If I Voted

                “If I voted .”  This phrase pushes a hot button for me.  I recently read it as a response to a Facebook posting.  The post outlined his/her point of view and then concluded with, “If I voted.”  Maybe it was the time that I grew up (the Vietnam War was raging when I was in elementary school), or maybe it is the strong obligation to participate in our democracy that my parents instilled in me.  I don’t view voting as a choice.  (A personal fun fact -The only speeding ticket I received as a young adult was when I was driving to register to vote just two days before I left for college.)

As an American, I have always believed that it is my duty and obligation to prudently and justly review the candidates and issues and then vote.  Certainly, I’ve casted some ballots with more enthusiasm than others, but I have spoken through my vote.

At this point in my life, as a committed daughter of God, I believe even more strongly that it is my duty and obligation to vote.  God put me in Silver Spring, Maryland in 2012.  As His daughter, I have many duties and obligations that I will be held accountable for at the end of my life.  Participation as a citizen in our great nations is one of those duties. Voting is not an option for Christian men and women.

Today, it seems that people are looking for the perfect candidate.  The one that represents all of her/his values.  As a Catholic who believes in the teaching of the church, I will never come close to finding that person.  My values resonate with stands from both parties.  As a daughter of God, I must use the conscience that He has given me.  The one that He has formed in me to make the choices I believe are best for this country.

My family and I watched, “Man for All Seasons” last month.  It is the story of St. Thomas More.  He was a well loved father and husband and friend.  His imprisonment and execution were excruciating for his family and friends. The scene that struck me the most was when a friend of Thomas’ asked him to “just sign the paper” that recognized the King of England as the head of the church. Thomas stated that he couldn’t sign the paper because it would be against his conscience.  He asked his friend, “If I sign that paper, will you follow me to Hell.”

His choice was a dramatic one that is well known today, nearly 500 years later.  My choices at the polls may not be as dramatic as the choice facing St. Thomas, but it does have an element of similarity.  I need to be an informed voter, making my choices according to this conscience that the Lord has given to me. And I as a daughter of God, I don’t have the choice to say, “If I voted.”

Freely choosing what is truly good

               Today (Oct 22, 2011), 33 years ago, an obscure bishop from Poland, Karol Wojtyla, became the Bishop of Rome. The election of Pope John Paul II was a surprise.  I remember following the entire election process as a political science major and a senior in college.  (I’m glad that there wasn’t anything such as CNN at the time.  My grades may have dipped for October 1978!)

                I was not Catholic back then and remember the election of Blessed John Paul II as my first encounter with the Catholic Church as an adult.  Today is the first official feast day for him.   And today I finished George Weigel’s The End and Beginning, the biography about this great man of God.  I didn’t plan to finish it today, but I had 70 pages to go and reading it seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate his first feast day.

                Weigel says, “Freedom, John Paul II taught for decades, is not a matter of doing what we like, but of freely choosing what is truly good.”  Also on this day, I watched a news show about the demonstrations that began in New York and are now present in major cities throughout the country.

                I’m all for demonstrations.  Free speech is a hallmark of the United States and peaceful, respectful demonstrations are a unique American experience.  However, these demonstrations are not respectful and it appears that these people are truly lost.  They don’t have something solid on which to base their life.  “We want, we demand” seems to be their mantra.  Moreover, they all don’t even want the same thing!  They don’t understand that no matter how much they have, if they don’t allow God to fill that hole in their hearts, they will live unfulfilling lives.  A college degree is not a guarantee of success or happiness, or a job or even free healthcare.

                Our current American culture sets us up to focus on material things and on ego gratifying goals.  Yet, each day, we deal with situations in which we can “freely choose what is truly good”.  Much of these decisions are contrary with the norm.  How do we choose to treat others when we are in a hurry to rush to our next event of the day?  Is there time to call that elderly friend or relative today, or is the choice to watch TV or update Facebook.  And as we approach the Christmas holidays, how much of the money I spend will I allocate to those who truly are in need?

                These are simple daily choices that I make that can make the difference between “doing what I like or freely choosing what is truly good”.  Thank you Blessed John Paul II for allowing me to think about freedom in a different way today.