National Day of Prayer

Today was the 2010 National Day of Prayer, a good time to reflect on St. Paul's admonition to "Pray without ceasing," and, of course, just a good time to pray. Despite the current administration's lip-service to the contrary, one thing we as a nation can be pretty sure of is that our current president isn't praying either today or any other day. It is certainly no surprise that Obama didn't make much of the National Day of Prayer, but Obama's disaffection for the ceremony is a telling reminder of his earth-bound secularism and his disregard for faithful obedience to God as the way to determine truth and right behavior.

Pope John Paul II writes in Evangelium Vitae that certain situations require prayer and fasting:

Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29). Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit.

The present would seem to be one of those times when a highly effective weapon against the forces of evil is needed. Pray without ceasing.