Chapter 9. Conclusion
To all members of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love.When we began this handbook, it was our intention to focus the attention of the reader on the sanctity of life and to present some of today's major issues that directly attack the sanctity of life. We have attempted to provide a brief overview of the issues and the impact of those issues on each of us as individuals and as members of society. This handbook barely scratches the surface. There are many other issues that directly impact the sanctity of life, issues that are not addressed here. Such issues include those impacting the poor, the homeless, the sick, those shunned by society either overtly or covertly. Anything that turns our attention away from our foundational belief in the sanctity of life, anything that denies an individual access to the gifts and resources that God meant to be used and shared by all, is a threat to the sanctity of life.-- The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II
Where do we go from hear? What can we do or should we do? We all have a true obligation to address the issues discussed here. Based on the current state of our society, however, it would appear that there are too many of us who do little or nothing in addressing these issues. How do we, as individuals or as members of Christ's mystical body, make a difference?
The first step is to recognize just how important we are to God. He created us as individuals, by name, and reserved a special place for each of us in His kingdom. He gave each of us particular talents, aptitudes, and all the gifts that are necessary to carry out His unique mission for each of us. He loves each of us, no matter what our state in life, unconditionally. Life is God's great gift to us. Our lives belong to Him and not to the state or to society. Laws that violate the fundamental rights given to us by God cannot be violated by any man-made law.
God saw to it that His creation had all of the resources necessary for our survival. He meant those resources to be available to all. Yet in today's environment, we constantly deny access to these basic resources to millions of men, women and children.
We are expected to take care of each other, especially those who are not capable of taking care of themselves. Christ showed us that by the way that He lived His life. His focus was on the poor, the sick, those who were society's outcasts. Jesus consistently demonstrated His love and compassion throughout His life on earth. He turned no one away who asked for help. And despite the fact that the problems of old age, crisis pregnancies, and alcoholism were certainly present in Jesus' time, there is not one instance in the Scriptures where Jesus advocated or supported the destruction of human life as a solution.
What can we do? Perhaps the most important thing that we can do is pray. In Idylls of the King, Tennyson wrote "For more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." We simply don't pray enough. And yet prayer is the most powerful tool that we have at our disposal to help us in our need. Jesus told us that "Anything that you ask in my name, the Father will give you." Each of us can pray, should pray, and must pray. Prayer requires no special training, no special word, no special time or place. We can pray anytime, anywhere. Prayer is our personal conversation with God. What we ask Him in faith, He will grant.
We must get involved and strive to love one another as Christ loved us. That is more easily said than done, but that is exactly what we are expected to do. When we have learned to do this as individuals, how could the attacks and threats to the sanctity of life continue?
We must also get involved by making our voices heard. We can and should write to our elected representatives to let them know how we feel about any program or law that threatens the sanctity of human life. We should do this not once, but at any time required. Speak up. It is our right, our duty, and our obligation.
We must get involved by prayerfully considering how our purchases of products or entertainment choices detract from the sanctity of life. For example, while it may be difficult for us to directly discuss the sanctity of life with abortion providers, we can make our position clear with organizations that perform or support abortions. Boycotts can be a powerful means of demonstrating our convictions and commitment to both believers and non-believers.
We must get involved by supporting those organizations that directly help those who are at risk. Many of the organizations listed under Resources in this handbook could use your time, money, or material goods.
We must get involved by educating ourselves about the issues. The new Catholic Catechism is an excellent tool for better understanding of the teachings of the Church on these issues and others. The better informed you are, the better equipped you are to defend the rights of those whose lives are threatened.
We must get involved by remembering Jesus' call to His disciples was not a call to comfort, but to personal sacrifice. Placing too much emphasis on the here and now, on material possessions, on wealth and power, is not the call of a Christian. Those things are transitory. We -- all human beings -- were designed for eternal life.
Dear Jesus,
Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives
may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact
with may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to
shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those
around us.
Let us preach you without preaching not by words, but by example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do the evident
fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.
Amen.
-- Mother Teresa
The Serenity Prayer
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