Now is the time to pray, and vote.

This is a momentous election.

If Obama wins it there will be a descent into greater poverty, both in terms of money and in terms of morality.  The government will continue it's assault on the rights of individuals, currently Catholics but with no need to worry about reelection Obama will take aim at other groups.  Obama will practice an even more imperial presidency with executive orders replacing legislation and continual legal battles between Congress and Obama.

Obama shares his fathers view that capitalism is bad and that America is a problem in the world rather than the best solution.

If Romney wins we have a chance to bring back the greatness of America.  There will be sacrifice but at least the vision of our President will match the vision of our Founders.

We can't know if Romney will succeed but we can know that he will try to restore the economy and he will end the assault on individual liberties.

At this time it's even more clear than usual that in the end our best tool for advancing what is good is prayer.  As the great St. Augustine said:

Pray as though everything depends on God. Work as though everything depends on you.

We need to vote and to remind our friends to vote. But after we've cast our ballot the most important, the most powerful thing we can do is reach out to our Heavenly Father and ask His loving support.  He thirsts to guide us to Him; all we need to do is ask.

No matter what happens we will know that God did what was best.  And for that we can be grateful.

Some good prayers for this election are:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

This novena is to be said at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours in one day.

This is a good novena for urgent requests that cannot wait nine days to be prayed. You pray it every hour for nine hours at the same time. For example, if you begin praying at 12:00, your next prayer is at 1:00, then 2:00, until your ninth prayer is at 9:00.


There's nothing magical about it.  Your sticking to specific times is just a way to demonstrate your commitment and love of God. 

Remember too that God answers all prayers.  He, in His infinite wisdom, may realize that we're, unknowingly, asking for something that will hurt us.

I remember that when my dad died I thought that God hadn't answered my prayers. But He had.  A few years after dad died it was clear that if dad hadn't died when he did he would have suffered a great deal. That added an emotional oomph to the my intellectual realization that trusting in God is always the best path.

O Jesus, Who has said,
ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find,
knock and it shall be opened to you,
through the intercession of Mary,
Your Most Holy Mother, I knock,
I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.
(Make your request)

O Jesus, Who has said,
all that you ask of the Father in My Name,
He will grant you through the intercession of Mary.
Your Most Holy Mother.
I humbly and urgently ask Your Father
in Your Name that my prayer be granted.

(Make your request)

O Jesus, Who has said,
"Heaven and earth shall pass away
but My word shall not pass",
through the intercession of Mary,
Your Most Holy Mother,
I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Make your request)