In the last couple of days, we have celebrated the wondrous feast of All Saints and we have commemorated the souls of all the faithful departed in the liturgies of our Church. These two feast days are instructive for us Catholics, in showing us how to order our lives. Knowing how to order our lives not only helps us as we strive to reach Heaven, but it assists us as we navigate the challenges of our lives on this world.

This week, on Tuesday, our nation holds elections. Many have already voted, and many more will vote in the next few days. We have been told that it may be days–somehow–before we know the results of the elections. (I have posted an article on our website with some information on voting from the USCCB, but I suspect that those who are interested in the Church’s teaching here have already looked it up.) No matter what happens, the tensions in our country will be high. There may be accusations of stolen elections or other trouble. Half of the country will be furious with the other half of the country, and pretty much everybody seems to think that if they lose then our democratic experiment is over and we are rushing headlong into some sort of dictatorial state.

Who knows? Maybe it’s all true. Maybe that’s where our country is headed, even though I would really prefer that not to be the case.

But here’s the thing: none of that, in the grand scheme of salvation, matters.

The Church does not fear persecution any more than Christ feared the Cross. The glorious martyrs and confessors of our faith did not fear the society in which they lived, because they kept their eyes fixed on Heaven and on Christ. They knew that any kingdom or country or nation on this earth is a passing thing anyway. Our true homeland, St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians, is in Heaven. (3:20) St. Peter, in his first letter, tells us to be sources of good despite what may be permitted by our government (2:15-16) and not to fear suffering (3:13-14) but instead to “rejoice in the extent that [we] share the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice.” (4:13)

In an ancient Christian text, we find the following description of Christians:

5:9 Their existence is on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.
5:10 They obey the established laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives.
5:11 They love all men, and they are persecuted by all.
5:12 They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death, and yet they are endued with life.
5:13 They are in beggary, and yet they make many rich. They are in want of all things, and yet they abound in all things.
5:14 They are dishonoured, and yet they are glorified in their dishonour. They are evil spoken of, and yet they are vindicated.
5:15 They are reviled, and they bless; they are insulted, and they respect.
5:16 Doing good they are punished as evil-doers; being punished they rejoice, as if they were thereby quickened by life.
5:17 War is waged against them as aliens by the Jews, and persecution is carried on against them by the Greeks, and yet those that hate them cannot tell the reason of their hostility.
6:1 In a word, what the soul is in a body, this the Christians are in the world.
Epistle to Diognetus (Lightfoot translation)

I do not know what is going to happen over the next few weeks. But I do know this: we must keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, so that he can fill our hearts with the peace and the love that conquers all. We must then be sources of this love and peace for those around us. Many denominations of so-called Christians have lost sight of the fact that there is nothing on this world that will bring about true peace, justice, and goodness. That will only come to pass in the Kingdom of God. So we must strive to bring the Kingdom of God into this world by bringing Christ with us in everything we do.

In his Sermon on the Mount, our Lord asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?” (6:27) He tells us “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (6:34) Instead, “seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (6:33)

And so: Follow the commandments. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Remember that love, most perfectly exemplified by Christ on the Cross, is the fulfillment of the law. Do not fear, as the apostles did on the boat when it was rocked by the waves. Jesus Christ, our high priest, is always able to save us, so instead of fear, let us go forward in faith and in hope, for we know that our salvation lies in Christ, who is infinitely more powerful and merciful than any ruler of this world.