A great strength of the Catholic Church’s presence in our society, among many, is her strong and direct teachings on the issues of life. A gift given directly from God, life is to be upheld at all costs, and safeguarded to the fullest extent possible by all people of good will. Whether a young person coming into their own in this world, the infant in the womb, or the person whose body is weakening due to age or illness and who questions the true value of their life, each person is of infinite value. It is our staunch belief as Catholics that all life, from conception to natural death, is precious, and such value is not contingent upon what the individual is able, or unable, to contribute to the world around us.

We speak in our culture of rights, of things that are not to be taken away by another. We speak of privilege, usually in terms of others being more privileged than ourselves. As Catholic Christians we need to also speak of responsibilities, and take upon ourselves the mission and ministry of sharing all we have with all around us.

When it comes to life itself, we all have the right to exist, for God has called us into being, saint and sinner alike, lawabiding citizen or criminal. We are privileged to share the life of God, for God raises us to such an awesome level without any initial contribution from us. Such a gift, freely given and unwarranted, is never to be thrown away, damaged intentionally, or devalued because we have a tough time understanding or accepting what our lives mean.

Part of our responsibility in being champions for all life, is that each of us, individually, become active in promoting a true sense of life as gift. Many of us may speak of our own personal position as being pro-life, but then qualify our position as being hands off when it comes to others. After all, how can we tell someone else what they need to believe, or do, or say? What gives me the “right” to inflict my beliefs on someone else? A truly committed position for life, convinced and convicted in the truth of life’s giftedness, would necessarily cause us to ask rather, “How can we NOT speak of our conviction so that others may no longer persist in any form of ignorance, but come to know the truth, God’s truth, in matters of all life?”

October, traditionally understood as “Pro-Life Month” is filled with opportunities to live more fully our convictions and beliefs, to grow in such conviction and see more clearly such truth of Life as Gift. Rosary walks and rallys, prayer vigils and public events are scheduled and advertised all over, many through our parish bulletin in coming weeks. Invitation is offered for everyone of us to become members of such things as Bishop Tobin’s “Human Life Guild”, or to become a part of the Diocesan life alert system, where voters are asked to contact their political leaders as bills and legislation come before the General Assembly. And who among us is unable to speak of our faith more fully than we have before. The list is endless, but aimed at only one thing, to activate our personal faith in efforts of bringing truth to others.

Life in all its forms is to be lived to the fullest, and can never be done in or through silence. Without active participation, life becomes wasted, and the gift given by our God is squandered. We have a right to living truly and are privileged to share in God’s gift. We also have the responsibility to ensure life for all is lived to the fullest extent possible. It is who we are to be as true believers, it is what God asks of us who claim to be his children.