A guest editorial from the executive director of Catholic Conscience, Matthew Marquardt, on ways Catholics can engage the democratic process guided by prayer.

One vote each. 

The problem with having a single vote is that the policies of any single party, platform or candidate seldom align perfectly with Catholic social teaching. More often, each candidate and each party has adopted some positions that are reassuringly consistent with our thought and others that are disappointingly contrary. And in an increasingly polarized world, our choices seem to be growing worse.

What are we to do? Despair? Throw up our hands, stalk away from the whole democratic process and go back to our favourite pastimes and diversions? Unfortunately, Christ wants more from us. We are to use all of the resources at our disposal to ensure that we and everyone around us is enabled and encouraged to seek the truth, which is God, and to do what we can to ensure that our societies set and maintain conditions that will support that purpose. Throwing up our hands and hiding opens the door for those who might be inclined to take advantage of us and misuse the common wealth.

Instead (surprise?) we are meant to pray and work a little harder.

For deeper prayer, Catholics have many options. My personal favourites are the Rosary and Holy Mass, coupled with discernment techniques such as those taught by Sts. Alphonsus Ligouri and Ignatius of Loyola.  St. Alphonsus and St. Ignatius spoke eloquently of ways of listening during prayer, searching the heart for preferences that God might wish to share with us. 

Not being a trained theologian, I am shy to provide too many details but recommend works such as The Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Conscience by Fr. Raphael Gallagher, published by the Ignatian and Ligouri presses respectively.   

Devout Rosaries and Masses are incomparably powerful. In faithful combination with the techniques of our venerable teachers, they should enable us to vote with clear consciences.  

However we approach it, we should all be conversing daily — preferably moment by moment — with God, our guardian angels and our patron saints. We should not be shy about sharing our difficulties and our misgivings with them. Invoke the Holy Spirit, lay the issues before God and ask for guidance. Then watch through the day for answers, which come in many forms.

Asking the intercession of Mary, Seat of Wisdom and Queen of Heaven, is also a good idea.

Having prayed sincerely and reflected devoutly, we are entitled to choose and vote with confidence, even if it seems our vote might be wasted. It’s important to remember that God moves in ways we don’t always understand, sometimes even in ways that may seem bad to us at the time. Remember that God can make use of very bad events to bring about great good, sometimes many years later. For example:

• Joseph, son of Jacob, was able to save his family and all Israel by behaving devoutly and appropriately even after his brothers sold him into slavery and he was wrongfully imprisoned.
• Joseph, foster-father of Christ, found that his betrothed was with child before their marriage had been consummated; and she bore for Joseph and for all of us the Son of the living God.
• Judas, one of Christ’s 12 chosen, betrayed Christ to the Sanhedrin, resulting in His crucifixion — which in turn resulted in the apostles being sent forth to make disciples of all nations.

Moreover, Christ is the great multiplier. Remember the miracles of the loaves and fishes. We can never know what use God might make of a single conversation, or a single, properly discerned vote, now or many years from now.

And remember that prayer is to be offered with confidence. By voting confidently, according to our best lights, with the realization that we cannot control everything ourselves, we assist God in His continuing act of Creation.

Finally, we have to stay involved, even after the election. If we are to retain the blessing of democracy, with its privilege of self-government, we must remain constant vigilance, staying constantly informed and involved. We should seek opportunities to introduce ourselves to our elected representatives and to share with them our thanks for their services, highlighting the areas in which we may agree with them, and gently explaining our points of view when we disagree. And we should listen respectfully to their responses.  

Otherwise, when we face judgment, how will we explain that we failed to do what we could to help build a world pleasing to God?