The other day, in Des Moines, Iowa, we “Nuns on the Bus” held a kick-off rally with the vice president for our month-long bus trip across the US. As an opener, 10 of us Catholic sisters got on stage and asked questions of the people in our audience: What were their memories of the first time they voted? Who in their family had influenced them? And, most important of all, what gave them hope?

Wherever we stop, we ask the people the we meet what concerns them most, and their lists are often similar. Income inequality and the struggle of working folks are front and center. Everywhere we go, we hear how hard it is to make ends meet.

I am constantly moved by the stories people tell us. The next day, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, one of the participants in our town hall meeting spoke about how neighborhoods and blocks are becoming single-party. He knows of parts of town where if there is a house for sale, the Republican neighbors work to find another Republican to move in; there are other parts of Council Bluffs where the same is true for Democrats. I had not heard of this level of segregation of political opinions, and I see how hungry people are for politics that are not polarized. We must come together.

That’s why we ask everyone to share stories about the first time they voted – to help reignite people’s excitement about civic engagement. We want all of them to remember their initial enthusiasm, and to again feel the excitement of 15-year-old girl named Madison in Des Moines.

Madison was near the end of the rope line when Vice President Joe Biden joined us on stage. Madison was very worried that, after his speech, he would not make it to the end where she was standing. But he lingered and spoke with crowds standing along the rope line as long as there were people there – and I was touched by how he actively engaged with everyone he met.

Still, I checked with the team to make sure that the vice president would make it all the way to Madison, and, when he got to her, she was trembling. She showed him her t-shirt, which said “Biden in ’16”. She was so delighted when she got her picture taken with him and he hugged her and kissed her on the top of her head.

But people are so worried about the amount of money pouring into campaigns, and they feel powerless in the face of it. Many are discouraged, and the temptation is just to not engage in politics at all because that seems easier than changing everything that is wrong with the system. We have to find a way to remind ourselves why voting – why politics – is important, and change the system that discourages participation.

While Biden talked about a lot of issues in Des Moines – access to healthcare, a federal budget that serves the needs of all, an immigration system that works, a fair tax system, living wage and more – he also addressed the fundamental need to encourage civic participation: “This nation is strongest when every voice is heard,” he said.

For me, one of the best parts of these days has been when we sisters gather for daily prayer. We are in silence for a time and then we share reflections about the day and how we are being moved by the experiences we have. When we were at prayer one morning, I opened the scripture to “A sower went out to sow a seed.”

On this journey, we feel like we are sowing seeds of hope, engagement and commitment across the country. What a treasure to embody the Gospel in this way and to create new possibilities.