Respect Life Sunday

Every year on Respect Life Sunday, I always think back to two things that I will never forget.  The first is a photo I saw a couple of years ago of a tiny baby  - only 8weeks gestation still in its sac  - taken from its mother's womb because she had cancer and her entire uterus had to be removed.  The image is so vivid in my mind today as the first time I saw it because it is just that powerful.  So many women abort their babies at that gestational age not knowing it is a "baby".  Women are told by their doctors, myself included, that it is just a clump of cells at that stage.  Here is the image:

Can you really say that is just a clump of cells?  That is LIFE!  It is a miraculous photo in and of itself, but it also serves to prove the baby at such a young gestational age is just that... a very tiny baby.  That is a beautiful baby given to its mother and father as a beautiful gift of love from God.  Women are aborting out of ignorance and fear.  Either they are ignorant of the fact it is truly a baby, or they are ignorant of the way in which it will meet its death at the hands of a so-called surgeon, or they know both but don't care because their fear is gripping.  They fear losing their boyfriends or husbands or extended family.  They fear not being able to provide.  They fear not being able to be the "perfect mother".  They fear they might lose out on their "single life".  What ever the reasons are, they are wrong and absolutely misguided.  The saddest part is that deep down, women know the cells growing exponentially inside their wombs are babies from the moment of conception.  My first miscarriage was difficult at just six weeks because I knew it was a baby and I was already in love. When my fourth baby's heart stopped beating at nine weeks, mine did too - for a looooong moment.  A piece of me died each time I lost a baby.  We know the truth.  Somehow, we don't even need an ultrasound to tell us the image above is what our babies look like in the first trimester.  We just know.

The other thing I think of every Respect Life Sunday is a homily I heard on this day several years ago.  The priest gave such a powerful homily about every topic pertaining to respecting the sanctity of marriage and families.  He spoke about chastity and the issues that arise when you aren't chaste.  It was powerful and charged.  Most of the church wanted to stand up and cheer when he was finished.  I know some wanted to and did walk out.  That is okay.  Perhaps they were in the wrong church.  The Catholic Church has always been and always will be pro-life.  I know there are many many many very brave priests across our nation who are speaking out about pro-life issues.  They are not shy when it comes to teaching the catechism, and they don't apologize for our teachings.  I do know it is a difficult topic because at any given mass there are multitudes of women sitting in the pews who have had abortions, but this day's homily could be used in a number of ways ~ perhaps reaching out to those who are suffering; offering forgiveness, help, and healing.  Today, my parish priests chose to say nothing about Respect Life Sunday.  That is a difficult pill to swallow when you are the Respect Life Rep.  Difficult pill.  Perhaps God is trying to teach me to be more patient in my life.  He is hitting me where it hurts.  So, today I thought back to that awesome homily I heard a few years back and prayed more parishes across the country today were hearing homilies similar to that one.  LIFE emanates from God.  If we don't do everything we can to protect it, what are we saying in the face of God?  What are we doing as Christians ~ followers of Christ ~ to protect the lives that were so worth saving that Jesus died on a cross for them?  Are we doing everything we can?