Homily & Rosary After the Election
During school prayers, Deacon Roberts offered our students perspective on the election, and then led everyone in the rosary. Below is a copy of his homily and rosary meditations.
Elections are important. There’s a reason we get invested in the drama. Elections have consequences, especially for the unborn, the poor, the environment, the economy, the justice system, war and peace, foreign policy, our medical system, religious liberty, and many, many other things. No doubt about it, elections matter.
I hope you have been and will be bold in class about asking questions, seeking to draw connections between our classical syllabus and what’s in the news today. The ideas animating our curriculum – what is the overall arc of human history, what is our story, what is the purpose of creation, what do we think is the theme or direction of history, and, within that, what is a human being, what is human nature, what is a just and fair law, what are human rights and human responsibilities, what makes a good society – these are the questions animating and lying just under the surface of our political debates.
For example, you should be able to draw a parallel between Plato’s allegory of the cave, and questions about truth and credibility in today’s media culture. When you meet the characters in Dante or Shakespeare, you should walk away with insight into the virtues and vices of today’s leaders. You should be able to connect the dots between the theological doctrines that generated and continue to sustain our society’s ideals.
The truth is that the ideas and values in our culture come from somewhere. Ideas have histories; they have origins, and stories. For example, not every culture believes the same things about the poor, or the unborn, or about justice. How did our society learn to ask and argue about these questions? How do you learn to understand these ideas, to become articulate about them and able to use them? That’s why a classical education is like a super power, a type of x-ray vision, for this education is where you learn where our values come from, the story of how our society got to where it is, and what resources there are for fixing things.
But the other thing we learn, when we take the long view of a classical education, is that elections are not everything. They matter, but only relatively or penultimately. Because in historical perspective, there isn’t enough of a difference between a Democrat or a Republican. Of course the two parties are not exactly the same, but in important ways, party politics are intramural debates between two varieties of late modern hyper-individualism. The truth is, we need to imagine bigger alternatives. Neither technology nor markets nor anything else on yesterday's menu will save us. The problems in our culture are much more profound than anything on yesterday's ballot.
For example, if you want to address the problem of individualism – why families and marriages aren’t more stable, and why some people seem to think sexual self-expression is an absolute right – or, if you want to connect our ecological crisis with our cultural confusion about male and female (why can’t we accept the goodness of material creation as it is given to us, and live within limits?)…or if you want to discuss abortion or racism, and what makes a human life matter…or if you want to talk about the economy, and what makes for dignified and humane work….then you’ve got to go back much more deeply than this election. Our problems are fundamentally philosophical and spiritual, not political.
The good news is that our classical education gives us this wider perspective. Our education should enable patience and fortitude, a detachment that resists the passions and anxieties of the present overtaking us. It is consoling to play the long game. We have patience for this journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
But the very best news is that behind, above, and suffusing the classics is something even deeper and more beautiful: our Christian faith. And our faith is trustworthy. Our Lord is King. Elections and politics matter – but not absolutely. We care, we’re active, we vote, we respect the stakes. But there is a deeper peace, a deeper reality, and when we pray without ceasing, we live and root ourselves in that deeper reality.
Which brings us to today’s rosary. The rosary is the perfect prayer for today for at least two reasons:
1. When we’re overwhelmed with so many things to pray about, when we trip over ourselves and risk paralysis because of all the competing priorities in our hearts, the good news is that we can simply show up, groaning and sighing, and trust the Holy Spirit to complete our prayers (Romans 8:26). When we are fumbling for words, the rosary is a great way to nevertheless show up for prayer, to put ourselves in God’s presence, and let the words of the rosary give shape to our groans. Each repetition of the Hail Mary is an opportunity to get lost in contemplation; each meditation on each new mystery is an opportunity to recollect our concentration and focus.
2. Marian prayers are always timely when we want to pray for our country. As Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary is the patroness of all the Americas. As Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, she is, in particular, the patroness of the United States. So Mary is not only our Mother but also the Queen Mother, the trusted intercessor with the King, and she is exactly the right person to intercede for our nation and in particular for our political life.
Today, being Wednesday, we center ourselves in the rosary’s Glorious Mysteries. Today, we turn over all of our concerns, anxieties and longing – both personal and national – as we empty our hearts to the Lord in and through these mysteries:
first glorious mystery: the resurrection of Jesus from the dead
Lord Jesus, in your resurrection, you are victorious over all suffering. Because of your resurrection, we are confident that sin and suffering will not have the last word. Because of your resurrection, we trust that forgiveness, patience, generosity – and all of the different ways you ask us to be merciful with each other – we trust that this way of life, although so difficult, is ultimately the only way to abundant life.
second glorious mystery: the ascension of Jesus into heaven
Lord Jesus, because of your ascension, we believe that you are seated at the right hand of God. Because of your ascension, we know that you are the king, that you sit in the place of honor, that you are in charge. Sometimes, Lord, we feel confused, we have questions, we are weak, we are impatient. But ultimately, we kneel before you, trusting that you have a plan, trusting that we are safe with you.
third glorious mystery: the descent of the holy spirit at Pentecost
Lord Jesus, you sent your Spirit to be with us, to form us into one body, your body, the Church. Holy Spirit, please breathe into our lungs. Holy Spirit, please shine on and through our faces. Holy Spirit, give us strength to overcome fear, shyness, weariness, and sin – help us to overcome whatever is holding us back. Give us the will to reach out in charity to our classmates, to overcome wariness and division. Make us agents of your love in our families, in our school, in our parishes, and in our nation. Knit us together in your Church.
fourth glorious mystery: the assumption of Mary into heaven
Lord Jesus, your mother Mary has gone before us into your presence in heaven. We thank you that the supernatural life is real, that unseen realities are real, that heaven is real, that there is more to this life than meets the eye. We thank you that in and through you and your Church, giving and receiving between heaven and earth is real. Bring us into an intimate relationship with your mother and with all the saints. We pray for all of our beloved dead, both in our families and in our nation’s history.
fifth glorious mystery: the coronation of Mary, queen of heaven and earth
Lord Jesus, you crowned Mary queen of heaven and earth. Queen Mary, you are patroness of all the Americas and of the United States. We are so keenly aware of our country’s sins and shortcomings, and we beg you to reclaim this land for the sake of your Son. Free us from all lies and dishonesty, and protect the weak and the poor. While we await the results of this election, we pray for integrity in public life and the rule of law. We pray that somehow, the virtues of humility and repentance might infuse our public life, and that we would learn what we’re supposed to learn from this election and the chastisements of this harrowing year.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: amen.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
