Puffs

OK folks, by this time next week, the 2022 General Elections will be history. Will you take part or be a bystander?

I only offer a couple of observations this week:

The first is early voting. We have always had absentee voting systems in place, but one of the biggest changes in our voting history has taken place in recent times. It is: “Early Voting.”

I understand and appreciate the effort to accommodate voters and make voting more accessible to the general public. However, voters have been voting for several weeks now across the state of Nebraska and the nation. In fact, Monday morning, it was estimated and 1.5 million voters had already been through the process in Georgia alone.

“What could possibly go wrong by extending the voting day from just one day to four or six weeks?”

Just wondering.

I don’t have the wherewithal to study the entire voting process, but we already know voting abuses have taken place when voting was limited to just one day . . . why give those people a whole month or more to do their dirty work?

I would agree to making early voting available for a week, or two, but four to six weeks? I am not comfortable with that.

Also . . . I have watched TV shows that have filmed long lines of voters doing this early voting. There was not one word, or complaint, from either the voters or the TV media about the long lines.

What have we heard almost every voting day in recent history about the long lines of people who had to wait in lines on a typical election day?

Just an interesting contrast in the reporting.

The second concern is the involvement of the voters.

Although I’ve always been concerned about how many people actually take the time to vote, this concern was driven home (in a unique way) by the prairie fire south east of Lawrence (of all things).

Father Hottovy related his activities on that day of the fire which resulted in a miracle, right here in south central Nebraska.

He related his concern and made several phone calls to involve religious women in Lincoln and the Bishop of the Lincoln Diocese to pray for the safety of the fire area residents and property. He posted the following on Facebook:

“On Sunday, October 23, in the late afternoon, I tried to get as close as I could to the wildfires that were threatening to continue to do damage across the countryside. I brought our Lord with me in the Holy Eucharist and had a Eucharistic Procession in my car as I approached some of the farmland and homes that were being threatened by the fast-moving flames.

Once I found a place on the road as close as I could get, I had Benediction (a special blessing with the Blessed Sacrament) asking our Lord to protect and help those threatened by these dangerous fires. I then used holy water and blessed salt to make the sign of the cross on the road. I also had a first class relic of Saint John Paul ll, in which I asked for his intercession for shielding us from all harm. I continued sprinkling holy water and blessed salt from my car as I made my way along the country roads.

Today talking with one of the farmers whose home came very close to burning down, said the fires started eight miles away and made their way to right across the road from their house. I was three miles to the west of their home, where I had Benediction and said the prayers of protection against fires and the fire stopped progressing. So the Lord had a direct hand in protecting our farmers from more serious damage and property loss.

We are all so grateful to the Lord for his favor and protection.

Thank you to all who stormed heaven yesterday, both here and across Nebraska to plead for protection from these serious dangers.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.“ ~ Psalm 136:1”

Father Hottovy remarked later that miracles don’t “just happen.” Someone has to get involved.

At this point in our election cycle the main thing we can do to “get involved” is to vote.

Miracles don’t just happen and good elections don’t “just happen.” Remember the importance of voting for “Pro Life” candidates.

A O