“Thus, says the Lord: Do what is right and just. Rescue the victims from the hand of their oppressors.”   The Prophet Jeremiah 22:3

Our week ahead offers two noteworthy occasions for the Catholic Community that calls for reflection.  On Monday, our nation will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and, on Wednesday, will mark the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.  Both the sin of racism and the termination of human life is a stain on our nation and has kept us unsettled for generations. 

As written in an editorial in America Magazine regarding Dr. King, the editors wrote: “A minister and preacher, his activism for civil rights were grounded in a profound understanding of biblical notions of justice and the irrevocable promise made by God to the people of Exodus.”   Dr. King’s message still needs to be heard in our society in creating a more equitable community. Although we have made great strides over time, deeper healing needs to occur. 

In November of 2018, the U.S. Catholic Bishops wrote a pastoral letter concerning the scourge of racism that affects too many souls in our country.   As stated in the bishop’s letter, Open Wide Our Hearts:

The injustice and harm racism causes are an attack on human life. The Church in the United States has spoken out consistently and forcefully against abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, and other forms of violence that threaten human life. It is not a secret that these attacks on human life have severely affected people of color, who are disproportionally affected by poverty, targeted for abortion, have less access to healthcare, have the greatest numbers on death row, and are most likely to feel pressure to end their lives when facing serious illness. As bishops, we unequivocally state that racism is a life issue. Accordingly, we will not cease to speak forcefully against and work toward ending racism. Racism directly places brother and sister against each other, violating the dignity inherent in each person. The Apostle James commands the Christian: “show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas 2:1).

On Friday, January 24, 2020, thousands will gather in Washington, DC, to give public witness to the sanctity of life.  The theme this year is “Life Empowers: Pro-Life Is Pro-Woman."  I would invite you to check out the March for Life Website .  There is an exceedingly well-done video that highlights the theme of female empowerment. The narrator passionately pleads with fellow women to see the injustice that abortion invokes and how Norma McCorvey had her own radical change of belief on abortion. The presenter said, “She [McCorvey] firmly believes the entire abortion industry is based on a lie.” 

Our parish has a long and distinguished history of being advocates for the sanctity of life:  Life Choices and the Center of Great Expectations.   These organizations have benefited from the support of our fellow parishioners throughout the years. 

On Wednesday, the Church asks that the faithful pray and fast.  We are being asked to pray for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  Through fasting and praying, we hope for the conversion of hearts and minds for those who advocate for the culture of death and participate in the throwaway culture that Pope Francis often speaks.  As the Holy Father said, addressing the Italian Movement for Life: “Human life is sacred and inviolable. Every civil right is based on the recognition of the first, fundamental right, the right to life, which is not subject to any condition, of a qualitative, economic and certainly not of an ideological nature.”

Let us pray this week in gratitude for women who said yes to life, despite the many struggles and obstacles they encountered during their pregnancy and stayed strong to their convictions to the value of human life in the womb. 

Respectfully yours in Christ, 

Fr. Brian Nolan