Our Catholic faith teaches us to respect all human life, from womb to the tomb. In our society today, it seems as if we focus more on the beginning of life than on the end of it.
Many people do not like to talk about death, but it is something we all will face. Some of us will face it sooner than others, but it is inevitable.
As we continue our reflections during Respect Life Month, my thoughts this week turn to the increasing incidents of violence in our world.
It seems as if violence is so prevalent today, from abortion to domestic violence, from gang violence to human trafficking, from war to the death penalty, from destroying human embryos for research to physician-assisted suicide.
October as Respect Life Month prompts us to think about all aspects of human life. Our Catholic faith emphasizes the dignity of human life from the womb to the tomb.
Between the womb and tomb, we require the basics of food, clothing, and shelter to survive. Hopefully most of you reading this have far beyond the minimum daily requirements of all of those essentials.
When we think of respecting all human life, we usually start with pre-born life in the womb. Naturally that should be the beginning of our focus, since that’s where all human beings begin their existence.
Just ask expectant parents these days. They often talk about their unborn baby by name (for example, our son and his wife have chosen a name for their second daughter, who is due in December). Parents also see ultrasounds of their children in the womb and it’s obvious to them — as it should be to everybody — that this is a baby. Birth is just one stage in the development of that new little person.
Each year, the Catholic Church in the United States kicks off its Respect Life Program on the first Sunday of October, which is observed as Respect Life Month.
As we know, respecting human life should be something we do all year, day in and day out. However, setting aside a month to focus on respect for life gives all Catholics an opportunity to study, reflect, pray, and take action in a special way during October.
At one time, the Catholic Herald newspaper shared offices with Catholic Social Service (now Catholic Charities). Our offices were located in the rectory building at St. Patrick Church in downtown Madison.
Because of our proximity, I was able to witness first-hand many of the programs and services provided. In fact, sometimes when the Catholic Social Service staff were too busy, I got to hold babies brought in for adoption. I can still remember the cute outfits one of the foster mothers made for these babies, including a little witch costume for Halloween one year.
At one time, the Catholic Herald newspaper shared offices with Catholic Social Service (now Catholic Charities). Our offices were located in the rectory building at St. Patrick Church in downtown Madison.
Because of our proximity, I was able to witness first-hand many of the programs and services provided. In fact, sometimes when the Catholic Social Service staff were too busy, I got to hold babies brought in for adoption. I can still remember the cute outfits one of the foster mothers made for these babies, including a little witch costume for Halloween one year.
Marriage and family are the foundation of society and the Catholic Church, yet it seems as if marriage and family life are being threatened in today’s world.
In our country, we see many couples cohabitating or having sexual relationships and bearing children outside of marriage. For those who do marry, husbands and wives are dealing with stress, infidelity, and discontent often leading to separation and divorce.
Some of us have made calls to a business and encountered a person with an Indian accent on the other end of the phone. That person might be working at a call center in India.
It’s just one example of the many changes we’ve been experiencing recently in the way we work. We can barely keep pace with innovations in technology and communications in a truly global economy.
If she were alive today, Blessed Mother Teresa would have celebrated her 100th birthday this week. She is someone who will never really die.
She will be remembered for what she said and did while on this earth. But she will especially remain with us in the caring ministry of the Missionaries of Charity she founded and all the orphanages, AIDS hospices, and centers for the disabled and refugees she established throughout the world.
