Life is a Gift

In a recent talk, Fr. John Riccardo laid out the facts regarding what might happen after a pregnancy.  He noted that the law says you may not murder a person.  He noted that science says that the early stage of development of a human being is in the body of the mother, even as a later stage might be in a nursing home.  The question, as Fr. Riccardo noted, is: When is a human being not a person, so that killing it is not murder --- and who decides that?  Based on what?

That was a well-done presentation regarding the life (or death) of a young human.  It is a huge emotional discussion in our society today, abortion, but it is all emotional, despite the science and law being the factual bases, as Fr. Riccardo explained.  I think the Catholic Church, at this time, needs more.  God needs to be involved in discussing the facts, even when stated to atheists, because God created a key fact, and God brings Love into the discussion. These, I believe, are the 3 key points of the discussion:   

1)      1.) The Precipitating Event.  This is what enabled the pregnancy --- a rape, incest, a Saturday-night fling, or a loving husband and wife having sexual relations.  Some of these precipitating events are horrible, evil things, and the new mother suffers because of the memory.  She must be loved during this trial, even if in some way the sufferer bore some of the blame for the event.  “Love God and Love Neighbor” is our command, which has no qualifiers, nor is the self-giving love it calls for limited by the giver’s emotions.  Helping the new mother get past those memories is most important.  And then, there are those trying to get pregnant and unable, and these too need our love and consolation as they wait for an event which may not happen.

2)      2.) The Moment of Pregnancy.  When human sexual relations occur, science shows that despite all efforts to enable pregnancy, it often does not occur.  It is not within man’s ability to plan a pregnancy moment.  Only God plans and gives the moment of new life.  An “unplanned pregnancy” may perhaps be so-termed by man, but it is not so-termed by God.  Creation of a new life is no mistake of God.

3)      3.) Pregnancy; A Growing New Life.  Perhaps the most well-known “unplanned pregnancy”, in man’s terms, happened to a virgin named Mary, and despite all the subsequent horrible material events of that new life, His life was a gift of God, to all man-kind.  And that “unplanned pregnancy” is celebrated around the world.  When God gives life which man did not plan for, it should be accepted as a gift, and celebrated as a very personal gift, a gift to you from God.

In summary, terrible events or frivolous events may have contributed to the creation of a new life, but that life is itself a gift of God (even if we don’t see it as a gift, yet).  If we didn’t expect that gift, if it changes “our” plans, it may be hard to celebrate, but gifts of God --- especially life --- are given for a reason.  Most developmentally disabled young people are described as loving like no one else, and a great gift to their families.  It’s hard for man to get past some unplanned events; he responds with suffering, sadness, but God gives life because He loves.  Life is a huge gift, and should be appreciated as such.

I think that the teaching of the Catholic Church these days must encompass these 3 events, and again emphasize that greatness of God’s love, and His gift of life is the ultimate expression of that love, even if we find it hard to understand.  “See how they love one another” was the hallmark of early Christians imitating Christ, even in their great sufferings.  I believe we can get past the “abortion feelings” of today if we can put God’s love to the forefront of all discussions with our neighbor.  When tragic events happen to our community, or unplanned gifts occur, we need to react with love.  No person is right or wrong beyond our ability to love them.  And if we’re acting as we should, we won’t need any signs to explain who we are.  They’ll see how we love.

God needs to be at the center of the Church’s responses to abortion.  We need to focus any discussion on abortion on love.  God loves the mothers.  God loves the children.  We will love them as God does.  There should be no discussion on what the Church believes; it’s actions should speak loudly.