“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb” Psalm 139:13
On this date, January 22nd, we remember the
tragic Supreme Court Decision from 1973, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion
throughout the United States. Because of this ruling, countless number of
children have been killed through abortion. Since that day the church has called each
diocese in the United States to observe “a day of prayer for the full
restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for
violations to the dignity of the human person committed through the act of
abortion.”
The church clearly teaches that abortion is evil and,
as Catholics, we are to reject it and are to protect human life from conception
to natural death. The Catholic Church clearly teaches the following:
- Life Begins at
Conception: The Church believes a human being exists from conception,
possessing inherent dignity and rights, including the fundamental right to
life
.
- Grave Moral
Evil: Direct abortion, defined as intentionally ending a pregnancy,
is considered a serious violation of God's law, contrary to the
commandment "You shall not kill".
- Unchangeable
Doctrine: The Catechism states this teaching has been consistent since
the first century and remains unchangeable.
With that in mind, we are all called to help defend
innocent children from being killed by abortion, while at the same time showing
compassion towards women who may feel trapped in a situation that they have
unfortunately found themselves in. We are never to condemn a woman who may have
chosen to have an abortion, but rather we are called to show her God’s
compassion and forgiveness.
To help prevent abortions, we can start supporting
such groups that not only seek to protect the child in the womb, but to offer
help to woman in crises pregnancies. One such group is the Sisters of Life,
founded by Cardinal O’Connor in 1991.
From their website we read, “Entrusting ourselves
completely to the Lord of Life, we commit our lives to the protection of human
life and to the promotion of new life in Christ, acknowledging the goodness of
every person, and sharing the gift of God’s abundant mercy with all those we
meet.” The Sisters of Life offer to women in crisis pregnancy help and
protection during their difficult situation, protecting not only the baby, but
helping the mother through whatever difficulties they are facing because of their
pregnancy. They also offer retreats for those who may have had an abortion but
are seeking God’s love, forgiveness and healing. Having an abortion can be very
traumatic for the woman who had one done. The Sisters of Life offer healing and
God’s forgiveness.
As we pray for an end to abortion, let us pray also
for all those who may be in a situation where they feel they have no other
choice but to get an abortion. And let us pray for those who may have had an
abortion and are looking for healing and forgiveness from God.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteOne of the most essential means of protecting the lives of preborn babies is to help to women in crisis pregnancies. Father Frank Pavone, founder of PRIESTS FOR LIFE, stated that women in crisis pregnancies have abortions NOT because of "CHOICE" but because they believe they HAVE NO CHOICE.
Women in crisis pregnancies need financial, material, emotional & spiritual support as viable alternatives to abortion. An organization called HEROIC MEDIA reports that 60% of women who have had abortions wanted to choose life but chose abortion instead because they did not believe they had available financial & emotional support to help them through pregnancy, labor, delivery & raising their children.
There are many wonderful pro-life organizations, pregnancy resource/crisis pregnancy centers that help women in crisis pregnancies, including SISTERS FOR LIFE, GOOD COUNSEL HOMES, BRIDGE TO LIFE SEVERAL SOURCES FOUNDATION, MARY'S MANTLE, CARE NET & their affiliates, etc. Everyone who is able to do so needs to give them prayer support & financial support, publicity & promotion, & to refer women in crisis pregnancies to them. GOOD COUNSEL HOMES and MARY'S MANTLE actually provide a group home for women in crisis pregnancies where they & any other children they already have can live throughout pregnancy, labor & delivery & for as long as needed after the child has been born. In addition to food, clothing & shelter in a Catholic group home setting, the women at GOOD COUNSEL HOMES can receive spiritual counseling, opportunities to further their education & job training, & help in being situated in an apartment when they & their children are ready to leave the group home.
Although we need to pray, work, write, march, & lobby for legislation to restrict & possibly even end abortion on the legal & political front--most likely incrementally--if we only work to make abortion illegal, we probably will wind up having women getting illegal abortions. But if we do more & more to help women in crisis pregnancies to CHOOSE LIFE by providing them with all the help, support & resources they need & providing help, support, resources, promotion & publicity to the places where they can get help, & if we encourage the growth of more & more places to help them, we can do something even more beneficial in saving the lives of preborn babies & their mothers & thus focus on achieving an even greater goal: TO MAKE ABORTION UNTHINKABLE.
When I was financially able to do so, I gave money to GOOD COUNSEL HOMES and BRIDGE TO LIFE & other pro-life causes, such as FOCUS ON THE FAMILY'S UKTRASOUND PROJECT. But now I pray every day for as many of these organizations I can remember for these organizations can get all the promotion & publicity they need so that women in crisis pregnancies will be attracted to seek them out instead of looking to abortion pills, abortion clinics or Planned Parenthood & that these organizations will get all the help, support & resources they need so that they can give women in crisis pregnancies all the help, support & resources they need to CHOOSE LIFE fir their babies & to SUSTAIN THAT CHOICE THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY, LABOR & DELIVERY & FOR AS LONG AS NEEDED AFTER THE CHILD HAS BEEN BORN.