MORE THAN A MARCH

Along with the New Year came the yearly January reminder of the forty-seven-year war on innocent life in our beloved country. Every year brings about a special attitude of silence and prayer for the unborn. This year on January 29th, unlike any other year before since 1973, the pro-life movement will be unable to march in Washington DC. Because we are unable to march, we may feel as if we will be disregarded, and 2021 will pass by leaving the hundreds of thousands of March for Life participants unheard across the United States. However, Father Tom’s recent homily on January 22, reminded me that being pro-life is so much more than just a March, for it is through our life in Christ that we share His love with others and proclaim the dignity of every human person. Being pro-life is so much more than just a sticker on a car or the label on a hat, being pro-life is so much more than a march. It is a lifestyle, something we choose, a way we talk, speak, and act. It is a decision to choose love rather than hate, prayer rather than argument, sacrifice rather than pleasures, and through these daily commitments to share the truth we find in Christ.

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At Christendom College, we have an education which enables us to see the significance of our participation in the mystical body of Christ. Every person has a unique purpose in the eyes of God, and all are created and made for greatness. Every life is a precious gift to be loved and cherished. The war on the innocent child in the womb is the greatest on-going crime and tragedy of our generation and the generation before us. Since the beginning of January 2021, nearly 58.5 thousand babies have perished in the US. Over 62 million children have perished in the US since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision. Millions of lives have ended without ever uttering a sound. We March for a change, to overthrow the decision of Roe vs. Wade. This year, instead of our March in DC, we can in its place make the continuous effort to commit time in our daily lives to recalling these little souls who need our prayers. This year, unlike the years before, let us join together, not in a march that lasts a day, but in an ongoing approach of love and prayer that makes a mark in our daily lives.

As Mother Theresa once said, “If we want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” If we can’t march this year, let the entire year echo with our prayers. Send out the love message with every action you make. Keep the oil furnished with a steady glow of love which shines out into the world as a witness to all things good, true, and beautiful. We may even have the opportunity to witness to someone about the dignity of human life. Although we most likely do not have Dr. O’Donnell’s wonderful gift of speech, or Mr. McFadden’s great ability to know and reach everybody within several hundred miles, we may plant a seed that changes a life or even saves one. For as Mother Theresa says, “in this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love,” and these small things, the daily prayer for the unborn, the minute of witness to a friend, and the burning message of love may have the power through Christ to save the life of a child, and change the world we live in today.

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The sounds of this video have always instilled in me the realization of the great significance and need for our persistent prayers for the unborn. I hope this short video will serve as an inspiration and reminder of the grave necessity for the message of love for mankind and a commitment to prayer for the unborn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdTjLZPnvKM

Works cited: www.numberofabortions.com and marchforlife.org