Section:
prayers
Opening Song
Suggestion: “World Peace Prayer” - Marty Haugen on the recording, Come and Journey
Gathering Prayer
Leader: We give thanks, O God, for the gift of freedom that we have in the United States.
All: And all your many gifts to us
Leader: Let us see your glory, your justice and your peace
All: May our lives and our world be re-awakened by the power of your grace.
Reading
Our nation has been blessed with great freedom, vibrant democratic traditions, unprecedented economic strengths, abundant natural resources and a generous and religious people. Yet not all is right with our nation. Our prosperity does not reach far enough. Our culture does not lift us up; instead it may bring us down in moral terms. We are falling short of the American pledge of “liberty and justice for all,” our declaration to defend the inalienable rights of the human person–“life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Psalm 1 Pray antiphonally.
Oh, the joys of those
who walk not after the advice of the wicked,
nor stand in the path of sinners,
nor sit in the seat of scoffers,
but delight in the law of Yahweh
and ponder it day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water
that yield fruit in due season,
whose leaves do not wither;
and everything they do prospers.
The ungodly are not so
but are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore, they cannot stand firm when Judgment comes,
nor shall sinners find a place in the assembly of the righteous.
For God knows the way of the just,
but the way of the ungodly ends in ruin.
Glory . . .
Reading
For Catholics, public virtue is as important as private virtue in building the common good. In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Every believer is called to faithful citizenship, to become an informed, active and responsible participant in the political process…Every voice matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power.
Questions for Private Reflection/Community Sharing
It may be helpful to refer to the candidate’s positions on various issues put out by NETWORK and found on line at www.networklobby.org
- Who benefits from the most from each position taken by the candidate?
- Who bears the cost of this position?
- What are the immediate implications of this position?
- What must be given up or sacrificed to pursue this position?
- What are the long-term implications of this position?
Closing Prayer
O God, as we strive to live out our faith and to address the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another, send your Spirit upon us that the decisions we make at this important time, may truly reflect your teachings and benefit the greatest number of people. May these and all our decisions be based on global responsibility and an awareness of the needs of all people. Amen.
Readings are reprinted with permission from the Bishops’ letter, “Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility.”
Psalm is from Psalms Anew by Nancy Schreck, OSF, and Maureen Leach, OSF, © 1984 The Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque, Iowa. Used with permission.
Our thanks to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia for preparing this prayer service.
Another useful resource is the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: http://faithfulcitizenship.org/resources/podcasts.
