Like so many others, I will be casting my ballet today – shortly after hitting ‘publish’ on this post, I will take a few minutes to indicate who and what I am voting for, sign & seal the document, and drop it off at the nearest ballot box on my way to visit my family. As with so many other elections, I do so without any great enthusiasm about the state of affairs; I have no illusions that the principalities and powers at play in our political system will be much swayed by the sheet of paper with my name and votes on it.
It seems to me that politics has become – or been newly revealed to be – an idol for non-religious and religious folk alike. ‘The most important election of our lifetime’ is always the one vying for our attention. The candidates of both the major parties have the same sermon: ‘the stakes have never been higher!’. Yet the issues remain the same: life, death, sex, and drugs are the talking points of every conversation….well, they would be if candidates & parties actually took a break from attacking each other. Sadly it’s all quite predictable, boring, and, in the end, fairly fruitless.
Yes, voting matters – though the bishops have pointed out that, when given choices that all involve intrinsic evil (sound familiar?), voters may legitimately take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate. And, as Amy wisely reminded Josh in The West Wing, our vote doesn’t belong to anyone! So, should we choose to vote for a candidate, we are free – indeed obliged – to vote according to our well-formed conscience – and nothing else. One day we will stand before the Lord Himself, answering for how we used our freedom – among those freedoms will be our vote, certainly. As with all of our choices, we assume moral responsibility for all that we affirm with our vote: choose wisely! ….and then let’s get about discerning & choosing wisely for all of the other choices that are in front of us!
Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that our vote or politics as a whole will save us. Despite nearly two and half centuries of the current state of affairs here in the United States, we still have material and moral poverty aplenty! We need only go so far as to look in the mirror, in our homes, within our neighborhoods, sitting in our pews, and wandering the streets of our communities to find it. Politics won’t change any of that, but Jesus – working with and through us – will, if we invite and permit Him to do so. His campaign is not one of ads or soundbites, but of consistent and persistent love even in the face of our brokenness. Let us put our hope in Him – and get to the work of making disciples all nations, especially our own!
Quick post-publishing update – Archbishop Etienne wrote a letter to the archdiocese, published on his blog and emailed out for all; read it here: On The Eve Of Presidential Election A Call For Unity
November 3 – Today is the memorial of Saint Martin de Porres. The illegitimate son of a nobleman a a black freed slave, he and his mother lived in poverty in Lima, Peru. The law actually forbade descendants of African slaves from becoming religious, but the prior decided to break the law after Martin spent eight years (!) serving the community. Despite his prior’s care, some of his fellow brothers were decidedly against his membership, denigrating him and mistreating him because of his heritage. Over the years, Martin’s charity eventually won over even those hard hearts. He died at the age of 59 and, when an investigation was later undertaken, his body was miraculously incorrupt 25 years later – a testimony to his devotion to the love of God. Read more at the Dominican Friars (Province of Saint Martin de Porres) website.
November 4 – Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo. In the Archdiocese of Seattle, we have one parish under his patronage – spare a prayer for their community today! Trained in the law (civil and ecclesial) Charles Borromeo served as secretary of state at the Vatican (his uncle was Pope Pius IV). As part of the Council of Trent, he helped oversee the writing of the catechism, a re-writing of liturgical texts, and clerical reform. As archbishop of Milan, his labors were similarly heavy – the diocese was in terrible moral decay with both laity and clergy far from faithful practice or belief. Borromeo embraced a rigorous program of reform, preaching discipline instead of laxity and establishing the Confraternities of Christian Doctrine to teach the faith. But he was also deeply invested in caring for the poor, establishing hospitals, colleges, and orphanages. Read all about him at Loyola Press.
November 6 – If you haven’t heard of Saint Leonard of Noblac, you’re likely in good company! A Frank courtier in the six century, he came into the faith after praying (at the suggestion of the queen) for God’s help to stop an invading army. Upon his conversion, he wholeheartedly embraced the call to know the Lord, first entering a monastery and then discerning a vocation as a hermit. However, he was unable to quite live alone, as his holiness drew others to want to form a monastery with him, a request to which he eventually acceded. Though not as well known here in the Americas, he is well-venerated in Europe, especially in Bavaria. Read more at EWTN.
November 7 – Today’s saint – Saint Prosdocimus – is perhaps another lesser-known member of the communion of saints (at least, here on earth!). In looking up this week’s saints, he caught my eye because he was the first bishop of Padua (the city of my patron saint, Saint Anthony). Tradition holds that he was converted and then sent from Antioch by no less personage than Saint Peter! His tomb is at the basilica of Saint Giustina in Padua. Read about him at the Abbey of Saint Giustina (link through Google Translate, as the site is published in Italian).
November 9 – This week concludes with the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In 2007, after a two and a half month (!) pilgrimage quarter in the Holy Landy during my time at Mundelein seminary (yes, it was as amazing as it sounds), I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Rome with my parents and some friends. Of the many holy sites we visited, my favorite by far was the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. In addition to being the only archbasilica in the world – likely an honor given due to this being the pope’s cathedreal! – it’s formal title is quite impressive: “the Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica, Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World”. You can understand why it’s typically just called ‘the Lateran Basilica’!
Of its many features, I am most fond of two: the statues of the Apostles that line the nave and the high altar & tomb of Saint John the Baptist beneath it. I admit to a little irritation, however: the twelfth Apostle depicted at the archbasilica is of Saint Paul rather than Saint Matthias….whom I have a bit of an affinity for, as my middle name echoes his. This was a decision made by Pope Clement XI and Benedetto Cardinal Pamphili when they planned the sculptures – I trust that Saint Matthias set them straight before their admittance into heaven (insert ‘why not both?’ meme here). Nonetheless, it is a glorious church that befitting its patron, John the Baptist, and stands still as a sign of our common unity with Christ and His Church. Read about it at the Vatican News website.
Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week
- Rev. C. Alex Pablo (November 5, 1983)
Remembering our deceased priests
- Fr. John Doherty (November 8, 1992)
- Msgr. Patrick Farrelly (November 8, 1970)
- Fr. Charles G. Harvey (November 8, 1974)
- Fr. Charles E. Kelly (November 8, 1971)
- Fr. Edward Norris (November 8, 1995)
Psalm 146 all the way!
Hallelujah!
2
Praise the LORD, my soul;
I will praise the LORD all my life,
sing praise to my God while I live.
3
Put no trust in princes,
in children of Adam powerless to save.
4
Who breathing his last, returns to the earth;
that day all his planning comes to nothing.