In our culture, it can be difficult to speak up for life. How can I be more courageous in proclaiming the Gospel of Life?
What is our purpose here on this earth? What do we live for? We are here for a relatively brief time (along with all of God’s children) and every human heart is making up its mind between choosing for or against God.
St. Thomas Aquinas would speak of how every creature has a “final cause,” the reason for its existence. Flowers, dogs and trees glorify God by their beauty. As humans, we glorify God by freely choosing to serve Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. For those who live superficially, wealth, success or social acceptance may easily replace glorifying God. By meditating on how the very reason for our existence is to witness to the Gospel, it becomes possible to courageously speak against the soft pressure of social acceptance that so often accompanies the culture of death.
An introverted woman I know overheard two neighbors say the word “amendment.” She stopped and asked, “Are you speaking about Amendment 3?” They sheepishly replied, “Yes.” She launched straight in: “Isn’t it terrible? I don’t know where you stand on abortion, but this will remove any legal recourse for medical malpractice and also enable a minor’s assailant to force an abortion without parental consent.” One replied, “Why don’t they tell us this? I was going to vote ‘yes,’ but now will vote ‘no.’”
Mother Teresa once said, “All it takes for evil to thrive is for the good to do nothing.” There have been moments in the Church’s history when many fell silent in the face of clear evil against the voiceless of society, such as slavery in the United States. A woman in a crisis pregnancy often feels abandoned and unsupported, and legalized abortion says to her: “That child is your problem, you must ‘take care of it.’” Then, the trauma of grief at losing a child compounds upon the trauma of the unexpected pregnancy. A pro-life culture, on the other hand, says to her, “We receive both you and your child and will care for you with great love. Your life and your baby’s life are of great value in God’s sight.”
I, for one, will not be silent as the lies of the culture of death threaten the vulnerable. We have only a short time on this earth. So take courage! Stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Stand for the Gospel of Life!
Father Charlie Archer is associate pastor of St. Peter Parish in Kirkwood.
