Prayer for Ireland

Today, we interrupt our regular blogging  to offer up our personal prayer for Ireland, as her people vote whether to retain or repeal the pro-life provision of her Constitution:

Heavenly Father, Who made of one blood all nations and appointed their times and habitations, we pray for Ireland. Through centuries of trial, her people contended for the Faith once received amidst the onslaughts of paganism and heresy, and her saints and scholars and sundry folk brought Your good news to the furthest ends of the earth; but now the serpents have returned to poison their children with whispered promises of unholy license.

Have mercy upon the Irish people, o Lord, that they might defend the life of the unborn child equally with the life of the mother, lest they fall under the judgment of Him Who declared: “as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.” Move them to uphold the true dignity of motherhood, fatherhood, family, and humanity, according to the rational laws You wrote in our hearts and confirmed by Your commandments of love.

But if in Your infinite wisdom You permit otherwise, have mercy upon the unborn children who shall perish unbaptised and unwanted, and bring their murderers to repentance. And grant Your faithful remnant the fortitude to endure the dominion of error and sin, and the fervour to rescue their downfallen brethren: till Ireland becomes holy once more, verdant with Your supernatural life and radiating Your light to all humanity.

Through Your Son our divine Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.