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| 2011 March for Life |
Dear Friends,
Thirty-nine years ago, while I was a senior in high school, the Supreme Court ruled that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion. As a young person, I was very optimistic that we, as a country, would be able to undo that decision; that we would pass an amendment to the constitution which would define and protect human life. There was a lot of energy in the early days to pass such an amendment to the Constitution. Congress has discussed the possibility of a Human Life Amendment to the constitution over the years, but it has not really been seriously looked at since 1983 when the Hatch-Eagleton version failed to pass the Senate. Since then, our country’s political leadership has failed to lead an effective fight to protect human life. It gets talked about a lot, but no one really does much to change anything. Everyone keeps pointing the finger at the opposition and saying they’re the problem.
The Bishops of the United States have asked us to observe a Day of Penance on Monday. Certainly we, as a church, will continue to fight for the dignity of every human life in the public arena, but prayer and penance are valuable tools in the life of faith, as Pope John Paul II taught:
Thirty-nine years ago, while I was a senior in high school, the Supreme Court ruled that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion. As a young person, I was very optimistic that we, as a country, would be able to undo that decision; that we would pass an amendment to the constitution which would define and protect human life. There was a lot of energy in the early days to pass such an amendment to the Constitution. Congress has discussed the possibility of a Human Life Amendment to the constitution over the years, but it has not really been seriously looked at since 1983 when the Hatch-Eagleton version failed to pass the Senate. Since then, our country’s political leadership has failed to lead an effective fight to protect human life. It gets talked about a lot, but no one really does much to change anything. Everyone keeps pointing the finger at the opposition and saying they’re the problem.
The Bishops of the United States have asked us to observe a Day of Penance on Monday. Certainly we, as a church, will continue to fight for the dignity of every human life in the public arena, but prayer and penance are valuable tools in the life of faith, as Pope John Paul II taught:
Filled with this certainty, and moved by profound concern for the destiny of every man and woman, I repeat what I said to those families who carry out their challenging mission amid so many difficulties: a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.
Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29).
Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals inspired by the civilization of life and love.
There are many different ways of observing this national day of prayer and penance. You could refrain from eating something that day or go without a meal in solidarity with those who suffer. You could pray a rosary or chaplet for the unborn. You could pray for those who have been wounded by abortion, or visit and pray before the Blessed Sacrament, or read and reflect on Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on life, Evangelium Vitae, or offer your time to someone in need of a kind word or a listening ear.
Maybe I was naïve and overly optimistic thirty-nine years ago, but I have not given up hope. We have made so much progress in so many other areas in our country and in our world. Perhaps, this one will simply take longer. Abortions have been declining since 1990, but there are still too many happening each year. Maybe your prayer tomorrow will help a profound respect for all human life dwell in the hearts of others.
Peace,
Fr. Damian
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