by name every day, I wondered? I have
taken to praying specifically for his conversion, which I know is
what is most important for any soul. But still I wondered, am I
embracing fully the command of the Gospel?
Then
I heard this reading at Mass this week, both on Tuesday and again on
Sunday, and something caught my attention that never had before.
After St. Paul asks for prayers to be offered for kings and those in
authority, he says, “that we may be able to lead undisturbed and
tranquil lives in perfect piety and dignity.”
Is
St. Paul especially asking for prayers for those in authority because
they have the power to grant earthly peace to the Church? I have
genuinely desired the salvation of Mr. Obama’s soul and yet I have
been praying for his conversion particularly so that his persecution
of Catholics (HHS mandate, for example) and promotion of
anti-Christian values might end. This has caused me to feel a little
self-serving, but I wonder if this is much of what St. Paul had in
mind.
I
have also wondered if my desire for “a tranquil life” is
appropriate for a member of the Church Militant. Verse 3, however,
says that “this is good and pleasing to God our savior.”
So I will continue to pray for
the conversion of Mr. Obama, and for a tranquil life as a Catholic,
with more confidence now. And I will also remember the last part of
that sentence, which reminds us that even if we should find that
tranquility, there are always battles to be won: “[God] wills
everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”
