“My God, stir up the justice you have commanded. Let the malice of the wicked end.”
-Psalm 7: 7c, 10a
At OLP School, each Middle School class has the opportunity to write the Prayers of the Faithful for a Wednesday Mass. In class, some students wanted to pray for a controversial political figure, and an argument broke out, as many students didn’t want to pray for someone they considered morally reprehensible.
I can understand this argument. I have often prayed for Ukraine and her citizens, but praying for Vladimir Putin doesn’t cross my mind; If I heard his name in the Prayers of the Faithful, I might hesitate to respond, “Lord, hear our prayer.”
If you have felt this way when we’ve prayed for President Trump or President Biden, you are not alone. Politicians often say things or enact policies that go directly against our values as Catholics. People have asked me, “Why do we pray for them?” or told me that they stayed silent when that petition was read.
This is a natural reaction. If you consider someone evil, you may recoil when their name is mentioned in a sacred space. This article does not seek to shame you for feeling this way; it answers the question, “Why should I pray for them?”
Your immediate response might be “Jesus says to pray for persecutors and love our enemy.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church takes this deeper. It instructs that loving our enemies and praying for persecutors is a means of seeking peace. This peace is not simply an absence of war or a balance between adversaries; true peace means protecting the dignity and freedom of all people. We are called to defend true peace and to renounce anything contrary to it (CCC 2303-2306).
Therefore, when we pray for people who are committing evil, we are not praying for their success; we are praying that they will change course and pursue a just path for the common good. We are praying for their ultimate good, that they live a life devoted to Christ and his pattern of sacrificial love.
In today’s world, it is hard to believe that people change. We are skeptical of anyone who “turns over a new leaf,” believing this might be inauthentic or temporary. Psychologically speaking, change is difficult, but people do change, and while changes may not always be lasting, it is possible. But even through a temporary change of heart, God can work wonders; Pharaoh let the Israelites leave Egypt, and from that brief moment before he tried to reenslave them, God led the Israelites to safety through the Red Sea. On the other hand, Paul was violently persecuting Christians, and from his encounter with Christ, he completely changed his life. We cannot know how God will work in the lives of others, but we can continue to pray that they open themselves to the ways of peace and justice, trusting that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.
Elizabeth Pike
Director of Music & Liturgy
