Struggling to be faithful Catholics
I Samuel 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from
the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But
Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also
weary my God? Therefore the Lord
himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and
shall name him Emmanuel.
Yesterday,
the Electoral College met in state capitols across the country and truly
elected the 45th president of the United States. Aren’t you sad this glorious
election cycle has come to an end? But I think this election season offers us
some lessons we should not miss. One such lesson concerns the notion of
so-called “faithless electors.” Have you heard this term? I find it
fascinating, not only for civic purposes, but especially for a spiritual
lesson.
The
Constitution has established that there should be an equal number of electors
as there are representatives and senators from each state, which makes 535 (100
senators and 435 representatives). Additionally, the District of Columbia is
allocated 3 electors, bringing the total to 538. Now, in nearly all states –
with the exception of Nebraska and Maine, which distribute electors
proportionately – electors take a pledge to vote according to the outcome of
the popular vote. Here’s the fascinating part: even though a particular elector
may be personally Democrat or Republican, he or she pledges to vote in line
with the popular vote; that’s their pledge. If an elector fails to do that, he
or she is considered a “faithless elector” or a “Hamilton elector.” Let me
quickly confess that I am not qualified to argue the merits of the electoral
college, but I find it intriguing how electors have to put aside partisan
politics, and even personal preference, to serve as a “faithful elector.” You
may have heard that many were publicly accosted when they did their duty
yesterday. It’s never easy to be faithful.
In the first
reading we see King Ahaz vacillating between being a faithful or faithless
king. In a sense, he, too, has taken a pledge – a much more compelling pledge
to God – to rule the people according to God’s will. Ahaz must also put aside
partisan politics and personal feelings to serve God’s purposes. But he fails
to live up to that pledge. He creates an alliance with Assyria that brings
about the down-fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and he even introduces pagan
practices into the Jerusalem Temple. It’s never easy to be faithful; as an
elector in the United States or as a king in Judea.
Naturally,
this invites us to probe into our own personal pledges to God, and to the
Catholic Church. Are we “faithful” or “faithless” Catholics? I’m so impressed
by Catholics who don’t go to Communion if they feel the need to go to
confession first, or if they need an annulment. That’s being a “faithful
Catholic.” I think of Catholics who make time for Mass even on vacation, even
if they sometimes attend Mass in flip-flops and bathing suits! That’s being a
“faithful Catholic.” Just think of those who quietly fulfill their hour of
Adoration, give anonymously to the poor box, pray before meals, forgive their
spouse, give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, in short, live their faith
daily. None of these things are easy to do, and the temptation is always to
take the easy way out, to be a “faithless Catholic,” and put personal
preferences over our pledge to our faith.
We all face the same question as those electors did yesterday, and King
Ahaz did 2,700 years ago: will we be faithful or faithless?
Please don’t
hear me criticizing our electors – regardless of whether they were faithful or
faithless. I don’t know enough to do that. But as they meet in their state
capitols, we can gain some “spiritual capital” by examining our fidelity to our
pledge to be faithful Christians. That’s almost as easy to do as casting a vote
for president.
Praised be
Jesus Christ!
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