Dear Nativity Parishioners,
Several weeks ago, I mentioned in a homily that it is common to drive by a parish and find a church marquee or sign out front which displays the name of the community, the times of their services, and sometimes even a clever statement to get people to come in. Recently, I saw a picture of one that is quite apt for the current situation our country is in. It said, “America, the donkey and the elephant won’t help. We must turn back to the Lamb”. That is a good message to keep in mind as we approach the 2024 Presidential Election on November 5th.
I was thinking about that message the other day as I was looking through the most recent issue of Evangelization & Culture, Word on Fire’s quarterly journal. They devoted almost all of their pages in that issue to the discussion of democracy, American politics, and the participation of Catholics in political life.
As some articles in that issue describe, we must avoid two extremes. On the one hand, as Catholics, we do not want to remain absent from the political arena or separate spiritual matters and our faith from the public square because if we do, then who will shape the moral compass of our democratic body? On the other hand, we also do not want to practice some type of political messianism in which we place our ultimate hope in a political party or leader. Neither will bode well for us as individuals nor as a country.
What we want to do is educate ourselves on the candidates, use the Church’s teachings to form our conscience, fulfill our civic duty and, indeed, our Christian duty (CCC 2240). One excellent resource I would encourage you to check out is our very own Minnesota Catholic Conference. They are the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota and serve to uphold life, dignity, and the common good. You can find their information at www.mncatholic.org. This year one particular resource offered on their website is a letter from the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota on the 2024 election which can be a great help in preparing yourself to vote this November. I hope you find this resource helpful, and may God bless you all!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Bill Duffert
Pastor
