“I die the King’s faithful servant, but God’s first.” These words of Saint Thomas More, a man who was both a citizen and a politician, could serve as a sort of motto for all Christians who wish to live out their faith in the world. As a citizen of England as well as its Lord Chancellor for three years, More saw from both sides what it was like to live as a Christian in the world. He was a man of deep prayer, and his intimate relationship with God was what enabled him to remain calm in the midst of the challenges he and his nation faced. By his example, as well as the examples of many other saints from throughout the Church’s history, we can learn the importance of prayer for politicians and citizens in our own day and age. Today more than ever, prayer is needed, for our own nation and the entire global community. All our political leaders - whether we agree with them on certain issues or not - not only need, but in fact, deserve our prayers, for to them is entrusted the care of the common good (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1897 and following). Any political leader, no matter how virtuous he or she may be, or how correct on any number of issues, requires the prayers of the citizens, for any mere mortal human being can fall into sin and abuse the power entrusted to them. 

Ways to Pray for the Nation 

1. The Rosary

There are many different ways that we can assist our nation’s leaders through prayer. One of the most popular forms of prayer is the Rosary. Over the eight centuries since the Virgin Mary gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic, it has become a beloved devotion for millions of Catholics and a reliable means of obtaining grace from God through the hands of the Blessed Virgin. A popular way to pray the Rosary is through a fifty-four-day novena. As the description implies, this involves praying the Rosary each day for fifty-four days (in effect, praying six novenas in a row). The first three novenas are in request for a particular petition, and the last three are in thanksgiving for the many graces that God bestows on those who dedicate themselves to His Mother and foster a devotion to her. The Rosary is a wonderful way to draw down graces from heaven on our nation, especially since the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the patroness of the United States of America.

2. Mass Intentions

In addition to the Rosary, another way that we can pray for our country - in fact, the best way possible - is by going to Mass. In the Mass, the Church unites herself to Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, which was the perfect offering to God in atonement for man’s sins. Participation in the Mass, and specifically the reception of the Eucharist, is the highest and most perfect way to give worship to God. There is no greater good that we can do for our nation than to offer Mass intentions for our people and our elected leaders.

Examples of Faith-filled Citizenship 

Saint Louis of France - A Saintly King

In addition to different forms of prayer, we can also look to various saints for examples of how to serve one’s country. Saint Louis is one prominent example of a faithful Catholic who was also a prominent statesman. King Louis IX ruled as the King of of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. Louis was known for his piety and devotion to the Catholic faith. He recited the Divine Office, built the Sainte-Chapelle or “Holy Chapel” to house relics of the True Cross of Christ, voluntarily submitted himself to numerous difficult penances, and took care of the poor and homeless out of his own resources. Saint Louis is a wonderful example of a political leader who used the power and influence God gave him to foster the faith among his countrymen.

Saint Thomas More - God’s Good Servant

As mentioned above, another layman saint who was highly influential to the civic life of his nation was Thomas More. Elevated in 1529 to the office of Lord Chancellor of England, the second-highest office of government, Thomas More served his nation and his king faithfully. However, when Pope Clement VII would not allow King Henry VIII to divorce his wife and marry another woman, Henry declared himself to be head of the Church in England, thereby causing a conflict of interest for More: would his loyalties lie with his king or with the Church? Ultimately More chose to side with God instead of a mere man, and for this he was beheaded on July 6, 1535. While Saint Louis of France was an excellent example of a leader who led his people by positive example, Saint Thomas More is a different kind of role model: one who showed how to stand fast to one’s principles, unshaken in faith, in spite of all opposition and persecution.

Saint Catherine of Siena - At the Service of the Church

In our day and age we associate the Pope with the city-state of the Vatican. However, there was a period in the Church’s history when the papal court was not based in the Vatican, and in fact was not even in Rome at all. From 1309 to 1377, the Pontiffs resided in Avignon, France, although Rome was the traditional, and most appropriate, place for the Church’s head to reside. While Saint Catherine of Siena is perhaps better known for her great spiritual insights and writing, as well as her mystical experiences of Jesus, she was also a talented negotiator. She knew that Rome was the most proper place for the head of the Catholic Church, and so in 1376 she traveled to Avignon to persuade Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon and return the papacy to Rome. The Pope was convinced by Catherine’s pleading, and the Papal court returned to Rome in January of 1377. Saint Catherine knew the right course of action for a leader to take, and persuaded the Holy Father with peaceful arguments and respect. She can serve as a role model for citizens who wish to influence their leaders in civil and lawful ways.

While there are numerous saints who could serve as role models for us as Americans, the ones mentioned provide great examples of how to serve one’s nation, in whatever capacity one is able, whether one is a private citizen or an elected representative. Standing up for the truth, peacefully persuading our elected leaders of the right course of action, and fostering a life of prayer, charity and devotion in our own private lives is undoubtedly the most effective way for any nation to bring about genuine, lasting and sustainable peace and prosperity. Here in the United States we have a sacred obligation and right to shape public life and discourse, and as Catholic citizens of a free nation, we must use that right responsibly, by forming our own interior prayer lives in accordance with the moral directives of the Church. From there we can go out into our communities and allow the love of Christ to shine through in our words and actions, and to truly transform our nation.