The feast of All Saints and All Souls, unite us in remembering our dead, praying for them, mourning our loss, remembering the traditions and lessons they taught us, and recalling the funny family stories handed from one generation to the next. On the other hand, many of the discussions of the recent elections continue to focus on divisions. Political strategists analyze failures and successes for the next campaign, pundits speculate what recent voting trends mean for the future, groups that worked on ballot initiatives count successes and failures, and voters listen for the message and tone of their preferred candidates’ victory or concession speeches. Politicking is over; votes have been counted decisions have been made, and it’s time for us to unite. As Queen of heaven, Mary reminds us that the Kingdom of God calls us to work together for justice and peace. As our mother, Mary cares about our well being and, like our birth mothers, reminds us that as a human family we must work together For the common good