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In the USA, our elections are finally coming on Tuesday.  According to NPR radio, they remind us that, “Beginning Wednesday, Americans can again turn their televisions on without fear of a negative political bombardment. A record sum of campaign cash was behind those commercials.”  According to their calculations, over 4 billion dollars have been spent to bring us those ads. So now that we are thoroughly inundated up to our eyelashes with political rhetoric, we need to take a breath before we vote – (it is a privilege and freedom) yet, I offer the possible gesture of focus and encourage you to take some slowing down time; to take some quieting time to reflect before you vote.

A Quieting Prayer:
“Gracious God, I ask you to plant a seed of stillness in my soul. Everything in my life moves ever more quickly, and I am continually expected to fit more things into time that is already brimful with activity. Even when I have moments that require nothing of me, my mind races and I seem unable to locate a switch to turn it off. Give me, each day, the desire and capacity to breathe in the wonder of air, to envision a still lake on a windless dawn, to drop deep into the well of my own being and find there the peace of your presence. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.” (Explorefaith.org)

Quotes to Ponder:
“And I will do everything that I can as long as I am President of the United States to remind the American people that we are one nation under God, and we may call that God different names but we remain one nation.” Barack Obama

“And the American people are the greatest people in the world. What makes America the greatest nation in the world is the heart of the American people: hardworking, innovative, risk-taking, God- loving, family-oriented American people.” Mitt Romney

“I have a scheme for stopping war. It's this - no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one.” Will Rogers

“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” Confucius

Prayer for Leadership Give us, O God, leaders whose hearts are large enough to match the breadth of our own souls and give us souls strong enough to follow leaders of vision and wisdom.

In seeking a leader, let us seek more than development for ourselves—though development we hope for—more than security for our own land—though security we need—more than satisfaction for our wants—though many things we desire.

Give us the hearts to choose the leader who will work with other leaders to bring safety to the whole world.
Give us leaders who lead this nation to virtue without seeking to impose our kind of virtue on the virtue of others.
Give us a government that provides for the advancement of this country without taking resources from others to achieve it.

Give us insight enough ourselves to choose as leaders those who can tell strength from power, growth from greed, leadership from dominance, and real greatness from the trappings of grandiosity.
We trust you, Great God, to open our hearts to learn from those to whom you speak in different tongues and to respect the life and words of those to whom you have entrusted the good of other parts of this globe.

We beg you, Great God, give us the vision as a people to know where global leadership truly lies, to pursue it diligently, to require it to protect human rights for everyone everywhere.
We ask these things, Great God, with minds open to your word, and hearts that trust in your eternal care. Amen.   By Joan Chittister, OSB