Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This Monday, January 23, is the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. While many might think of it as simply a day of protest (which is what happens so often on the Mall in Washington) it is also a day to prayerfully bear witness to the dignity and beauty of human life, especially in the womb. While we continue to work for a change in legislation, we know that the laws we enact only reflect what we think and believe in the heart. So the real work lies in building up a culture of life within our own families, schools, parishes and neighborhoods where each of us is deeply convinced of the truth that at the moment of conception a human life has been created, and that this human life has every right that I would claim for myself, most especially the right to life. While the media does much to portray the pro-life mindset as narrow-minded and restrictive, the truth is that it is more welcoming and open than those who support abortion. The Pope has spoken about a “human ecology” that in the midst of the care and defense of the earth, we always cherishes the human person first, as the most valuable of all the earth’s goods. As we observe this day, our Bishops ask us to make this day one of prayer and penance “for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life.” So let this Monday be a “little Lent” as we ask God to help us cherish and protect the gift of human life and build up in our own families a culture of life.
Knowing that the reality of abortion has left many of our women (and men) suffering in the quiet of their hearts, please remember the great work the Church does in offering healing, help and forgiveness. You can visit www.hopeafterabortion.com to learn more about the work of Project Rachael. And don’t forget the work of the Church in helping women in crisis pregnancies, right here in our own community. The Howard County Pregnancy Center does amazing work with women who need care, support and love as they struggle with crisis pregnancies. To learn more about their work visit their website at www.howardcountypregnancycenter.org.
Please know of my prayers for you and your families this week. God Bless!
