ORATIO IMPERATA - is Latin for Obligatory prayer or short prayer which is usually publicly prayed in times of grave need tension or calamity.
Oratio - to speak, plead
Imperata/ Imperataivus - a binding or compelling rule, duty, requirement
Last Sunday started an Oratio Imperata prayed by every Catholic Church in the Philippines until it is needed.
ORATIO IMPERATA IN TIME OF GRAVE TENSION
O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, the sky and the seas,
look kindly on us your children of the Philippine islands,
our home, now beset with tensions over our West Philippine Sea.
We pray to you for peace over that part of our islands and waters.
We pray that questions over it may be resolved through justice and respect for people’s rights.
We pray that no harm be done to our marine creatures and habitat.
We pray that our fellow Filipinos protecting our islands and seas
be kept safe from natural and man-made disasters.
Loving God you are wonderful Creator, our generous Provider of good things;
send your Holy Spirit of wisdom and understanding to our leaders
that they resolve this crisis with courage and in the spirit of dialogue.
Help us all to remain faithful to your Word and obedient to your Will always.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The recent rulings of the International Courts favoring our country against the China's claim of the West Philippine Sea has caused more tension instead of celebrations. Our country cannot afford nor engage in a war, a war that nobody will win and may ignite a World War 3 :( ... we the Filipinos do not want it .
Yes we believe in the power of prayer! We cannot man our territories all the time, nor can we all go to the negotiating table BUT we the Filipinos can ALL pray! This is still our most powerful weapon in our arsenal to shield us against destructive forces that threaten the security of our people and land.
There are silent prayers or wordless ones, singing ones, but why spoken ones ...when people voice it out , cry out, the sense of urgency is there, that says God our Father these are urgent please.... when we all are united prayer ....it is like storming heaven and ganging up to our heavenly Daddy to grant what we are asking for :) In times like this i cant fail to think that the State can all dabble in thinking Church and State are separated, and they do not need the Church, but whilst the State keeps shooing the Church away the Church have been consistent in praying and reminding whats good and right, because not everything thats legal can be considered morally right.
i did not vote for our current President, he is my second choice, i voted for Senator Miriam D. Santiago, i believe God loves our country and almost always wants its good, and so God put him there, and needs him there, whether we like it or not whether we acknowledge it or not, he is not perfect, but whoever is??... with him there ive come to hope again for a better Philippines... so i want to end this by quoting him " Thus to our religious bishops, leaders, priests, pastors, preachers, imams let me assure you that while I am a stickler for the principle of separation between church and state, I believe quite strongly that there should never be a separation between God and State' - President Duterte ...
Please Lord hear our prayer, Mama Mary help us.
