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National Sanctity Human Life Day, the third Sunday in January, calls our attention to the legalization of abortion nearly fifty years ago this month. Heated emotions define those who support and those who oppose. As a Church, guiding individuals towards God through the Light of Christ, our teachings have always proclaimed that human life is sacred; the dignity of each human person is the foundation of a moral understanding of society, regardless of culture or ethnicity. As Psalms 139 describes: For it was You who formed my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And Pope John Paul II reiterates, “Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God's image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.” Once again, approaching the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, our emotions and forceful arguments sometimes blur the sanctity of the face, the person with whom we disagree. We may lose sight of all that we seek and hope for and defend when we create “that other” because their voice differs from ours, because of a decision they made in the past. Jesus consistently listened to the stories, the pain, the fears of those who came before him, and too, the anger of the individuals who disparaged his mission. Rather than condemn, he sought moments to bring healing and hope for the dignity of each person regardless of the face before him. A mother’s story embellishes the sacredness of all life—especially within the face of the individual we might otherwise disregard. 'Alison' fell pregnant on her honeymoon 40 years ago. Both she and her husband had just started new jobs and she felt it was the wrong time to have a baby. But she says she began to feel guilty about the termination the moment she woke up from the anesthetic. . . . “I felt kind of relief on one hand and then just lost. I had done something that I knew was going to fundamentally stay with me forever. I couldn't put the clock back. I couldn't undo what I had done. I just felt very lost and very, very alone.” Alison went on to have another child, but she feels the decision to end the pregnancy led to the breakdown of her marriage. She says she has never come to terms with the decision she made in 1979. . . .“I feel it was a very selfish decision. . . .because I think being a parent is a very precious commodity. It's the most important job in the world.”
With the help of a generous donation St. Malachy Parish is having a new baptismal font crafted to reflect the architecture of the church, and of the size to be placed at the south entrance. As with many churches, with the font located near the entrance it reminds us of our baptismal promise: belonging to a Christian community, and the acknowledgement of our blessings to be graciously shared in Christ’s name. Sacred Heart will replace their church doors—that have been in a state of disrepair—sometime this spring or summer. At the same time, recognizing the deterioration—the steps to the church will be ‘re-constructed.’ All of the costs is covered by a very generous grant received from the Maurice & Velda Fitzgerald Foundation. Hopefully, the new baptismal font, the new doors and steps will enhance the hospitality of our churches, and the dignity of our Catholic faith. On this Sanctity of Human Life Sunday I leave you with a re-imagined prayer from one of our seventh grade parishioners:
Dear Heavenly Father, we are broken people and have sinned against you in so many ways, and pray that today would be a day of repentance and forgiveness. Open our hearts, our minds, our eyes, and our hands as we seek to serve you and glorify you through our love for one another. May we truly be your hands and feet in our world, serving others like Jesus came to serve, loving others like we are to love ourselves. We pray you would increase empathy, compassion and love for our neighbors, no matter their age, race, ability, background, or need. May we stand for what you have taught us and may we give you glory in all that we do. Amen.
God Bless, Fr. Tim.
