My brother Bob sent this e-mail to me today:
After being numb last night today I am feeling profound sadness for the direction the people of this country has chosen.
Especially , since according to exit polls the No.1 reason for their vote was the economy.
Sadness for all the Catholics and the Christians who say they are pro-life who voted for Obama.
Sadness and concern that some racist might attempt to take Obama out.
Sadness that all the messages from Heaven that have warned about events if this country does not vote pro life went unheeded.
Sadness that this year despite the fact that more Bishops spoke out about voting pro-life than I can remember they went unheeded.
Sadness wondering if one of the first things Obama will do is what Bill Clinton did and that was enact more pro abortion laws.
Sadness because I think we are more vulnerable now to terrorist act.
Sadness and concern for our children and grandchildren and if they have a future here on earth.
Sadness for all those who are blind and cannot see what this election means.
Thankful for all the powerful prayer warriors that have spent hours and hours in prayer at overnight Adorations, prayer groups, and praying hours and hours day and night for pro-life .
May God have mercy on the United States
I must confess that I had the same sadness. I made time to spend one hour both on Wednesday and Thursday in the presence of Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration to try and sort out my feelings of sadness and despair. On Wednesday, as I was spending quiet reflection with Jesus, a group of children (about 11 or 12 years old, I'm guessing) from the CCD classes came in with their teacher. She had to instruct them in the proper etiquette when in the presence of Christ, but once they settled down and began to pray quietly by themselves, it struck me that this might be Jesus' way of telling me that all is not lost. These children are possibly our future leaders, and if they are taught at this early age that Our Savior has not abandoned us, but rather with us always if we just look for him, perhaps there is still hope for the world.
Then today, while meditating on the impending state of affairs as I see them coming down, I was comparing the election of Barack Obama to some of the worst disasters the world has seen in recent years like the tsunami, the hurricanes, and the earthquakes. I questioned God (may He forgive me!) asking, "Why would You allow this to happen?" He answered me in a quiet voice "For the same reason I allowed those other catastrophes to happen--it is all to bring about a greater good than you can even imagine!" I can't tell you how comforting that thought is!
But, being the pessimist that I am (or is it realist?), I just have one more thing to say those members of my family and my friends who were fooled by the glitz and glamour and messianic message of Obama; There's an old saying that goes "When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Time will bear out God's plan and I trust in His providence that all will be well. Let's try to remember that while we are in this world, we are not of this world--we are God's children and there is a better place waiting for us. Patience, prayer, penance and fasting will get us through. We need to give a reason for the hope we have to the people we meet day by day. That means we have to know our faith, and also be ready to explain it and, if necessary, defend it.
We need to seek creative ways to shine the light of the Gospel into every corner of our society. We can do this most effectively by the witness of a life well lived in our families and in the wider community, and amid the activities of the secular world of work and entertainment. Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness, and whatever our role in society or the Church we can make our baptismal commitment real by living day by day with Christian integrity as we go about our tasks in the world. All that we do, we do well, because we do all for the Lord. And wouldn't it be a "feather in our cap" to be the catalyst for the conversion of the Obamas, the Pelosis and the Bidens of the world?
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