p. 48The Sacred Heart and Good Citizenship

There are too many devoted friends and followers of the Sacred Heart who wish earnestly to carry out our Lord’s desires and who quite fail to realize how earnestly He has commanded us and exhorted us to be good citizens. Indeed, it may come almost as a surprise to some unrealizing souls that to be a good citizen in the real sense of the term is one of the great services which the Sacred Heart of our Lord desires from us.

This is clear both from the teachings of our Lord Himself and from the sayings of His apostles in the inspired writings of the New Testament, which is also the word of God. We all remember hearing, again and again, the episode in the Gospel when some of the Pharisees and the Herodians were sent to our Lord so that they might ensnare Him by asking Him whether it were lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or whether they should refuse him. Cæsar, as the head of the Roman state, stood for the civil government and there was a great dispute among the Jews as to whether it were lawful to give tribute to this heathen.

Pagan though he was, Cæsar was head of the constituted government and so had authority from God. Hence, our Lord rebuked these men for tempting Him, and after asking to see the coin of the tribute, He inquired of them whose image and inscription was on the coin. They answered Him that it was Cæsar’s. Then He said to them: “Render, therefore, to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” These words fixed themselves very vividly in the minds of the apostles and the disciples who heard them; Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, and Saint Luke all tell this episode in different words, but they all repeat the words of our Lord alike.

Saint Paul, the great apostle, emphasizes this same teaching in his epistle to the Romans when he says, “Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God; and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore, he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation” (Romans, xiii. 1-2). The apostle then goes on to summarize, in verse seven of this chapter, the duties of citizenship. “Render, therefore,” he says, “to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute is due: custom, to whom custom: fear, to whom fear: honor, to whom honor.”

Saint Peter in his first epistle emphasizes the same truth in the second chapter. “Be ye subject, therefore, to every human creature for God’s sake: whether it be to the king, as excelling; or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of the good” (Saint Peter, I, ii. 13). And he also summarizes our duty in the seventeenth verse of this chapter. “Honor all men,” he says, “Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

It is true that the conditions of good citizenship have changed very much since the time of our Lord and His apostles. In those days the monarchical form of government prevailed, and the principal duty of a citizen was obedience to the laws and the support of the state. But in our day, monarchies have disappeared for the most part and government has passed into the hands of the people. Individual citizens have much more responsibility and many more active duties of citizenship than they had in former times, but the fundamental principles of good citizenship remain the same. They consist in doing one’s full part for the welfare of one’s country and its government, of discharging one’s duties to the full, and making one’s influence felt as an individual and in civic organizations for the welfare of one’s country.

One of the first duties of a good citizen is to pray earnestly and sincerely for his native land, for its rulers, and for all that have influence for its welfare. Such prayer is surely very dear to the Sacred Heart of our Lord. We ought to include in all our good works and devotions a general intention of this kind, and from time to time we ought to recall and make explicit our wish to call down God’s blessing and secure His help for all the officials of our government.

The next duty of good citizenship is to take a rightful part in the activities of government. The power to vote brings with it a great responsibility. Those who deliberately neglect to exercise this duty of citizenship are surely not fulfilling the wishes of our Lord. If the sum total of responsibility for our government rests, as it does, on the body of voters, it must rest on them as individuals. Everyone admits that neglect of the duty of voting and of voting prudently and unselfishly does great harm to our nation.

Organized and selfish interests, which can control a certain number of votes, push through measures which are sometimes very harmful to the public good. Who is responsible for this rule of the minority? Is it not the good, but lazy, people, who should have gone out to vote but did not? So, too, men who are unselfish and capable are defeated for public office and others who are incompetent or selfish are elected, simply because of the neglect of good citizenship on the part of those who fail to vote, from no better motive than selfishness, indifference, or thoughtlessness.

Out of reverence for our Lord’s wishes and out of consideration for the interests of the Sacred Heart, we should all earnestly encourage each other, and be vigorous ourselves, in fulfilling our duty to vote. This means that we shall take an intelligent interest in public affairs, or at least shall take advice of some one who is able to guide us, so that our vote will not be wasted or given to the wrong person, but will contribute our share to securing for our country a good and worthy government.

On great public issues, we should try to form an intelligent opinion, or to get some one else to help us form one, so as to throw our influence on the side that is best and most just. The general interests of the country ought to have precedence over private preferences. It is God, Himself, Who has ordained human society, and He has established it for the benefit of mankind and for the accomplishment of His holy will. He leaves to us to maintain the authority of government, to support its laws, and to keep it upright and good. In the days of democracy, this can be accomplished only by each one doing his or her part as a good citizen.

The principle of democracy is becoming more and more widespread, better and better established in the world. In the days of our Lord, people never had to vote, or at least very seldom had any share in the choosing of their rulers. Monarchies were hereditary, or they were acquired by force of arms or gift, and so there was no occasion for voting. But now, all important issues are submitted to the vote. Most important officials are elected by the people. Good citizenship requires more effort, more conscientious thought, and more self-sacrifice than it did in the early days.

In few ways can we give greater honor to God in the eyes of non-Catholics than by showing ourselves unselfishly devoted to the interests of our country, and by being good citizens from motives of fidelity and the love of God and our neighbor. Not in the field of politics alone, but in all forms of public service, Catholics should be in the van of the battle for right, for justice, for the redress of evils, and the promotion of thoroughly good movements. Public-spirited men are rightly held in honor, when they work from a real desire of the public good and not from motives of mere selfishness and ambition. When this public service is performed for the love of God and out of a wish to do His will and to promote His interests, it becomes truly glorious. Every friend of the Sacred Heart should desire most earnestly to be a good citizen for love of his country and love of his fellowmen, and most of all for the love of the Sacred Heart.