Day Thirteen - Pro-Life, Pro-Family

Today's Reflection

by Rain Mariz

There is a great need in today’s world to promote a culture of life. Modern society is facing many issues, such as abortion and euthanasia, that are a threat to a culture where every human life should matter. As part of the pro-life movement, we uphold the truth that every life, from conception to natural death, has value and must be protected. For all of us human beings, we feel a grave injustice is committed when those in authority do not defend human life but rather strip people of their rights. Yet sometimes we don’t really think about why they trample upon the dignity of every human person. After all, what person would try and degrade the weakest or most vulnerable members of our society? Why are injustices committed against innocent people?

I think it stems from their experiences, as the environment they were raised in would naturally play a big role in influencing how they respect life. What they are doing is merely a reflection of that. If someone grew up in an environment that did not promote the dignity of the human being, it is likely that it will spread to other areas of his or her life. And it truly impacts our world.  How, then, do we transform our world into a one that upholds the dignity of every human life, regardless of age or ability? One way is to look at where it all starts–the family.

The family is where the pro-life seeds are planted, and the culture of life grows from there. But how can a family spark a culture of life in our societies? The answer lies in the very nature of the family. Ultimately, it is to promote life. According to God’s plan, it is within a family where we find the gift of new life. As Pope John Paul II wrote in his Familiaris Consortio, “the very institution of marriage and conjugal love are ordained to the procreation and education of children.” In a family, the husband and wife give themselves to one another, and children are the reflection of that love. What could be more pro-life than that? Even if a couple is not able to bear children into the world (such as in the case of infertility), they are still called to create a culture of life through adoption, taking care of children in the community, assisting the vulnerable, and forms of educational work. The family is bonded together by love and life, and a family built on authentic sacrificial love is a living witness to the pro-life message.

The small culture of life created within the family must be nourished and supported, so that it can flourish and grow. The family is ordered towards the procreation and education of children by supporting one another. While families welcome new life, the education of children within the family can also promote pro-life values, such as teaching them to respect the dignity of each human being and to defend human life. Children raised in a loving environment that protects all stages of human life will then continue to live out this conviction in other areas of their lives. What they do from there will greatly influence their communities, and together they create a culture of life in the world. But it all stems from the family.

However, this goes both ways. While the family has the opportunity to cherish and follow their call to promote life, in this fallen world it is not always so. This is why we have many issues in our societies today; these stem from problems within the family. An attack on the family leads to an attack on the culture of life. When people do not respect life, especially within a family, we have a problem. When they do not respect each other, we have a problem. When people do not know the true meaning of love, the design, and purpose of our bodies, we have a problem. Applying this to the pro-life movement, if men and women were raised in a true culture of life, there would be no need for abortions or euthanasia. This includes respecting each other as human beings and knowing God’s plans for man and woman. If every family lived out their nature of being pro-life, many lives would be saved. Arguably, most societal problems today stem from a broken family. It is important to note, though, that every human being, no matter what family they come from, is valuable and loved. While a broken family may lead to a culture that does not promote life, that can be changed if they are exposed to what that culture truly is. A broken family does not define who you are or what you will be. There is always hope.

Sister Lucia dos Santos, of Fatima, wrote that “the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family.” The family is integral to the culture of life. That is where it all begins. To respect and defend life, we must start with the family. Any harm that is done to the family is harm done to our world. So in raising our pro-life flags, we fight not only for life but for the families that build the structure for our pro-life communities. Today, we can pray for families everywhere, that the seeds of life may be planted and blossom in our world. Here’s to the culture of life!

Prayer for Unity

Eternal Father,
we praise you for sending your Son
to be one of us and to save us.
Look upon your people with mercy,
for we are divided in so many ways,
and give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in love.

We ask this gift, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer from Catholic Online.