As Catholic Christians, we are called to live our faith courageously in the world, to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). Through our courageous, countercultural witness to the truth, love and mercy of Jesus Christ, we can “give light to all in the house” and let our “light shine before others, that they may see good deeds and glorify heavenly Father” (Mt 5:15-16). Called to promote and defend the common good, we Catholic Christians are called to engage in civic discourse and imbue it with the truth of the Gospel, to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth in and through our practical efforts. “Let us not be fooled by easy solutions. Let us instead get passionate about the common good,” Pope Francis said recently at a Catholic conference on democracy. “As Catholics, on this horizon, we cannot be satisfied with a marginal or private faith,” he continued, encouraging participants to participate in public life. “This means not so much to be heard, but above all to have the courage to make proposals for justice and peace in the public debate. “This is political love,” he emphasized, saying that “it is a form of charity that allows politics to live up to its responsibilities and get out of polarizations, these polarizations that impoverish and do not help understand and address the challenges.” In the United States, election season continues to call increasing attention to the national, state and local levels. From a presidential election to state ballot initiatives, Catholics in northern Colorado have an important opportunity to express their faith, to “make proposals for justice and peace,” as Pope Francis said, and to foster a culture of life. In Colorado, fostering a culture of life is of paramount importance this year, with the Right to Abortion initiative on the ballot this year. The proposal “will remove the 1984 state constitutional amendment prohibiting public funding from subsidizing abortion and make abortion a ‘fundamental right’ in the state constitution,” the Bishops of Colorado recently said in an open letter to the faithful. In the same letter, they write, “It is imperative all faithful Catholics vote to oppose the ballot proposal called ‘Right to Abortion.’” The letter from the Bishops can be read in full here. Knowing the incredible power of prayer, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has asked all the faithful of Northern Colorado to join him in prayer throughout this month that, in the upcoming election, the Catholics of the Archdiocese would uphold and promote the culture of life. Let us pray for a more robust, more vibrant culture of life at every level of our society, but especially in the Constitution of the State of Colorado. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. Gianna Beretta Molla intercede for us and our leaders.
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