Voting in our Nov. 3 elections is extremely important. To help us discern the Lord’s will as we express our preferences in the election, Bishop Larry Silva offers “Reflections from the Word of God to Prepare for the 2020 Elections.”
We urge all to use these reflections and Scriptures to inform your decisions about the candidates and issues so that our community may live in the Way, the Truth, and the Life God knows will bring us happiness and peace.
Pray over them individually, with family members, or with friends, taking time to ponder on each issue.
Reflections from the Word of God to Prepare for the 2020 Elections
Prepared by Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu (9/23/20)
[Scripture quotes from the New American Bible, Revised Edition]
As faithful citizens of the United States, the State of Hawaii, and the local regions to which we belong, we not only enjoy the right to vote, but we have a civic duty to do so to make our democracy a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” The following are offered as an invitation to prayer and discernment about some of the issues facing our community to help all discern God’s will regarding the persons we elect for public office. We urge you to pray over them in this time leading up to our November 3 elections.
One Nation under God – Religious Liberty
Our nation was founded on “the laws of nature and nature’s God.” Do we still share this fundamental belief? For those who do believe, is that belief fostered or threatened by our culture and its leaders?
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
The Sanctity of Life from Conception until Natural Death
Pope Francis has said that without the right to life, no other right has meaning. What can we do to halt and reverse the hidden Holocaust of abortion that is so accepted that it is protected by law? How can we assure that our leaders will work for a greater respect for life in all its stages, including the lives of convicted criminals, of the frail elderly, of the poor, and of other vulnerable persons?
“I call heaven and earth today to witness against you. I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Unity of the Races
God has made every person in his image and likeness, yet we often live with biases, prejudices and closed hearts to people who are different from us. How can we all, as individuals and as communities, work toward justice, dignity and equality for all in our land?
“Glorious things are said of you, of city of God! Rahab and Babylon I count among those who know me. See, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia, ‘This one was born there.’ And of Zion it will be said: ‘Each one was born in it.’” (Psalm 87:3-5a)
Welcoming Newcomers
Our country is a country of immigrants, and people are still coming here to escape persecution, oppression and debilitating poverty. How can we more effectively welcome immigrants as sisters and brothers and assist them in becoming integral members of our country of immigrants?
“You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20)
Care for the Poor and Homeless
What can be done to provide all with good healthcare — mental and physical? How can we as a community put more people to work to restore their dignity and their ability to care for themselves and their families? How can we work toward more affordable housing?
“And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40)
Pray! Vote! Stay involved! God bless our country, our beloved islands, and all our communities!
[For more information, visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Faithful Citizenship website at https://www.usccb.org/…/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship.]
