February 2025 Newsletter
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Every Child: Formed, Known, and Loved by God
By Matthew Belyea
"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb." Thus speaks David in the Psalm, lifting his heart to the God who creates life (Psalm 139:13).
David, the great king and psalmist, does not regard himself as a mere result of nature or chance. He believes his life as the product of divine hands. God knew, molded, and fashioned him before he was born before he even took his first breath.
Yet, in our time, man dares to touch what God has created, deciding which lives can live and whose must die. In its ignorance, the modern world dismisses life in the womb as expendable, treating God's image as if it were just garbage. But the Word of the Lord stands forever: every child, from conception, is known, loved, and made with purpose by the Creator of all things.
But where shall we look? If we look about the world, we will find cruelty, rebellion, and death. If we listen to its voices, we will hear a chorus that praises evil and punishes good. However, the Christian does not look to the world for truth or to human understanding for light. We lift our gaze to Him, from whom all life flows. We turn to Him, who was conceived, carried, and born by a woman. We look to Jesus.
Before the woman realizes she is carrying a child, and before the father rejoices or despairs over the news, the Lord knows that life. Thus He speaks to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5). He declares through the psalmist, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me" (Psalm 139:16).
And if God knows, who shall say that life is hidden? If God sees it, who can say it isn't real? The unborn child is not a secret, a mere possibility, or an unwelcome responsibility. The unborn child is seen by the Almighty, considered among the living, and created by His hands.
But if God knows, does not man know? The truth is engraved in nature, conscience, and the heart. No mother confuses the life within her for mere flesh. No father, staring at his child in the womb, denies its humanity. However, the world suppresses what it is aware of. What it sees, it closes its eyes to. And it destroys what it was designed to protect.
Yet God does not create without a purpose. Each life is part of His plan, a reflection of His image. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," declares David (Psalm 139:14). And if beautifully built, then brilliantly purposed. If God produced it, it must have meaning.
Consider the Child born to Mary, the Son of the Most High. He who maintains the universe with the word of His power was once in the womb. He, the Ancient of Days, was born in His mother's body. God did not despise the womb or think it unworthy of His presence. He sanctified it. And what He sanctifies, let no man profane.
But the world has defiled it. It has transformed the place of life into one of death. It has risen its hands against the weak, spoken out against the voiceless, and hardened its heart against the innocent. This is not just brutality. It's revolt. It is a defiance of the Creator, a rejection of man's original image. And what will be the outcome of such rebellion? The Lord has declared, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20).
Nonetheless, the believer does not turn away in despair. If the world embraces death, the Church proclaims life. If the world tears down, the Church builds up. Where men damage, Christ restores. And if Christ restores, who can declare there is no hope?
God entrusts His creation. He did not abandon Adam without a garden to cultivate, nor did He abandon parents without children to care for. Those bearing the name of Christ are entrusted with the care of the unborn. "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter" (Proverbs 24, verse 11).
If hands are quick to shed innocent blood, let our hands be quicker to defend. If voices utter lies, let our voices express the truth. If the world is silent before this great evil, let the Church cry out.
But our cry should be more than condemnation. Let it be also of mercy. There is mercy, even for those who have sinned grievously. There is forgiveness, even for those who have taken life. The Christ carried in Mary's womb also took the world's sins to Calvary. He who once cradled in His Mother's arms now cradles repentant sinners in His grace. No sin is too big. No stain is too deep. Christ's blood declares that it is finished.
And so we act, not only to save the child but also to redeem the mother. Not only will the innocent be protected, but the guilty will be called to repentance. Not just to keep the law, but also to bring the sinner to Him who is above the law, who completed it for our sake and now imparts peace.
Let us lift our eyes. Let us see as God sees. Before birth, life is known to Him. In the womb, it is His handiwork. In the world, it is given into our care.
The Lord has spoken, and we must obey. The Church must be a voice for the voiceless, a refuge for the vulnerable, a light in a darkened world. The unborn are not forgotten by God—let them not be forgotten by us.
May we cherish this truth, proclaim it boldly, and walk in its light. May God grant us the courage to love what He has created, defend those He has formed, and stand firm against the darkness, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Redeemer in the Womb
Lord Jesus Christ, You took our human nature upon Yourself. You shared our life and death, our childhood and adulthood.
You also shared our time in the womb. While still God, while worshipped and adored by the angels, while Almighty and filling every part of the universe, You dwelt for nine months in the womb of Mary. You were our Redeemer in the womb, our God who has a preborn child.
Lord Jesus, we ask You to bless and protect the children who today are in their mothers’ womb. Save them from the danger of abortion. Give their mothers the grace to sacrifice themselves, in body and soul, for their children. Help all people to recognize in the preborn child a brother, a sister, saved by You,our Redeemer in the womb.
Source: St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Pro-life Quotes:
The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a human right – it is the very opposite. It is “a deep wound in society” - Pope Benedict XVI
Human life must always be defended from its beginning in the womb and must be recognised as a gift of God that guarantees the future of humanity. - Pope Francis
March for Life Recap from the President
While it was a small group that gathered this year from SFL HSC, we had an amazing experience! The pre-march rally was an excellent way to get started and feel motivated and energized before marching! We heard from several incredible speakers, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Bethany Hamilton, Governor Ron Desantis, Lila Rose, and many more!
After the rally, we traveled to March, where we were joined by thousands of people! This year, we marched straight by/with Christendom College. At the National Pro-Life Summit, the following day, there were some more remarkable speakers. The head of Students for Life of America, Kristen Hawkins was there, but many others too! There was even the opportunity to hear from Trent Horn and sit-in on the breakout session of his advanced apologetics! It was a day full of inspiration and education in the pro-life movement! Now we have some more great resources for our group! It was a blast and we hope that you can join us next year on our annual trip! God Bless!
Sincerely, Paulina Ostrander
President
Homeschool Connections Students for Life
Upcoming Events
Monthly rosary: February 4th at 7:00 p.m EST
Apologetics night: March 11th at 7:00 p.m EST
Group meeting: March 24th at 6:30 p.m EST
Submit Content:
This newsletter relies heavily on the contributions of group members. There are a number of items we are looking for:
- Creative content: We have implemented a segment of the newsletter dedicated to the topically relevant artistic contributions of group members, regardless of medium. If you have anything to share, please send it in. We'll accept most mediums, including (pictures of) paintings, graphic design pieces, songs, videos, poems, etc.
- Articles: We are accepting topically relevant articles from group members. Please note, however, that the newsletter editors reserve the right to modify articles in order to make them suitable for publication. Such modifications may include grammatical corrections and removal of potentially offensive content.
- Quotes & Literary Passages: We are also looking for any topically relevant quotes or literary passages to fill a segment of the newsletter. Anything from a simple sentence spoken by a saint to a paragraph from a book can be accepted.
If you want to submit anything from the above categories, or you simply want to provide feedback or suggestions, please email us at hscstudentsforlife@gmail.com and we will get in touch with you shortly.
