Homily Day of Prayer for Legal Protection of Unborn (Hebrews 8:6-13)
Homily Day of Prayer for Legal Protection of Unborn (Hebrews 8:6-13)
We read in the Letter to the Hebrews today:
“I will put my laws in their minds
and I will write them upon their hearts,
I will be their God,
And they shall be my people.”
Today we pray for the legal protection of the unborn. The Roe vs. Wade decision of the Supreme Court happened in 1973. We realize that millions of abortions have happened since that time. Many people of faith have worked to overturn that decision since it was enacted.
We also realize that the fight over legalized abortion has been a vexing one during the past 50 years. Whenever it comes to making laws there usually must be compromise, but there seems to be no middle ground with this moral argument.
On one side we have those who say that all abortions must be illegal. Any softening of that position is looked upon as giving in to the unacceptable. This is usually equated with the position of the Catholic Church.
On the other side are those who say that abortion should be legal from the beginning to the end of a pregnancy. As a priest I knew once said, does one need to travel down the birth canal in order to be considered human?
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that there are laws and then there are laws. The most powerful laws are the ones we have written on our hearts. When someone has a conversion of heart and believes something is wrong this usually leads to a different behavior. We pray this day that everyone will come to believe that they would never willingly choose abortion as a form of birth control, but that all people will respect life from the womb to its natural end.
Reflection Questions:
- Are there laws that are acceptable that I would never cooperate with? What are they?
- What are some of the laws I have written on my heart? Have I changed my mind about any moral questions in my life?
Dear Parishioners,
Fridays have always been a day to engage in penance. During the last few months, we have been asking people to abstain from meat or fast or do some other type of penance as we pray for an end to the pandemic. As Lent approaches we might want to recommit to penitential practices on Friday.
We continue to ring our bell on Fridays at noon for all those who have died of COVID. We were ringing the bell one time for each thousand people who have died. The numbers have grown so high we now ring the bell for a half hour.
On this Friday, our bell toll could also be for all those souls who have been aborted. We remember our sorrow for all these deaths.
May Our Lady and all the angels and saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark