40 Years & 40 Days

The homily I heard this Sunday was dedicated to the church's teaching against contraception, in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae. At the close, the deacon prayed that we all seek the wisdom of Solomon in sharing this treasure of our faith.

Indeed, this treasure has been buried among Catholics of my parents' generation, who abandoned the priceless pearls their parents had worked so hard to preserve in the face of overwhelming odds. The baby-boomers, in a collective stroke of adolescent stupidity, managed to undo what had been a Golden Era for American Catholicism. Now their children- those who have chosen to eschew adolescence and put on the mantle of Christ- those who witnessed the consequences of this collective stupidity- those who are the 3 in 4 children NOT put under the knife by abortionists-- have recognized in Paul VI and his successors true heroism.

Significantly, this election year does more than mark 4 decades of testimony confirming the prophetic foresight of Pope Paul VI. This year marks the return of 40 Days for Life, the largest grassroots prayer campaign in the history of the Pro-Life movement. I urge you to pray and fast for an end to abortion in the weeks leading up to November 2.

The nation may elect a President who will reverse anything the Right to Life movement has gained. But the real campaign has always been to win the hearts and minds of reasonable people. Children are not disposable property, and no human being should ever be treated as such. What's more, children should be lovingly received by a husband and wife who have readied themselves for parenthood and all its attendant responsibilities.

Most ecclesial communions in America have abandoned reason and chosen a path that only leads to decay and sorrow. Let's instruct our fellow Catholics and fellow Christians in the Way of Life-- let's through our prayer and fasting help this nation recover from its myopia. Let's not be afraid of our buried treasure, but steadfastly proclaim the Gospel: Human life is sacred, sex is best when sacramental, and rights are bestowed in order that we may choose wisely and well how to govern ourselves and protect the common good.

If your pastor has not preached about the immorality of contraception, urge him to do so. If your parish does not already participate in 40 Days for Life, talk it up and refer people to parishes that do. If you use contraception, consider the benefits of NFP: better health + better spousal communication = better sex with almost no risk of divorce.

Let us all seek to be counted among the chosen, those the angels do not toss into the flames~