Leadership Monthly

Reflection Column

Election Prayer by the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Peace

"Receive my every thought, word and deed, everything that is mine finally, both interior and exterior. All this I lay down as an offering at the feet of your divine Majesty. And I pray that you deign to receive it even though I am unworthy

of this. Amen."

(Prayer of St. Angela – Rule)

At this time of the year, in our part of the country, the earth around us takes on a blanket of golds, reds, and rustic colors. The exterior world is being transformed as it dies to summer days and prepares itself for the cold winter ahead. The falling leaves with their crunching sound beneath my feet remind me that it is time to give thanks for what has been and what is.  In the midst of trials, deaths, work, schedules and daily life, there is still so much we to thank God for and it is very appropriate that all this is placed at the feet of Jesus who lived among us and knows what it means to be human.

Autumn teaches us that life is so precious and fragile. Life should not be taken for granted. We know that within minutes our life can change due to illness, accidents, emotional trauma, and other physical issues, events and experiences. Autumn invites us to observe nature and watch the periodic letting go of something that is necessary, in order to have new life appear. Isn’t it amazing for us who live in northern Ohio, to watch the leaves change color, then let go and rest on the ground, only to be buried by frost and snow? Yet, then in the spring the dead, empty trees bud forth with new green growth and signs of summer days are ahead, new paths form and lead to looking at life with clearer eyes.

Placing all our thoughts, words and deeds at the feet of Jesus, gives us the opportunity to stretch ourselves, to reach out to the wonder and the glory of creation. At the same time, the sadness of letting go and putting other things behind us calls us to reflect on the interior movements within us to be thankful for all God gifts.

May this time of Thanksgiving elicit praise for all that has been and keep us faithful to all that will be. Jesus is there waiting for us as winter waits for spring.

God of peace, these times demand a change of heart: to be, think, and act differently.

Pour out your Spirit on your people as we prepare to vote in 2024 in unprecedented numbers across the globe.



May we strive to make peace a reality by becoming agents of reconciliation, transforming and transcending polarization, misinformation, and division during this election year.

Help us to recognize the reality of our interconnection and interdependence and to make decisions for the common good.