Post-election reaction: Faith, Hope, and Love

The sacred Scriptures assure us; “All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). These ought to be very consoling words for us today. With the implications that the election has for the unborn, for religious freedom, etc. many of us may be experiencing grief over the outcome of the presidential election results. This grief is not all bad, and in fact can be a helpful reminder. We are called to place ALL of our trust and ALL of our hope in Jesus Christ and in the Church He founded. Whenever we allow our trust to drift to any other object, our Lord will allow us to be disappointed so that we will, once again, turn and place our trust in Him.

The Church exists to be and at all times ought to be a leaven and a soul for society. Sometimes we get that backwards and think the society exists to care for the Church. We must remember that the lesser is to be served by the greater. God becomes our servant, parents serve their children, and the Church is to serve society. The solution, when things fall out of balance, rests with the servant. When we were dead in our sin God sent His Son to die for us. When our culture has turned its back on Jesus and on His Church, we must go, for love’s sake, and restore right relations.

The culture of death is not new; it is just becoming more present in our culture. The past 100 years, from 1914 until the dawn of 2013, has been the bloodiest in human history. More martyrs have born witness for Christ during this time than in any century before. Having just returned from the Extraordinary Synod in Rome and having listened to bishops from all over the world, I am very aware of the dire circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is a time for hope, however, and not for fear. Fallen humanity is not the enemy—it is the prize. The devil and his angels are our enemy. His kingdom of darkness and death are no match for Christ’s Kingdom of light and of life. Now is the time for the New Evangelization. The election results are the greatest reminder that ONLY in Jesus will we re-discover joy and protect life. Changed laws would have helped, but changed hearts follow a higher Law.

We can take courage in this recent Responsorial from the Office of Readings:

1 Maccabees 3:20, 22, 19, 21, 22

They come against us with great insolence and lawlessness.

Do not fear them,

–For victory in war does not depend on the size of the army but on the strength that comes from heaven.

-We are fighting for our lives and our laws; the Lord will crush our enemies before our eyes.

Do you believe this? We must believe this! The election results have reminded us of what we need: Faith, Hope, and Love. Deep faith in God and in His promises; unwavering hope that all things work together for the good, and that God is so great that He can always bring about a greater good; and sacrificial love for our brothers and sisters, who are held captive by malevolent forces bent upon their destruction. Jesus loves each of them and died for them; He is asking each of us to love them and to live for Him. All the Church for all the world!

Jesus I trust in you! Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us!

Go set the world on fire!!