Governor Abbott Addresses National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
Texas Governor Greg Abbott today addressed over 1,000 attendees at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. In his remarks, Governor Abbott discussed the power of prayer and the need to preserve religious liberty. The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was established in 2004 by Pope John Paul II and is held annually.
“I have learned that what matters in life is not how we’re challenged, but how we respond to those challenges, and that such challenges are yet another example of how God connects with us and how we can connect with Him through prayer,” said Governor Abbott. “There is no force as formidable or as indomitable as prayer to Almighty God. So I pray today that as we face life’s challenges, whether they be personal or strike at the heart of religious liberty, that we open the door to God through prayer.”
Governor Abbott Speech To National Catholic Prayer Breakfast:
**Governor Abbott often deviates from prepared remarks.
The First Lady of Texas and I are honored to join you for this National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
My being here today is proof that prayers work. On the flight here we hit some turbulence. My wife gripped her Rosary and prayed we would land safely and we did.
Sometimes though, when we face turbulence in our lives, our prayers are answered in ways different from what we ask. That’s how I felt when I faced a life-changing accident. While confined to a hospital bed for months, I prayed deeply – always hoping and praying for the best.
I asked God for strength and God responded by giving me challenges that made me stronger. It turns out that doesn’t mean trusting God to stop the storm. It means trusting Him to strengthen us as we pass through the storm.
In hindsight, I am thankful that God didn’t grant my every request because he knew better than I the right path. If you’d seen all I have seen, going through all I have gone through, you would never again question the Lord. You would never fear the valley of the shadow of death because you knew that God was with you. You would pray with gratefulness for that connection you have with God.
I found a connection with Romans 8:28. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
I also learned that what matters in life is not how we’re challenged but how we respond to those challenges. I learned that such challenges are yet another example of how God connects with us and how we can connect with Him through prayer.
Have you ever noticed how prayers increase during times of great need? In America today, we are in a time of great need. There is an urgent need to pray now more than ever – especially the need to pray to preserve religious liberty.
I heard it said that America did not create religious liberty. Religious liberty created America.
That religious liberty is being tested as some try to silence the faithful and purge God from the public square. We have seen this in Texas where we have defended our religious liberty guaranteed by the Constitution all the way to the United States Supreme Court. When the 10 Commandments monument on the Texas Capitol grounds was challenged by an atheist, we responded, we won and the monument still stands.
When atheists sued to remove “one nation under God” from the pledge, we responded and we won.
When abortion groups tried to overturn the partial-birth abortion ban, we responded and we won.
Today we see this assault on faith continuing across our country. We see this with the Catholic Little Sisters of the Poor being forced to choose between a law imposed by the government or following the law of their Lord. We see this never ending battle to protest the unborn and we see this in the legal assault on marriage as defined by God. But we know that God’s law cannot be undone by man.
The good news is that God has already given us the roadmap to answer our prayers about religious liberty. In Proverbs 29:2 it says, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice. But when the wicked rule the people suffer.” God told us long ago that we need righteous leaders. So as we pray today and every day we should pray that God’s guidance in Proverbs be fulfilled and that we be blessed with righteous leaders.
I’ve found that there is no force as formidable, as indomitable as a prayer to Almighty God. To not pray – as Pope Francis says – is to close the door to God so that He can do nothing. On the other hand, prayer in the face of a problem, a difficult situation or a calamity is opening the door to the Lord so that He will come. He knows to arrange things, to reorganize things – this is what praying is. Opening the door to the Lord so that he can do something. But if we close the door, God can do nothing.
So I pray today that as we face life’s challenges, whether they be personal or strike at the heart of religious liberty, that we open the door to God through prayer.
As Matthew reminded us, with God all things are possible. Let’s take his advice.
Thank you, May God bless you and keep you and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was established in 2004 by Blessed Pope John Paull II. Each year over 1,000 people including religious and political leaders gather in Washington D.C. to pray for our county.