Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Law of Love

Love is a core theme in our readings for this weekend—love of God, love of neighbor, love of self. For me, these readings offer a saving grace in the face of all the noise, rancor, and fear-mongering of these elections. This year I find myself increasingly agitated at what I experience as deliberate divisiveness. I want so much for us to be one, to be united, to work for the common good, to understand each other, and to reconcile and heal. The readings teach me that love is stronger than fear and hope is stronger than despair. The risk of loving is always worth taking—even in an election year. It is a huge risk to love the unlovable, someone “different” from myself and my beliefs and values. Jesus tells us about the law of love, the greatest commandment.

In the midst of all the election distress, this prayer has helped me tremendously. I pray that it helps you too!

From the Facebook of Fr. James Martin, SJ. 

An Election Season Prayer

God, I know that I don’t have to get angry.
I don’t have to get worked up.
I don’t have to get depressed.
And I don’t have to throw anything at the TV.

I just have to use my conscience and vote.

So help me remember what Jesus taught in the Gospels,
and what our Church teaches,
especially about the poor, the refugee, the migrant,
the sick, the homeless, the unborn, the disabled,
the hungry, the elderly and the lonely.

Help me remember the “least” among us,
and help me ponder in my heart
how to cast my vote for the good of all.

God, I know that no candidate is perfect,
because I’m not perfect either,
the last time I checked.
So free me of the burden of having to
vote for someone who satisfies
all my desires for a candidate.
My candidate will be imperfect, like me.

Help me to be grateful for the ability to vote,
because not everyone has that privilege.

And when I meet people voting for someone else,
Help me to take a deep breath and
give them the benefit of the doubt,
because they are following their consciences, too.

Help me remember
that even though they sometimes drive me nuts,
I don’t have to argue with them,
I don’t have to convince them,
I don’t have to hate them,
And I don’t have to demonize them.

Then, after the election, help me work for unity.
Because I know that’s what you want.

Amen.