The novena may be prayed using a
single petition each day, or may be prayed daily in its entirety for nine days.
It is deliberately not copyrighted. You are invited to use it as you see fit and share it wherever you like.
Click here for a printable Acrobat PDF version of this document.
“Election Novena” is based on the United States Bishops’ reflection
“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” (www.faithfulcitizenship.org)
which addresses the themes of Catholic social teaching and lay participation in
political life without endorsing political parties or candidates.
The Catholic
bishops of the United States offer guidelines for forming our consciences for
faithful citizenship in preparation for voting on November 4th. Gracious
and loving God, help us to draw on their guidance and the resources of our
faith as we exercise our responsibility to shape a society more respectful of
the life, dignity, and rights of all people.
Mindful of
our responsibility to love one another, today we focus on:
(Day 1)
Sun. Oct. 26 Discrimination and Prejudice
Reading: (Gal 3:28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and
female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Petition:
For leaders who will preserve the dignity of human persons regardless of age,
disability, racial or ethnic background, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 2)
Mon. Oct. 27 the Consistent Ethic of Life
Reading: (Deu 30:19) I have set before you
life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and
your descendants may live.
Petition:
For leaders who will uphold a consistent ethic of life from conception to death,
by opposing abortion and euthanasia, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 3) Tues.
Oct. 28 Reduction of Poverty
Reading: (Mat
25:37-40, 45) Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see
you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you
ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine,
you did for me.' …what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not
do for me.'
Petition:
For leaders who will support policies which seek to reduce poverty, by
providing decent work at a fair living wage, and encouraging economic
improvement through union membership and other forms of economic activity, we
pray to the Lord…
(Day 4)
Wed. Oct. 29 the Death Penalty and Torture
Reading: (Mt 5:43-48) "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to
you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the
good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those
who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the
same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not
the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is
perfect.
Petition:
For leaders who will respect the human dignity of all vulnerable members of
society including criminals by elimination of the death penalty, and of
prisoners by prohibiting the use of torture, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 5)
Thur. Oct. 30 Immigration
Reading: (Lev
19:34) You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the
natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too
were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.
Petition:
For leaders who will provide fair and dignified ways for immigrant workers to
enjoy the benefits of U.S. residence, and provide opportunities for attaining
citizenship, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 6)
Fri. Oct. 31 the Preferential Option for the Poor
Reading: (Luke 18:18-22) An official asked him this question, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?" Jesus answered him, …You know the commandments, …And he replied,
"All of these I have observed from my youth." When Jesus heard this
he said to him, "There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you
have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."
Petition:
For leaders who will support economic policies and programs that give
preferential treatment to the poor and vulnerable because they are in the
greatest need, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 7)
Sat. Nov. 1 Ending War and Beginning the Reign of Peace
Reading: John 13: 34 I give you a new
commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one
another.
Petition:
For leaders who will work to find ways to eliminate war in the world, and
develop peace and justice for all nations, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 8)
Sun. Nov. 2 Healthcare and Medical Ethics
Reading: (Mat 10:8) Cure the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received;
without cost you are to give.
Petition:
For leaders who will provide accessible and affordable healthcare for all,
support a strong code of medical ethics, and seek to improve the health and
well-being of all through ethical research on stem cells and efforts to
eliminate cancer, and other diseases, we pray to the Lord…
(Day 9)
Mon. Nov. 3 Good Stewardship and Preservation of God’s Creation
Reading: (Gen
1:27-31) God said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the
earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to
all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living
creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very
good.
Petition:
For leaders who seek ways to preserve the natural environment and who care for
all of God’s creation, we pray to the Lord…
Let us
pray.
We thank
you, Lord, for our freedom and the opportunity to exercise our responsibility
to participate in the governance of our state and nation. Help us to form
consciences of faithful citizenship that guard against allowing a commitment to
a single isolated aspect of the Church’s social doctrine to exhaust our
responsibility to the overall common good. We pray that our participation in
the upcoming election will lead to a world of greater justice and peace, respect
for all humanity, bring an end to war and violence, and promote peace and
development for all nations.
We ask this
through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
* * *
Further References
Catholic Social Justice Issues
United
States
Conference of Catholic Bishops:
www.FaithfulCitizenship.org Forming
Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
www.usccb.org/prolife/programs/rlp/lori.pdf
Conscience and the Catholic Voter
www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/TheChallengeofPeace.pdf
The Challenge of Peace:
God’s Promise and Our Response
www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/penaltyofdeath.pdf
A Culture of
Life and the Penalty of Death
www.usccb.org/mrs/stranger.shtml
Strangers No
Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, 2003
www.usccb.org/bishops/table.shtml
A Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to
Respect the Dignity of All God’s Children
www.usccb.org/bishops/directives.shtml
Ethical and
Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services
www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/bishopsstatement.shtml
Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on the
Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching
www.osjspm.org (click on Catholic Social
Teaching, Social Teaching Documents)
Papal Encyclicals:
www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/_INDEX.HTM
Encyclical on the Value
and Inviolability of Human Life (Gospel of Life), March 25, 1995, John Paul II
www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0217/_INDEX.HTM
Encyclical on Human
Work, Sept. 14, 1981, John Paul II
Indiana Catholic Conference (Bishops of Indiana):
www.indianacc.org (click on Resources)
The Death Penalty: No
Justice, No Healing, No Closure
Care for the Earth
I Was a Stranger, and You
Welcomed Me: Meeting Christ in New Neighbors
