Offering the best of ourselves

Posted by Minnesota Catholic Conference on May 20, 2016

The legislative session is coming to a close. Final negotiations are underway and important details are being determined. Sometime before this coming Monday, our state government will pass a budget bill and the legislature will adjourn for the remainder of the year.

At this point, you’ve already helped us let legislators know what issues are important to Catholics in Minnesota. Some of the key bills for which we’ve been advocating, bills that aim to protect the vulnerable and advance the common good, are in position to be passed into law. But there’s still an important way for you to take action.

Please join us in praying for our elected officials.

Because of the partisanship of our political environment and the sensationalized way in which the political process is portrayed, it can be easy to forget that our elected officials are human beings in need of the same grace and spiritual strength upon which you and I rely. Many of them respond to the call of public service at great personal cost, sacrificing time with their families or other professional opportunities to come to St. Paul and do what they think is best for their communities. Though we may not always agree with their decisions, our legislators deserve our prayerful support – especially during these strenuous last few days of session.

As Pope Francis reminds us, “A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself, so that those who govern can govern. But what is the best that we can offer to those who govern? Prayer! Pray for [your elected officials], that they can govern well, that they can love their people, that they can serve their people, that they can be humble.”

Praying for public servants also reminds us that we are dependent upon God for everything. We can, and we should, do everything in our power to advocate for policies that promote justice and mercy. But the final victory is ultimately dependent upon God, and it is ultimately for His glory that we work for a more perfect society. All of our efforts in the public square need to be done through Him, in Him, and with Him.

During this important time of the legislative session, please consider offering this prayer for your legislators. If you’re not sure who represents you, look up their names here.

Heavenly Father,

In your Providence, You have raised up leaders to govern for the good of the community and to safeguard the dignity and worth of every human life. We ask you to provide our elected officials with humility, so they might know it is you whom they serve; wisdom, so they might see how best to serve you; and courage to follow through with these convictions, no matter the personal cost.

In a special way, we pray for our legislators here in Minnesota, that their deliberations in these final days of session will be guided by civility, and that their decisions might be made with the interest of every individual and the wider community in mind.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Thank you again for all your hard work and prayers over the past few months. We look forward to sharing the results of the legislative session with you.