+
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in heaven,
You wish us as Christians and citizens in our country
to strive to participate with our people,
fully and faithfully,
toward building up a society and a nation
whose social and political order is “founded on truth,
guided by justice,
realized in freedom,
flowering in peace.”
(Blessed John XXIII, Pacem in Terris).
You remind us in the Scriptures,
that “Unless the Lord build the city,
they labor in vain who wish to raise it”;
that not in personal lives alone,
but in social and political strivings also,
“Without Me, you can do nothing.”
Without You, Lord,
we can not
deeply and lastingly
bring to realization
a true moral and spiritual renewal
in our land.
We turn to You then, Lord,
at this crucial time
when our local and national elections are about to take place,
and we beg You,
for our people and our nation, and for ourselves: that You may enlighten our minds
and guide our consciences,
ever to place the common good
of our nation and our people,
especially the good of those
who are poor and have less in life,
above all other lesser interests;
that those we vote for
will be those who will strive
to serve our people’s interests,
and not their own,
above everything else;
that they be those
who will seek to make Your Will and Your Purposes
truly present and operative
in the governance of our society
and in the working out
of true solidarity and peace among our people;
that they will be firmly dedicated
to the true Christian “culture of life”;
that they will never sacrifice truth and justice
to the pursuit of gain and their narrow self-interest
through lying, corruption and greed;
that You may purify the spirit
in all those charged
with the due realization of these elections,
so that they will fulfill their tasks and duties
in total obedience to the laws of our land,
with complete integrity, honesty and transparency,
seeking only that the will of our people
and their free and rightful voice
may truly express Your voice for us.
that the efforts of those
who for their own interests
seek to frustrate the full and honest exercise
of our people’s right and duty
in the electoral processes,
be thoroughly thwarted
by the vigilance, steadfastness and courage
of those who will uphold,
defend and guard our democracy
and our democratic freedoms
with conscience, integrity and all their rightful might.
Heart of Jesus, pierced for our sakes,
at this crucial time in our history,
lead all our people
to the ways of truth and wisdom,
love, selflessness and self-sacrifice
which You gave us
as the law of our own living.
Be with us now,
Heart of our Savior, and have mercy on our people and our land.
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
beloved mother of our people,
intercede for us with Your Son,
that we may fulfill our rights and duties
during these elections
with true purity of mind,
with conscience and courage.
Be with us, our Mother,
and pray for our people and our land.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be (3x)
The following prayer, addressed to St. Michael the Archangel, to thwart the designs of people of bad will, is the prayer prescribed by Pope Leo XIII against the work of the evil spirits in the world.
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And to thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. AMEN. (Pope Leo XIII)
