Do You See What We See?

The refusal among many practicing Catholics to speak and act decisively against the evil of abortion springs directly from a horrific distortion of the truth about the human person. Sadly, this distortion can often be traced back to an inadequate catechetical education, and therefore a tepid witness within the Christian community.

Among parishioners, the effects of this distorted truth cannot be underestimated, nor does its remedy have a human solution.

While our temptation is to turn against each other, St. Paul reminds us of this reality: “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12

Our real enemy is the Evil One; our only Savior is Jesus Christ.

No amount of lecturing, rhetoric or dialogue will be enough for the formative task at hand to rally Catholics against the evil of abortion. Nor will forceful apologetics, clever blogs or even websites like this one, be enough to persuade parishioners whose sight has grown dim.

What is needed now is a passionate, life-transforming encounter with the Presence of Christ, and an open heart longing to fully respond to his movement and action on behalf of the thousands of tiny lives being lost every day.

How do we get there?
With humility, we offer a few practical suggestions from the heart of the Church:

• Speak the truth with love. Approach poorly catechized parishioners with a genuine smile and a merciful heart. Appreciate the fact that you cannot do this on your own, because as Christ proclaims: “Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Christ has already conquered even this great evil, so be not afraid of the ultimate outcome of this fight!

• Be a leader in the situation or circumstances where you’ve been placed. For some, this will be a small sphere of influence; for others, a much wider forum. “These things He lets us see, He asks of us,” St. Vincent de Paul once reminded his brothers. If you see a place where you can defend the human rights of an unborn child, rest assured that you are being asked to do so as a member of the Body of Christ.

• Spend time with the living Word, especially the passages that show God’s attentive love and eternal plan for each unborn child.
  Lk 1:5-17; Lk 1:39-47; Jer 1:4-10; Isaiah 49:1-15

• Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle at your parish. This will help you experience the fact that our hope has no other foundation than the Risen One who dwells in our midst. The graces received in Adoration can strengthen your witness on behalf of unborn children among family, friends and fellow parishioners who do not see what you see.

• You cannot help your brother with this splinter in his eye when there is a beam in your own! (cf. Matt 7:3) During the Sacrament of Confession, acknowlege the truth about your own battle with evil and make your participation in this encounter with Christ a frequent habit.

• Get some fresh air by looking at some fresh new sources to help you articulate the truth about abortion.

• Make sure that your own understanding of the Church’s teachings is mature, informed and based on the actual texts from the heart of the Church. Approach the misinformed with charity. Read this example of a lay Catholic respectfully correcting misinformation about the Church's teachings on abortion.

• Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church so you will be able to offer the truth to your brothers and sisters in parish life.

Paragraph 2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

• For more on the sanctity of life, Pope John Paul II’s “Gospel of Life” offers a profound depth of reason and truth.

• If you are a priest who finds it increasing difficult to approach lukewarm parishioners, ponder this thoughtful essay on the nature of the redemptive love between Christ and his Church, the Bridegroom and the Bride. Scroll down toward the middle of the page!

• Pray with the Blessed Mother by saying a daily Rosary, asking her to interceed for the hearts of Catholics who still do not recognize the human rights of unborn children.

• Sacrifices can contribute greatly toward the battle against the evil of abortion. Offer a fast from meals, dessert, the car radio, your cell phone, television, or some other pleasure. Visit this site to join with others who are fasting, praying and offering witness for life during the 40 days prior to the presidential elections in the United States.

• Cherish the children in your community who have been saved from abortion, especially the most vulnerable. Appreciate the fact that their families need support and companionship to help with their care. Check out these links to see what is possible!

St Joseph's House
http://www.thegabrielproject.com/

• Have the humility to recognize that the great task of fighting the evil of abortion is not up to you alone. As Pope Benedict XVI so wisely teaches in Deus Caritas Est: “There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord” (35).

• And finally, as a faithful citizen, don’t forget to vote!

Let us pray for the grace to respond to his Spirit of Love in our time!

John M. Capobianco
Mary Beth Newkumet

“[Christ] encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect his presence, in his word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist. In the Church’s Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has ‘loved us first’, love can also blossom as a response within us.”

– Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 17

Archive Feature: US Papal Visit — April 17, 2008