October 20, 2012 – Catechism 1897 – 1904

After you read the first couple of paragraphs, you get the sense that you should bow to whatever type of government you find yourself in.  There is talk of authority and its necessity and why we are to go along with what they say.  If you only read the first couple of paragraphs you could argue that we should be ok with abortion or contraception or gay marriage if the government tells us it is ok.  But there is a huge qualifying factor.  The government needs to follow the natural law and not take away the individual God given rights to people.  As long as a government is doing that, then we are to bow to its authority because that authority is given to it by God.  But when it goes beyond those bounds, we are not to bow, we are not to bend, we are not to sacrifice our conscious to a government that would have us follow what is immoral or unnatural. 

I love the prayer for public officials and am thinking of altering it into a first person prayer for myself. 

Grant to me, Lord, health, peace, concord, and stability, so that I may exercise without offense the sovereignty that you have given me. Master, heavenly King of the ages, you give glory, honor, and power over the things of earth to the sons of men. Direct, Lord, my counsel, following what is pleasing and acceptable in your sight, so that by exercising with devotion and in peace and gentleness the power that you have given to me, I may find favor with you." 

“the politician prayer