Dear Friends,
I am writing this letter before Election Day, so there are three things I know will be true when you read this. Regardless of who is elected, Jesus Christ is Lord. Regardless of who is elected, God continues to hold us in His hands. Regardless of who is elected, we will continue to face hardships, adversities, and struggles; life is still going to be hard. The difficulties we will continue to face are not against each other—red vs. blue, Republican vs. Democrat, us vs. them—as we've been lead to believe. In his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul reminds us, “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” Our struggle isn't against each other; our struggle is against the powers of darkness, against sin and death, against the devil. The major problems we face today are not political and therefore will not be solved in the political realm. Rather, the problems we face are of a moral and spiritual nature, meaning we need moral and spiritual solutions.
Thinking about the spiritual battle and struggle in which we're engaged, St. Paul “Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” What is the armor of God? St. Paul continues, “So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.” The armor of God includes speaking the truth and living not by lies. It includes living a life of righteousness, of virtue. The armor of God is placing our trust in God in the midst of the vicissitudes and evils of life. The armor of God is praying without ceasing, prioritizing it as important and essential.
Most important in all of this is that regardless of what happens, Jesus Christ is Lord and God continues to hold us in His hands. We may be tempted toward fear and anxiety, but we entrust ourselves to Divine Providence. We are not here arbitrarily at random or by chance. God has chosen us to be here at this specific time to participate in a specific mission. God will provide for what we need during this. Using the words of St. Joan of Arc, remember this: do not be afraid, God is with us, we were born for this.
We are saints under construction, fighting against the powers of darkness and strengthened by the armor of God. Have a great week!
In Christ,
Fr. Matt