Fr. John's Reflection

May Every Human Life Be Protected in Law and Welcomed in Life 
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Respect Life Prayer Guide: January 2024)
 
A critical goal that is foundational to our Catholic teachings is that we protect and defend life at all stages and ages from Conception to Natural Death. We are taught that as we deal with life circumstances and challenges, we must celebrate all life as sacred. The beginning and end of life . . . The Paschal Mystery is God’s self gift to us all for us to be renewed in life and in death. We experience celebrations at the beginning of life as a child is being formed by love in the womb:  You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). And, we experience celebrations of life  (Masses  and Services of Christian Burial) at the end of a person’s earthly life), I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die (John 11:25a-26).

We see examples throughout this earthly life where we can enter the Paschal Mystery of Christ as we are provided opportunities to be the hands of Our Lord to protect and defend God’s creation of life at all times (See page two for how we can participate in prayer for the defense of the most vulnerable among us during the 9 Days for Life). Also, as children are born and develop, sometimes threats to their very existence occur. During these times, we have chances to again enter into the Paschal Mystery and help a vulnerable child or youth facing an uncertain future due life altering events such as cancer or other illnesses. Recently, many of us have entered into a sacred time of life for a child or youth by helping, praying and supporting a vulnerable “little one” as we responded to the Advent campaign of Teddy Bear Sunday for the children at Oishei’s Children Hospital (see photos); or when we reached out in comfort and help through our outpouring of love and caring actions for our own Colt Matz (see photo).
                                           
When we enter into the Paschal Mystery, we enter into the very life of God. Then the Lord uses us within his plan of salvation of creation and recreation.   Many of us also see and know God in those times when we respond to the needs of the poor as we have done in our support of parish events such as the Christmas Bazaar when items to be sold are donated and monies gained from their selling were given to those most in need. A large amount of donations continued to come in during the Bazaar and those not sold were taken to our community’s ministry of the St. Vincent de Paul Store.

Then at the end of life in the passing from this life of many of our loved ones , we entered into the Paschal Mystery into the very life of God as we comforted and mourned with our families and friends or with those of our fellow parishioners. Helping us to cope with our losses have been aided by the gifts and talents of some of our fellow Catholic parishioners such as Theodore Zendarski who wrote this powerful Poem:

Tomorrow

Through swaying trees we gaze upon
An evening crescent betwixt the sheaths
New beginnings, of soon to be leaves
Remembering our friend who has gone on
 
We shall all follow the path to the end
Routes that we take are different for each
Along the way we have goodness to teach
Until the day we join our dear friend
 
Too small to comprehend the necessity
We wonder now as upward we do stare
The grace of God we pray you do share                                                                                                                                                                                       
 Immersed in His love for all eternity
 
God blessings in Our Mission within the Gospel of Life, Let us enter the Mystery . . .
Fr. John