Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily for the 26^th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) on September 27, 2020 at St. Austin Catholic Parish in Austin, TX. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2:1-11; and Matthew 21:28-32.

At first glance, our readings today might seem like a grab bag. Through Ezekiel, God confronts those who complain that God’s ways are not fair. In Philippians, Paul shares one of the most ancient hymns about how Christ, the totality of the second person of God, humbled himself to become human and suffer an unjust death. Our gospel presents a choice between either walking the walk or talking the talk.

However, I’d argue that we can apply all three readings to our current political moment. Whether it’s how we nominate Supreme Court justices or how we count ballots, lots of people are decrying how unfair everything is. Jesus was subjected to corrupt religious and political leadership. Today, we wrestle with the disparities between what many politicians say and what they do.

So, today’s homily – really, more of a sermon – will be about voting. Now, before you start throwing objects at me, let me assure you: I will not endorse any specific candidate or party. No hidden messages. I promise! Otherwise, I’d be presiding from the top of the steps and hiding behind all that scaffolding to protect myself!

As we enter the last five weeks of this incredibly contentious political season, let us ask God to shower us – and our nation – with wisdom and mercy.

For those of you who’ve lived in Texas for the past few decades, you’re about to experience an October like the ones I’ve experienced many times in Pennsylvania and Ohio. I’m not talking about pumpkin-spice flavored everything or making Halloween costumes that can be worn over heavy jackets. I’m talking about living in a swing state in the weeks before a presidential election. 

We find ourselves in a state that is considered possibly “in play” in a presidential election for the first time in a generation, along with hosting hotly contested elections for the U.S. Senate, several U.S. Congressional districts, plus numerous state and local offices. Since it’s a year that ends with a zero, this election will also impact the redrawing of voting districts. And to top it off, with a bruising Supreme Court nomination battle, there is going to be a lot of scrutiny in October about how Catholic beliefs square with U.S. politics.

So, in this last week before the Texas voting registration deadline and two weeks before early voting begins, it’s important to talk about what the Church teaches about voting… especially since we’re hearing a lot of conflicting information on the topic. Since we live in partisan times, I’ll be as clear as I can: I have absolutely no intention of telling you who to vote for. However, since we tend to hear criticism against our preferred candidate or party much more strongly than criticism against other candidates or parties, it’s difficult to hear neutral comments as being truly neutral. 

On the internet, there are countless articles available claiming to represent what the Church teaches regarding voting. And many of these articles are not, in my opinion, accurate representations of the Church’s teachings on the topic. I’m taking most of my ideas from three articles that explain the Church’s teachings with much more detail, nuance, and authority than I can in the next few minutes. These three articles are available at www.staustin.org/on-voting:

1. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document on American elections, called Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, last revised in November 2019.
2. The Paulist Fathers’ companion piece to the USCCB’s document, written earlier this month, giving special consideration to issues related that have arisen since November 2019. [The Paulists provide additional resources here.]
3. An article by Dr. Brett Salkeld, the theologian of the Archdiocese of Regina, Saskatchewan, called “Holding Your Nose: How to Vote Like a Catholic.”

First and foremost, we Catholics are expected to engage with the world around us. The Holy Spirit compels us to care for our brothers and sisters both in our neighborhood and around the world. The Spirit compels us to build up the kingdom of God. The Spirit compels us to live moral lives. Unfortunately, politics is complex. It’s often not clear which governmental policies truly build up the kingdom, as even factual statistics can be manipulated to serve a particular political stance. And because the crafting of legislation involves so many people, it’s not clear what a particular politican’s role will be in creating that legislation… and if what they say in campaigning accurately reflects what they will do if elected.

Nevertheless, the Church is clear: Catholics who are eligible to vote are required to inform their consciences and decide how to engage with the political system. We are not to sit out of the process, claiming that since no candidate and no party is a perfect reflection of our own values, we will not participate. A Catholic may conclude for a given office or ballot measure, they cannot vote in good conscience for any of the given options, but the Church makes it clear: even when a candidate endorses an intrinsic evil, a Catholic may still find different, compelling reasons to vote for that candidate. However, we can never vote for a candidate because of the intrinsic evil they support.

No Catholic organization, priest, or bishop is allowed to tell Catholics which party or which candidate to vote for. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped some Catholic organizations, priests, or bishops from doing so! If you find an article that claims that Catholic must vote for or against a particular candidate or party, I would suggest you disregard that article. Almost all politicians take some positions that are in line with Catholic teaching and some that are opposed to Catholic teaching. The three resources I mentioned will help us to discern how to balance the complex web of teachings, values, and processes to determine the best choice.

So, how do Catholics go about informing their consciences? First of all, we need to take time to educate ourselves, especially when it comes to down-ballot candidates and initiatives that don’t make the news. But with some internet searches, some common sense, and a lot of patience, we should be able to find good information. We read the best arguments for and against each candidate or initiative, and we try to understand what the Church teaches regarding the issues and why the Church teaches what it teaches. But remember: we also inform our consciences through our personal experiences and values, and through the experiences and values of people we trust. 

Most important of all, before deciding for whom and for what to vote, we pray. In voting, as in all other aspects of my life, I find that if I take the time to quiet myself and ask God for assistance, the Holy Spirit will provide the gifts I need to make an informed decision.