The Liturgy of the Hours’ last prayer of the day — compline, or night prayer — was an appropriate close to election night Nov. 3 of a highly contentious election season, Archbishop Bernard Hebda suggested during an online prayer event held even as polls closed and early results were announced.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda in a Zoom conference of reflection and prayer election night Nov. 3.

Prayer brings to the Lord “the successes and failures of the day, the stresses we might be experiencing and any anxieties about tomorrow,” the archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis said as one of a series of religious leaders who shared their thoughts in the seven-hour ecumenical event. It was held to provide a peaceful place as voters decided contests pitting Democrat Joe Biden against Republican President Donald Trump, as well as Senate, House and other races across the country.

A nonprofit called Braver Angels, formed after the divisive general election of 2016 to help bring people with opposing views together in dialogue, offered the Zoom event. Presented through a link from the organization’s Facebook page, Braver Angels’ “Moments of Peace: Coming Together on Election Night” also featured a Zoom channel of secular speakers. People were invited to visit each channel as they wished.

Faith leaders and lay persons offered 15 minutes of reflections, songs, prayers or simply silence. Between presentations, classical or other soothing music played in the background.

About 225 people tuned in to Archbishop Hebda’s session as he read from Psalm 143 and the first letter of Peter, chapter five, verses eight and nine: “Stay sober and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.”

Everyone experiences some anxiety on election night, not knowing what tomorrow will bring, Archbishop Hebda said. But it’s an ideal moment for lifting up and renewing relationships with God.

“It is our faith in God that gives us reassurance in a time like this,” he said, “and that provides a foundation for creating a civilization of love and of rebuilding relationships, even with those who see things differently than we do.”

No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but everyone can be confident that God has a plan, the archbishop said.

“We have a golden opportunity this evening to … not only pray for our country in general,” he said, “but also to pray in particular for those who will be elected this day, whether locally or nationally, that they might … (help) us … create a society that respects the rule of law, that recognizes the dignity of all human life, and that sacrifices for the good of those on the margins. The life of an elected official is challenging, and they surely need our prayers.”

More information on Braver Angels can be found at braverangels.org.