Without understanding the allegorical meaning of the two characters, this sentence
would seem oddly overstated. On a first reading it conveys a sense that Antonia's
"devotion" is as strong as a religion, and that Don Jose takes this
devotion for granted. When we break it down allegorically, with idealism for Antonia
and the nation for Don Jose, it becomes clearer. The first thing we find is that
idealism is identified as a form of prayer, i.e., a hope in betterment. Looking
further, we see that the nation is cast as the God who will grant this betterment,
but the nation is in fact a senseless stone idol. The implication is that idealistic
faith in the nation is misplaced; that no human betterment has been forthcoming
from it.