To March for Life
By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 1/18/07)
I am sure that many of you are like me in that you look
at Monday, Jan. 22, and the March for Life with heavy yet hopeful hearts.
How long have we been fighting on behalf of the precious unborn, with
seemingly little result? You may be tired of hearing about abortion, you
may be frustrated with its portrayal in politics and the media and you
may be angry that the same issue is debated year after year.
Yet any movement experiences its ups and downs, I am convinced that in
the history of rights for women and unborn children, we are living in
an encouraging era. Imagine for a moment the lumberjack. He toils many
hours, chopping into a tree trunk that will finally fall. But when the
tree does fall, it is not the last swing of the ax that accomplishes his
goal; it is the culmination of his many prior — seemingly fruitless
— swings that causes the tree to fall. The result of his labor is
not borne out of his one final chop, but out of the hundreds that came
before it.
With the issue of abortion and our fight to give rights to the unborn
as well as emotional help to mothers, what are we doing today to ensure
that the tree will fall tomorrow?
Here in the Diocese of Arlington, we are joining together in many events
that involve the March for Life. On Sunday, a Mass and National Prayer
Vigil for Life will be held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.; prayerful contemplation
is a powerful way to be a part of the solution.
On the day of the March for Life, all parish groups and individual marchers
from our diocese are encouraged to assemble at one location — the
Garden Ice Rink on the north side of the Mall, on Constitution Avenue
just west of 7th Street — and march together, following the pre-March
Rally for Life on the Mall which begins at noon. The March itself will
begin at 1 p.m. and will proceed past the Capitol, ending at the Supreme
Court. Please check with your parish — most have groups that will
be attending the March for Life together.
We are also hosting Vicki Thorn, founder of the post-abortion reconciliation
and healing organization, Project Rachel. On Friday, Jan. 19, at the Cathedral
of St. Thomas More, she will discuss her nearly 20 years of work in assisting
women after they have had abortions. Forty-three percent of women have
had an abortion by the time they are 45 — a staggering number —
and Thorn will discuss the emotional, spiritual and mental wounds inflicted
by abortion. This is an important aspect of the debate that often gets
overlooked. While women’s rights are often debated prior to having
an abortion, rarely are they considered after the abortion has taken place.
We must be steadfast in our dedication to this cause. I am so often encouraged
by the youth of our diocese, their vigor and zeal for the faith. A pro-life
teen rally and night of adoration is taking place at Paul VI High School
on Sunday, Jan. 21, and so many teens come out to march on Monday. I look
forward to marching with all of you, but I am especially optimistic when
I see the countless youth and young adults of our diocese who are dedicated
to preserving the dignity of every human being. I hope you will be able
to witness the energy and strength of these faithful young people. They
are inspiring and invigorating.
God has known us from our earliest moments. As we hear in Jeremiah, “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated
you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Are
we doing all that we can to ensure that these precious infants, with inherent
dignity, are known to us all through the gift of life?
As the lumberjack patiently works, we too march in hope and in prayer
for an end to abortion. Ultimately, I believe the tree will fall. When
the last blow to the trunk is heard, and the tree falls, it will be because
of the countless faithful efforts of so many, who patiently and courageously
defended and spoke for the unborn.
Copyright (c) 2007 Arlington Catholic
Herald
