by Ron Kelsey
January is a good month for us to consider what we can do to make this a better world. Reflecting upon two commemorations, in particular, will help us identify what God is asking of each of us.
First, on Jan. 1, we celebrated the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Mary’s
predominant role is to bring us life. We should ask ourselves what Mary, our Mother, is asking us to do to help her bring life to others.
Then, on Jan. 22, we will commemorate the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Since 1973, we have surgically aborted close to 50 million babies and, through the use of so-called contraceptives, the total number of babies killed, in the United States alone, is estimated by one source to be 500 million. (See www.prolifekc.com for details.) This is close to twice the current population of our country. The sheer enormity of this assault on defenseless innocent life is hard to comprehend.
At the same time, it clearly identifies the urgent need for each of us to identify what God expects us to do in this battle. Nothing less than a cultural revolution is required to eliminate this scourge of humanity. None of us should lightly dismiss our individual responsibility. Pope John Paul II identified this responsibility in his Gospel of Life encyclical when he made “a pressing appeal addressed to each and every person, in the name of God: Respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life!”
There are many ways for you to participate in this cultural revolution, depending on your state in life. Allow me to identify some possibilities: Participate in specific spiritual activities, such as the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass held on the third Saturday of each month; support the efforts of the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic and other area pregnancy centers; support Project Rachel — our post-abortion ministry; stay educated by subscribing to the archdiocesan pro-life e-newsletter and e-briefs, available at the pro-life office Web site mentioned above; join in the archdiocesan spiritual bouquet for life at the same Web site; get involved with your parish’s pro-life committee; attend the April 12 KC pro-life convention; join and support the efforts of various pro-life organizations, such as Kansans for Life (www.kfl.org) and Cures Without Cloning (www.cures withoutcloning.com); sign up for e-alerts from the Kansas Catholic Conference (www. kscathconf.org); participate in prayerful, peaceful witness at local abortion clinics; join and help Truth Illuminated, a new teens-for-life group sponsored by both Kansas City dioceses; stay informed by faithfully reading The Leaven; spend an hour in eucharistic adoration, as recently requested by Archbishop Naumann.
Remember, whatever you do to defend life, you do for life. Mother Mary, help us!
Ron Kelsey is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office.
