[REFLECTION] Prayer and the flood control mess

The Trillion Peso March, the second part of which happened on November 30, aimed to “transform prayer into sustained movement.” 

At that time, barely two months had passed when Cardinal Jose Advincula of the Archdiocese of Manila declared that the Oratio Imperata for Integrity, Truth, and Justice replace the Prayers of the Faithful in all Masses, “a rare practice reserved for the gravest of circumstances.” Seeing corruption not merely as a political and economic problem, the archdiocese thought that the obligatory prayer was the most apt response to a “spiritual and moral crisis” that violated human dignity and stole what was meant for the common good.

What do we pray for in a situation of urgency and seriousness? After asking for forgiveness because of our apathy and inaction, the oratio imperata asks the Good Lord for “leaders after the Heart of Your Son.” It also implores the Holy Spirit for courage to uphold justice and defend the truth so that integrity may blossom in our land. It entreats the God of Justice and Mercy for the nation “not to be poisoned by greed, manipulation, and selfishness.”

A priest friend said that “it is unfair to ask God to solve problems that we humans have caused.” Another asked, whether in the face of all this massive corruption, the words “lead us into temptation and deliver us from evil” still mean anything.

This reflection resists critiquing of the oratio imperata, which some think articulates nothing more than motherhood statements. It wants to ask a basic question: Does prayer engender collective agency?

Scholars have classified three approaches to religious problem-solving. Some have a deferring style, and depend on God to solve their problems. At the other end of the scale are those with a self-directing style, and exercise autonomy and refuse to ask God for help or even guidance. In the middle are those with a collaborative style; they ally themselves with God in finding solutions. 

Secularists perhaps would insist that the program of action against corruption and political dynasties be self-directed, considering that various religious groups would be protecting their own political interests. But which path should religionists take? Should we exercise passivity to God whose plans are always greater than ours? Or should we employ God as a collaborator to our best efforts?

Religious problem-solving primarily means deciding who God is for us. Is God abandoning or is God supportive but non-intervening? Studies have shown that those who believe that God has abandoned them in their times of difficulties self-directed problem solvers decide to become self-directed. But the collaborative believe that God supports them and will grant them the support and help they need, but will not do the work for them.

Crucial to this reflection is whether belief in God and agency cancel each other out. Agency is an action that is goal-oriented, and whose goal is doable and rational. An example would be a student who seeks to build a love life or a small business. Such an act may not be so agentic if they strive to find the love of their life or put up their food stall in the middle of Exam Week. Furthermore, such commendable ends will only be agentic if they recognize the concrete changes they need to make in order to achieve it.

The agentic believer would be less deferring, but would seek to look to God for help and guidance in seeking solutions to the corruption and governance issues. Perhaps it is not so realistic to expect that not everyone involved will be sanctioned, especially the big fish.

Realizing that corruption will not be completely rooted out, we are faced by the temptation to lose hope. Theologians explain that the last two petitions of the Lord’s Prayer derive from the genuine desire to repent (Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us). Resolving to do good, we ask God the Father not to lead us into new temptation and to spare us from the Evil One.

The real temptation, however, is the temptation to defer to God all solutions to problems we humans have caused. Prayer requires action. This starts with recognizing our own contribution to this dire situation. To what extent have we worked to raise leaders who will not be vulnerable to corrupt practices?

The Serenity Prayer expresses this: “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.” We can start by looking at the list provided in this website of Ten Ways to Fight Corruption.

Unexpectedly, data shows that abandoning ourselves in God’s hands, actually leads to agency, for this act bolsters confidence that a difficult situation may be resolved. If, however, we refuse to let God carry some of our emotional burden, we might burn out, and the determination and will power to bring the solution to its logical conclusion get exhausted.

As Saint Ignatius in a letter to Ascanio Colonna [dated April 25, 1543] said: “There are very few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves entirely to his hands, and let them be formed by his grace.” Imagine the heights we can reach, if we realize that we are miracles in God’s hands. – Rappler.com

Jovino G. Miroy teaches medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion at the Ateneo de Manila University. He holds a PhD from Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven in Belgium, with a specialization in medieval philosophy, and is a member of the American Cusanus Society. He is the producer of the podcast titled “Thomas Unveiled,” commemorating the Double Jubilee of Thomas Aquinas.