One of the first questions I have been frequently asked for the last 25 years here in Illinois was … are you a Cubs or Sox fan? This question, innocent on the surface, is, in fact, a very difficult and dangerous one. As a priest and spiritual director to many people, I naturally want to remain neutral, suspecting that my answer could affect the reception of the Gospel that I preach. Taking a stand on such a fundamental matter and declaring myself a fan of the Cubs could potentially turn away some Sox fans who are strongly emotionally, socially, and historically connected with their team. The same could happen if I instead declare myself to be a Sox fan. One can suspect that, for some of them, baseball is ranked a little higher than faith and religion. Even worse, if I answer that I am not very interested in baseball, I could alienate both Cubs and Sox fans and turn them against me and they both could regard me as ignorant. The situation reminded me of Jesus being trapped by the Pharisees who asked him if one must pay taxes to Caesar or not. Although I lack Jesus’ wisdom, I’ve been quite successful in escaping this trap by answering: “May the best team win.” However good and truthful this answer is, I’m aware that it probably does not fully satisfy the most zealous baseball fan.
A similar situation could be found in our social and political sphere in the US dominated by a bipartisan system of Democratic and Republican parties, unlike in many other countries which have more parties. However, polarization and emotions here far exceed those between Cubs and Sox fans because much more is at stake. People sometimes also ask me about my party sympathies or party affiliation. Again, as in the case of baseball, I have my answer ready: I say, and believe in what I say, that my allegiance is not to this or another party but to this or another good action or a specific policy. I evaluate which candidates are promoting these good actions or policies and are willing and able to work hard to support them. Frequently, the candidates I choose carry a mixed package: they promote only some of the things that I believe in. So, I have to make some kind of compromise and prioritize. I make compromises in choosing the candidate, but I never compromise my conscience regarding what is actually good and what is bad. These values are constant. In my decision, I try not to think much about what this or another candidate could do for my personal goodness or prosperity. Rather, I try to think about what is good for other people, nation, and even what is good globally. The party affiliation of the candidates is absolutely secondary.
In today’s Gospel, we witness the serious problem that the hosts of the wedding party faced: the lack of wine in the middle of the party. This was either as a result of bad planning or an oversight of the situation, and if noticed by the guests, it would be a big embarrassment. Mary wasn’t indifferent to their problem. Since she herself was not able to help them, she asked her son to intervene. Jesus’ answer did not seem to be very inviting: “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” But it was in fact a rhetorical question since he helped them and inaugurated the series of miracles or signs which indicated that Messiah’s time had begun. Taking this from the historical context and placing it in a broader religious context, we can say that the lives of other people, the lives of people around us and in society, really have to concern us.
The US Bishops and bishops in other countries ask the faithful not to be indifferent but actively participate in the social and political life of the country, and most especially, voting. Catholics can promote some good and oppose the actions and policies that undermine this good. As we read in the US Bishops’ statements, our discernment of candidates should follow several elements of the teaching of the Church that comes from the Gospel. For example, if a candidate “works to protect the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death” or “recognizes traditional marriage and family as the central social institution,” that must be supported.
Once the representative at the national, state or local level is elected, we pray for him or her that God may influence that person in working for peace and justice according to Catholic teaching. We pray for that person regardless of his or her party affiliation and our personal voting. Such an attitude is a sign of our maturity and responsibility for the common good.
Care for the common good encourages people to go beyond party lines and to collaborate with others to pursue a good goal even if they still have differences in some other matters. As E.J. Dionne, a professor at Georgetown University, noticed recently in reference to the pro-life movement, “there is some possibility of an alliance between progressives who support these policies [pro-life] for broad reasons related to social justice and conservatives who support these policies on pro-family grounds.” As an example of the bipartisan collaboration, he mentioned senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) who introduced a bill in July to expand the availability of childcare.
Our journey to the Eternal Kingdom in Heaven leads us inevitably through the earthly kingdom. Therefore, we are obliged to care for the matters of this earthly kingdom. We are called to care for ourselves, our families and others, those who are close and those far away. God especially calls us to protect and care for those who are suffering from injustice, violence, starvation, persecution and instability here in US, and in other countries. Although we sometimes think that we have limited opportunities to do so, in fact, the opposite is true. We can and are encouraged to do many things. We can show our support for the actions and policies that are good or protest those that are harmful. We can discuss and convince other people by using truthful arguments. We can pray. We can also cast one precious vote – a precious one because it is our vote.
May God bless you,
Fr. Mark Jurzyk