“Put not your trust in princes” could be the political motto of Christians. Indeed, the central events of our faith surround the execution of God the Son by the very empire that lent its name to the “peace” of the time: the Pax Romana. 

And yet we find ourselves living in a world where politics matter. As tempting as it can be to turn away in disgust from political life, we know that such passivity makes us complicit in injustice. Thankfully, phrases like “integral human development” and the “common good” are priceless gifts of our tradition meant to direct our attention to a fundamental fact: humans are made to live together. And the Gospel matters for how we live together. 

Moreover, the saints offer a cornucopia of models for sharing the Gospel in the public square. As such, August is a beautiful time to pray for our political leaders. During it, we celebrate martyrs like St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) and St. Maximilian Kolbe, who remind us that our final happiness will not be found in this life, and great teachers and pastors like St. Augustine of Hippo who wrote profound works on the challenge of Christian discipleship during times of upheaval. Then there’s the fine example of Saint Louis, King of France. And at the center of the month comes the solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady, the glory of which is a foretaste of Heaven, that toward which all things tend. 

Perhaps, then, during this ordinary time, relatively quiet both liturgically and politically, we can ask God to soften the hearts of our leaders, that they might be men and women like the great saints. And, in the process, we might find that He softens our hearts, too.

Fr. Bill McCormick, S.J.

He is a contributing editor at America Magazine, former chief mission officer at St. John’s College in Belize City, and served as a research fellow in the Department of Political Science at Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Twitter: @bmccsj