Last night (October 16), I attended the annual banquet of Right-to-Life of Owensboro (Kentucky). What a wonderful event — to see 800 or more men and women (and a good number of teenagers) who would come out for an evening to celebrate the sanctity of human life!
It was a joy-filled occasion. Not only was there are good number of people (with a good showing of both Catholics and Protestants included), but they seemed to be genuinely “on fire” for the cause of life. How can we reach out to the youth and help them to understand their dignity as children of God? The goodness and beauty of chastity until marriage (and chastity within marriage!)? The sanctity of every human life as a tremendous, precious gift of Almighty God? These were some of the questions that we all face.
But are our “pro-life” views merely lip-service? Is it a “once a year, attend a banquet” kind of thing? Does our belief in the sanctity of human life get translated into our personal lives, to the way we treat other people? Do we “put our money where our mouth is”? Do we support women in “crisis pregnancies” to have their babies, whether they choose to raise the children themselves or to give them up for adoption to loving families? How do we keep the fire going within our own hearts?
In our Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, we are committed to prayer and a stronger sacramental life, all with a view to growing in personal holiness — to allow Jesus Christ to transform us with His Love and Mercy. But do we then take that Mercy of God out and share it with others? How do we affirm the gift of life in our own lives? Are we bringing our experience of the incredible and healing Mercy of God out to share it with as many people as we possibly can? Let us examine our consciences on this matter, and ask the Lord Jesus to help us to truly and whole-heartily embrace our call to also be Apostles of Life in the midst of our Culture of Death!
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