Call for a Crusade of Intercessory Prayer for Ireland
New Springtime Community
In Mt 16:2-3 Jesus said,
“When the sun is setting, you say, ‘We are going to have fine weather, because the sky is red.’ And early in the morning you say, ‘It is going to rain, because the sky is red and dark.’ You can predict the weather by looking at the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs concerning these times!”
Clearly, Jesus was talking about the importance of a form of spiritual discernment which was referred to during and after the Second Vatican Council. In par. 4 of the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, we read,
“The Church has always had the duty of scrutinising the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which people ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other.”
Sometime later, Pope Benedict XVI commented on the teaching of the Council,
"There is a link between the charism of prophecy and the category of “the signs of the times,” which Vatican II brought to new light.”
Pope St John Paul II provided a good example of that prophetic gift of discernment in action when he said in Limerick in 1979,
“Ireland must choose. You, the present generation of Irish people, must decide; your choice must be clear and your decision firm. Let the voice of your forefathers, who suffered so much to maintain their faith in Christ and thus to preserve Ireland's soul, resound today in your ears through the voice of the Pope when he repeats the words of Christ: "What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life?" (Mt 16:26). What would it profit Ireland to go the easy way of the world and suffer the loss of her own soul?
Your country seems in a sense to be living the temptations of Christ again: Ireland is being asked to prefer the "kingdoms of the world and their splendour" to the Kingdom of God (cf. Mt 4:8). Satan, the Tempter, the Adversary of Christ, will use all his might and all his deceptions to win Ireland for the way of the world. What a victory he would gain, what a blow he would inflict on the Body of Christ in the world, if he could seduce Irish men and women away from Christ. Now is the time of testing for Ireland. This generation is once more a generation of decision.
Dear sons and daughters of Ireland, pray, pray not to be led into temptation... I ask you today for a great, intense and growing prayer for all the people of Ireland, for the Church in Ireland, for all the Church which owes so much to Ireland. Pray that Ireland may not fail in the test. Pray as Jesus taught us to pray: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil".
Nearly half a century has passed since St John Paul spoke in such a prophetic way. His words give rise to a question: To what extent have Irish Catholics taken heed of his appeal? Surely the evil one has seduced many of our people away from Christ during the intervening years. For example, in the late seventies around 85% of Catholics attended Mass on a regular basis. Now, only about 30% do so. When we had referendums on issues such as divorce, abortion and same sex marriage, a majority of Catholics voted in favour of them despite the opposition of the bishops.
There is reason to believe that there has been a growth of the waters of spiritual darkness in our country. As they increase behind a dam of apparent but superficial civility, there is a real danger that the dam will burst in a way which will enable the evil one to flood our country with conflicts, social unrest and violence. So, Pope John Paul’s request for intercessory prayer for repentance, renewal and revival is even more urgent now than it was when he first issued it. How should Catholics respond?
Ø Make your peace with God by making a good general confession with a firm purpose of amendment.
Ø Undertake prudent acts of self-denial, e.g., fasting for part or for a whole day.
Ø Engage in spiritual warfare, while wearing the armour of God (cf. Eph 6:11), e.g., by engaging in festal shouts of praise that affirm and anticipate the fact that Jesus is defeating the powers of evil at work in our country and the world.
Ø In Ezech 22:30, talking about the need for intercessors, the Lord says:
"I have been looking for someone among them…to man the breach in front of me, to defend the country."
In Is 62:6-7 there is another striking image of intercession on behalf of the city of Jerusalem (i.e. the Church), which reads,
“On your walls, Jerusalem, I have placed sentries; They must never be silent day or night. They must remind the Lord of his promises and never let him forget them. They must give him no rest until he restores Jerusalem and makes it a city the whole world praises.”
Intercessors need to stand in the breaches, the places of vulnerability in the Church where the winds of adversity blow, the jackal of unrestrained instinct cries, and the devil enters under the cloak of darkness. Pray by persevering in heartfelt intercession for repentance, renewal and revival for the Church in Ireland. Do so alone and with others.
Three Prayers of Intercession
A] This intercessory prayer was composed by Pope Benedict and included in his Apostolic Letter to the Church in Ireland in 2010.
“God of our fathers, renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation, the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal, the charity which purifies and opens our hearts to love you, and in you, each of our brothers and sisters. Lord Jesus Christ, may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness, holiness and generous service to society. Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide, inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal for the Church in Ireland.
May our sorrow and our tears, our sincere effort to redress past wrongs, and our firm purpose of amendment bear an abundant harvest of grace for the deepening of the faith in our families, parishes, schools and communities, for the spiritual progress of Irish society, and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace within the whole human family.
To you, Triune God, confident in the loving protection of Mary, Queen of Ireland, our Mother, and of Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and all the saints, do we entrust ourselves, our children, and the needs of the Church in Ireland. Amen.”
B] Prayer composed by the New Springtime Community.
“Lord, we thank you for the countless blessings you have poured out on Ireland in the past. We thank you for the many ways in which your grace and gifts found expression in generous and loving Christian lives. We are also thankful for the times of prosperity we have enjoyed. However, like the prodigal son, we regret that sometimes we allowed the flame of the Spirit to be quenched within us by an idolatrous pursuit of such worldly things as power, pleasure, popularity and possessions. We confess, Lord, that many of us have forsaken You, the fountain of living waters, and have hewn out cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water (cf. Jer 2:13). Many of us have gone astray and selfishly rewritten the commandments to suit ourselves.
We believe that you came to cast fire on the earth, and long to renew your wonders in our day as by a new Pentecost. Help us to turn back to you with all our hearts, and to fan the smoldering embers of our faith into a lively flame, especially by self-denial, together with regular periods of personal and family prayer. Mary, Mother of Jesus, we entrust Ireland to your motherly care. In the past, our people remained faithful to your Son in times of persecution. We pray now that we may be faithful and thereby witness to his abiding love in these troubled and testing times. Amen.”
C] This way of interceding, which St Padre Pio engaged in every day, can be used by those who want to intercede for the people of Ireland
I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of [insert your intention.] Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of [insert your intention.] Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words, I now ask for the grace of [insert your intention.]Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours. Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: “St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”
Conclusion
In obedience to an inspiration from God, the New Springtime Community has been prompted to take this initiative. Inspired by 2 Chron 7:14 and Neh 4:1-21 We invite communities and groups of different kinds to join us in this crusade of intercessory prayer.
If you have any constructive suggestions to make regarding this initiative, please contact Fr. Pat Collins CM, chaplain of the New Springtime Community at patcollinscm22@gmail.com