Prayers For Our Country (2)

 

This morning, we prayed The Patriotic Rosary after mass.  In that prayer, a state is called out and prayed for on each of the 50 rosary beads.  I have visited most states, and as we prayed thoughts flickered through my mind of beautiful sights, events, and the people I was with.  I, and the country, are greatly blessed.

A special intention was stated at the start of each of the 5 decades of The Patriotic Rosary.  The intentions prayed for are the Presidency, the Supreme Court, Congress, Governors, and for local Municipal Offices.  I had deep feelings as I prayed the rosary, however I was much moved by the songs we sang after each decade.

Why don’t we hear these songs more often?  Read (or sing) the words below.  They evoke what is called patriotism, love of God and love of country --- or they should.  And, I believe, they should evoke tears as you sing about and for God’s mercy on us.

America

My country, ‘tis of thee;
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrim’s pride,
From ev’ry mountain side,
Let freedom ring.

(v4)
Our father’s God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we pray.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King.

 

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!  Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!  His truth is marching on.

(v5)
In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea;
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!  Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!  His truth is marching on.

 

America The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber wave of grain,
For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

(v2)
O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.

 

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh! Say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’ last gleaming?!
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?!

(v4)
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
and this be our motto, “In God is our trust”
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 

God Bless America

God bless America;
Land that I love.
Stand beside her and guide her,
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.

God bless America,
My home sweet home.

 

As I went to save this posting in my Word file, it said that there was already a posting with this name.  I guess not surprisingly it covers much of the same as I just wrote, but from slightly different angle.  That posting was written in 2016.  At least for a while, it seems those prayers were answered.  Perhaps we can again yield God’s mercy.