This is the Pro-life passage par
excellence! In modern USA these two
women would be prime-candidates for abortion.
One would be considered too young to have a child, Mary; the other,
would be considered too old; St. Elizabeth.
However, both said “yes” to life and
brought into the world the greatest--- John the Baptist, who Jesus said “the
greatest of men born of women” and Jesus the “Way, the Truth and the Life” the
Son of the living God.
What then are ways that we can truly
promote the Pro-Life cause? All of us
have to be actively engaged in promoting life. We indeed are people of
life. Pope John Paul II divided the
world into two categories: those who lift up the banner entitled “The Gospel of
Life”, opposed to those who embrace and promote the “Culture of death”. This is the modern Ignatian “Two-standards”.
1.
First of all we must clearly understand where
life comes from, who gives life and who has the right to take life. To all of these questions the response is
unique and unequivocal: GOD! Human
life starts at conception when God implants that immortal soul in that baby
conceived in the womb of the mother. It
is God who sustains life in every stage of its existence. Finally it is God who decides when, where and
how that life is to be ended. Every
human life is precious and unrepeatable
from the moment of conception until natural death. Even the Founding Fathers of our Country
asserted in the Constitution: “Every
human being is endowed with inviolable rights: Life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness!” In other words abortion is
against the 5th Commandment: thou shalt not murder!”
2.
VOCATION TIME AND PLACE. The two most important decisions in our
life are profession and vocation--- that is to say, what work will we choose to
undertake for the development of the common good of society, our own personal
development as well as the welfare of our family. However, even more important is one’s
specific vocation that should lead to one’s personal sanctification. Most are
called to the marriage vocation. The point at hand is that as the book of
Ecclesiastes underlines: there is a time for everything underneath the skies—a
time to plant and uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to sow and
a time to reap.” Also there is a time
and a person with whom to establish a courtship and a time to avoid it! The statistics on abortion are alarming in
USA. There is about one abortion every 20 seconds, three a minute, 4000 a day,
between 180-300 in Los Angeles daily, about 1.2 million a year, and since the Roe vs.
Wade decision over 50 million. One of
the many reasons is unwanted pregnancy in early years. Unfortunately minors--- teen girls—can
legally have recourse to their school nurse, have a pregnancy exam and if it is
positive then she can opt for an abortion even without parental knowledge and
consent. To make a long story short,
parents should block their children as well as teens from establishing a
courtship in these early years and motivate their children to get to know and
love God, to work hard at school, to engage in sports, to cultivate wholesome
friendships and to pray that after their studies they will meet the person with
whom they will marry, have children and be faithful until death do they part!
3.
SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE. When it happens that a confused, insecure
and depressed woman approaches you to reveal the reality of her pregnancy, then
do all you can to support her. First,
praise and thank the Lord for the gift of life that she is carrying within her
womb. Second, assure her of your prayers and moral support. Third, if she is in crisis, offer her
economic and social support. Have a crisis pregnancy number in place at your
finger-tips. Never forget also that
adoption could be a valid and realistic alternative for women who seem to have
no means at their disposal to provide for the child. Frequently women have recourse to abortion
for the simple reason that all the people surrounding them have encouraged them
to have the abortion as the best option. Abortion—the killing of an innocent
baby—can never be an option.
4.
ABORTION CLINIC PRAYER AND
COUNSELLING MINISTRY & THE ULTRASOUND!
If you feel called to be pro-active in praying in front of abortion
clinics, then praying the most Holy Rosary might be one of the most efficacious
weapons. With this you might feel the
mission to undergo training as a sidewalk counselor. Many babies have been saved especially
through prayer, others have been saved due to experienced counselors who have
convinced them to accept the child. Still other confused women were brought to
the ULTRASOUND. By seeing their little
baby smile, laugh, suck his/her thumb yawn, and scratch his/her nose—the impact
was so great that women have decided to have their child as a great gift from
God the author and giver of all life. The powers of evil and darkness never
sleep; the devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning as Jesus clearly
stated. We who belong to the Kingdom of
Light and life must pick up steam in the defense of the little child who cannot
defend Himself.
5.
PRAYER, PENANCE, MASS AND MARY. Of course the most efficacious means at our
disposal in this mortal battle for human life and for the soul of our nation is
the spiritual life. Jesus said that some
devils can be cast out only by prayer and fasting. Therefore, to save the unborn babies let us
offer more fervent and frequent prayers. Still more powerful, let us offer the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass--- the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world--- to save the innocent blood of the unborn baby. Then let us
turn to Mary who said “Yes” to life and brought us Jesus, who came to bring us
Life and Life in abundance. Let us pray
over and over again the Hail Mary, especially the words: BLESSED ART THOU
AMONG WOMEN AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB JESUS! Christmas is a Feast of joy, peace and LIFE!
May Mary’s example and the example of St. Elizabeth motivate us to accept life,
speak up for life, and defend life. Every
individual is endowed with inalienable rights of Life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
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