Dear Friends,
During these last days of September I want to remind our Parish community that next Sunday, October 7, marks the beginning of Respect Life Month. For most of us, when we hear Respect for Life, we are immediately drawn to one issue, the protection of life in the womb and the desire on the part of all faithful Catholics to bring abortion to an end. Clearly, we need to focus on the need to protect human life from its very beginning; and, throughout the month of October, we will pray for an end to abortion on demand in our country
At the same time, Respect Life Month encourages us to reflect on all aspects of human life--from conception to natural death. Also on our minds in October will be the war in Iraq; we pray that sooner rather than later the war will come to an end and that we will be able to work for peace and justice for all peoples and all countries.
We continue to pray for those with disabilities and those who face end-of-life issues. Our society seems to believe that once a life is not productive, a decision can be made to bring that life to an end. Euthanasia and mercy killing are common terms that families face today when an elderly member is facing a long-term and terminal illness.
Even more real in some homes is the lack of respect for life that is experienced through domestic abuse. October is also a month designated by the Church to remind us of the need to respect and care for our loved ones and to encourage families that face the struggle of domestic abuse to seek the help that they need. Hopefully, the Church is one of those places where people can come when they face these difficult life issues.
May we at Blessed Sacrament pray together throughout this month for the wisdom to continue to support the gift of life from conception to natural death, and promise each other that we will stand in solidarity with those whose lives are threatened by a society that lives by a “culture of death” rather than a “culture of life”.
Father John
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