Pray and Vote With Mercy — Daily Prayer Intentions
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In the lead up to the election, we as members of the Mercy family approach our voting by taking the time to educate ourselves, engage in conversations and pray.
Each day, we ask you to bring into your heart and spirit, in addition to those who are casting the votes and running for office, those who are most impacted by the different issues that are part of Mercy’s Critical Concerns: Anti-Racism, Earth, Immigration, Nonviolence and Women as well as the act of voting in this year.
Tuesday October 20th
Pray for asylum-seekers whom the Migrant Protection Protocols are forcing to wait in dangerous Mexican border towns for court dates that could be months or even years away.
Wednesday October 21st
Pray that our elected leaders will acknowledge U.S. complicity in creating conditions that force people to flee their home countries and move U.S. foreign policy in a new direction.
Thursday October 22nd
Seventy-five years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons remain a threat. Pray that elected leaders will abandon efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal and reengage the U.S. in international nuclear arms control treaties that the current administration has abrogated.
Friday October 23rd
Reflect on these words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” (Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963)
Saturday October 24th
Join the U.S. bishops in pledging to “root my political viewpoints in the Gospel and a well formed conscience, which involves prayer, conversation, study and listening.”
Sunday October 25th
Pray with and share with others the U.S. bishops’ postcard that calls us to protect life, preserve that which sustains life and care for Our Common Home.
Monday October 26th
Pray for a change of heart so that U.S. citizens come to recognize immigrants as sisters and brothers eager to use their gifts in service to their communities.
Tuesday October 27th
Easy access to firearms including military-grade weapons has led to the United States having the highest level of gun violence in the industrialized world. Pray that elected leaders will frame gun violence as a public health issue and enact policies that address root causes of this ongoing crisis in the U.S.
Wednesday October 28th
The Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted disparities in access to health care, housing, employment and nutritious food which have made communities of color more vulnerable to serious illness and death from COVID-19. Pray that elected officials will prioritize these areas and formulate concrete plans to overcome these historic gaps.
Thursday October 29th
Pray for all the young women who are finding their voice this election season and voting for the first time.
Friday October 30th
Pray for voters who are still discerning how they will vote, that they will consider how their choices will impact our Critical Concerns – Anti-racism, Earth, Immigration, Nonviolence and Women.
Saturday October 31st
Reflect on the words of civil rights icon John Lewis, in a 2012 speech in Charlotte, N.C.: “My dear friends: Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.”
Sunday November 1st
Reflect on the words of Pope Francis: “We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern.” – Pope Francis, 9/16/13
Monday November 2nd
Pray for patience for the American people in the likelihood that we need to wait days or even weeks for official election results.
Tuesday November 3rd
On this Election Day, pray for those going to the polls today, that they will be guided by the Spirit, for poll workers who may be under great stress and for those who may be tempted to engage in violence, that they might find peace in their hearts.