LOOK AT
Next year, in our State (Province) of Mexico, we will have elections to elect a new governor. Of the party that shows itself as the hope of Mexico, but that has disappointed many of the expectations that it offered, 67 candidates were presented… I don’t think that everyone agrees with that ideology, but they see in that party the only possible way to succeed. The same thing happened before with the party that they criticize now; his background attitude does not change. Candidates from other parties have already signed up, spending enormous resources to appear in billboards, on fences and in other events, anticipating the processes of their own party. How many want to rule! Why do they do it? Do you feel very capable of solving the huge problems we have, especially insecurity and violence? What do they seek? Serve the people, spend your life for the comprehensive well-being of the community? They would be saints! Or what moves them is to obtain personal or group advantages?
Within two years, we will elect a new President of the Republic. How candidates are emerging! Do we perhaps have many generous characters to give their lives for their country? Some have already held important positions and imagine they have the solution to the complicated national situation. Hopefully the popular conscience matures and analyzes the personality of each candidate, and does not let itself be fooled by speeches, promises and gifts.
In our Church, there is no shortage of priests who would long to be bishops, or hold important positions in the diocese. They don’t know what they want! Among us, it should not be the ambition of positions that moves us, but to give our lives to God and His People, because for that we consecrate ourselves. In this regard, they attribute this Latin phrase to Saint John Paul II, when it came to appointing new bishops: Volentibus, nolumus. That is to say: we reject those who want to be, we do not want them, they are not the ones indicated for this ministry. I was never pulling strings to be a bishop; less cardinal. This service was asked of me and I have tried to perform it with the spirituality of serving and giving life, so that others have full life in Christ.
DISCERN
Pope Francis recently said: “It is not power, success and money that prevail, but service, humility and love prevail. The real power is service. This is the way to Heaven. Heaven is within reach, if we do not give in to sin, if we praise God with humility and if we serve others with generosity”.
Nearly nine years ago, he wrote in his exhortation Evangelii gaudium: “I pray to God that the number of politicians capable of entering into an authentic dialogue that is effectively oriented towards healing the deep roots and not the appearance of the evils of our world grows! Politics, so denigrated, is a lofty vocation, it is one of the most precious forms of charity, because it seeks the common good. I pray to the Lord to give us more politicians who really hurt society, the people, the lives of the poor!”
ACT
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to inspire candidates for public office to aspire to holiness, to earn heaven, spending their energies and abilities for the benefit of the community, and to free them from the temptations of only yearning for power, money, fame and other passing pleasures. And let us support training programs for politicians that elevate politics to the dignity it deserves, to be an expression of love, of social charity.