Homily for Mass for Life: Protecting the Little Ones

HOMILY FOR MASS FOR GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR THE GIFT OF HUMAN LIFE, January 23, 2017 

FIRST READING: 1 John 3:11-21 (no. 208); RESP. PSALM: Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 (no. 587); GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Psalm 119:88 (no. 509); GOSPEL:  Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 (no. 414) 

INTRODUCTION 

Today as Catholics, we are marking the anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in this country, with a "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children."  Because the actual anniversary, January 22 fell on a Sunday, the observance is today, since Sunday celebrates the central mystery of the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In my homily today, I would like to reflect on two questions: 

1. Why should Catholics be concerned about protecting the unborn? 

2. How should Catholics be involved in protecting the unborn?

SCRIPTURE AND THEOLOGY 

The Protestant approach to the Scriptures would require us to find our answer in an explicit Bible verse that speaks against abortion; I would point to the explicit directive against killing the innocent in the Ten Commandments.  But the Catholic approach draws its faith and teachings from the message of the whole Bible as well as from what our predecessors in the faith have taught and believed.  And happily for us, we find a clear running theme in the gospel of Jesus Christ, about protecting the little ones, the vulnerable. 

Among the many gospel passages that teach this theme, in the passage chosen for today's celebration Jesus speaks most directly about care for both the lost sheep and the little children.  Speaking of both he says: "it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."  The Catholic teaching against abortion, and in favor of protecting unborn life thus has a firm footing in this broad gospel preferential option for the most vulnerable: children and the sick, the widow and the orphan, the tax-collector and the prostitute.  Jesus taught relentlessly about how God cares in a special way for these little ones.  That is why the Church has always put defenseless unborn children at the top of this list of the Lord's poor.  For them all Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross. 

CHRISTIAN LIFE 

And so, if our pro-life work draws its very being from the gospel teaching itself, we must turn to the same source to inspire the way we go about our pro-life work.  Unfortunately, the behaviour of some pro-lifers not only harms the pro-life cause, but also gives Christianity a bad name.  Acts of violence and aggression, words of hate and vitriol have no place in the mission of protecting the unborn.  Let me offer three values that must always undergird the Christian way of protecting and promoting life: Charity, Communion, Catholicity. 

1. First, our pro-life actions must be done in charity, our words said in love rather than hate.  We must not fight against abortion with the methods of the Westboro Baptist Church.  I am ashamed to say the even supposedly Catholic organizations, one of which I was a member, often fail to act in the way that Jesus said would define his followers: "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  A good friend who has done this work for many years has taught me that at the curbside of the abortion facility, you convince more young women to choose life, by talking to them rather than by shouting at them, praying with them rather than arguing with them, helping them rather than accusing them.  As the saying goes, "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." 

2. A second value, that is closely tied with charity, is communion with the Church.  While we work even with non-Catholics in this battle, our pro-life work must be done with the Church, not against the Church.  For those who follow these things on the internet, you might have come across websites like lifesitenews, lifenews, churchmilitant, whose way of being pro-life is by bringing down the Pope and the Bishops.  They think they know better how to be pro-life and reject the direction and communion with those who have responsibility for the Church.  They tear down the very pillars that hold together the Body of Christ, and thus undermine not only this fight for the unborn, but the Church as a whole. 

3. Thirdly, in addition to doing pro-life work in charity and in communion, we must also be Catholic, comprehensive in what we mean by pro-life.  Catholic social teaching promotes various pro-life activities: curbside ministry at an abortion facility and going to the soup kitchen, helping trafficked women and working with condemned prisoners, visiting the sick and visiting the elderly, adopting children and caring for the disabled, and many others.  We cannot be expected to do each and every one of these things; we choose a couple of these things, depending on our abilities and resources, or their urgency and need.  But in making our choices, we must never exclude the others, as if they don't matter at all.  As we care for the life of that unborn baby, we must also be prepared to care for that it throughout its life, until its natural end. 

CONCLUSION 

You might remember Sheriff Harry Lee.  About 12 years ago, a notorious criminal in this area was killed in a shoot-out with police.  Naturally everybody, including the good sheriff was relieved that this criminal would no longer pose a danger to his citizens or to his officers.  But the sheriff was also deeply saddened by all the rejoicing that happened in the media and in the parish at the death of this man.  For he said that when we rejoice at the death even of a criminal, we devalue life and promote a culture of death.  Let us work to promote a culture of life, and so provide a firm foundation for the life of unborn to be protected.