Pro-Life Mass January 24, 2017
1 Kings 17:10-16 Ps 139 1 John 3:14-18 Matt 25:31-46
Fr. Albert
St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia
Providence is a funny thing. The invisible hand of God directing all things to work according to an inscrutable divine plan. We are told by Jesus that not even a hair on our head is uncounted. Paul says that everything is to the benefit of those who love the Lord. And yet, there is so much wrong with this world. So many who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in wretched misery and without hope for improvement. There are even more who daily wrestle with their own weakness; those who in some want to be free from their own faults, but cannot seem to get themselves out of the rut.
We see miracles like Elijah’s promise to the widow; we hear stories of healings and multiplications; we hear of amazing and profound inspirations for sidewalk counselors who manage, impossibly, to say the only thing that could stop a girl from entering that clinic. Such gifts these things are. Yet, they are all the more challenging for their beauty… and rarity. How many more stories are there of malnourished children, horrifying shortages, and unhesitant abortions. Unfortunately, that last one has a number, and a large one.
And it is to things like this that our opponents direct our attention. The abundance of suffering and poverty. The physical and mental costs of having a child. The crushing lack of confidence that a selfish world gives to the down-and-out. Who are we to tell a suffering young girl that she who has endured so much already must now pay such a price? “It is too much” they say. “You don’t know what they’re dealing with.” “It’s not your place to make that decision.” Perhaps they will even blame God directly. “He could have protected me from that man’s assault.” “He didn’t have to let this happen.” “Why is it so easy to get pregnant?”
Regardless of the contradictions in these claims, regardless of their blindness, we should still be convicted. There is an image floating around the internet right now. It depicts a man at a podium asking a crowd “Who is against abortion?” The whole crowd raises their hands. In the next panel he asks “Who wants to adopt?” and no one raises their hands. Is this kind of caricature true? Yes and no. There are an abundance of adoption agencies, Christian and otherwise. Some domestic agencies boast a waiting period of as little as 2 months, if you’re willing to cross certain racial lines. On the other hand, there are many who freely choose to wait a long time and spend an abundance of money so that they can get a specific kind of child – they are looking to benefit themselves rather than the child.
But, the fact is that adoption faces a number of other problems. High costs and bureaucracy are a problem in many cases. Not every family is in a place to adopt. Many people see adoption as a harder decision and even as the worse decision to make. Most importantly, people are unwilling to consider adoption because they and their child already feel orphaned. They probably won’t say as much, but it’s true
“Whatever you did unto the least of my people, you did unto me.” With these words, God himself adopted all humanity, and especially the lowliest among them, as part of his own family. This adoption took the form of a radical solidarity, equating their experiences with his own. Jesus takes this so seriously he unambiguously states that our own salvation will depend on how we treat our neighbor. St. John questions how the love of God can remain in someone who refuses aid to a brother in need. And this is why we should be convicted by the challenges of pro-choicers.
We say that every human being has a right to life. That is true. They say women feel incapable of providing for that life. That, too is often true. We respond that God provides. Again, that is true, but here is where we get stuck. God does provide, but he prefers to provide through us. It is tempting to look at the story of Elijah and the widow and think “God works miracles, so he’ll take care of those in need.” God does work miracles, but in ways that do not follow our human perspectives.
Besides, that is not what is at stake here. God message isn’t “don’t worry about widows and orphans because I’ll multiply their food.” In fact, God constantly commands his people to care for the poor, for widows and orphans from Exodus all the way to Revelation. Think more carefully about the example of Elijah. Only this one widow received the miraculous providence of God. God did provide, but he did so through his servant’s presence. What if there had been more faithful servants like Elijah? Would more such widows have received help?
And that is the challenge for us. As we seek to put an end to abortion, we must always face that fact that we cannot control others. Ultimately, the only thing we can change in this equation is ourselves. We may not all be able to literally adopt a child from an unprepared mother, but we should have already adopted those in need. When people hear “pro-life Christian,” they should not only think of political activism, or of republicans and conservatives. No, they should also think of their generosity, of their kindness, and of their ubiquity. Not only should we be willing to donate time and money to organizations that help women who are in trouble, we should be everywhere that we can. Poverty, a flawed education, and lack of partner support are the biggest indicators of choosing abortion.
Can Christians be found in every poor neighborhood working to alleviate poverty? Can they be found in schools and promoting education based on a genuine understanding of human nature? Or teaching, by example, that happiness is not found in careers or education, but in holiness? Can they be found creating and supporting programs to mentor the young in forming responsible relationships?
Our psalm reminds us that there is nowhere we can go to get away from God. His provident care extends from the rising of the sun to its setting, from womb to tomb and beyond. As his servants, as instruments of his providence, the same should be said of us.