St Charles Church .org
This Fr. Gerry Creedon homily was delivered at St. Charles on October 5, 2003
"HE EMBRACED them, blessed them, placing his hands on them."
The story of creation from the first reading offers us a vision of all life,
especially human life coming from the hand of God. Jesus reaffirms God's blessing
on human kind when he embraces children. Today's Latin American feast of El
Senor de los Milagros, celebrates the wonder of Jesus bringing life and survival
where natural disaster and human intervention threaten creation. All though
the ministry of Jesus , from his references to birds and trees to his presence
at Cana, Jesus' life is a song of praise for the marvels of God's creation.
"I came that you may have life, life to the full." Nobody captures
this dimension of the Gospel better .than yesterday's saint, Francis of Assisi,
troubadour of God's love for his world.
While Jesus celebrated life He also denounced any action that would take life:
"a bruised reed he would not break until he established justice in the
land". He reaffirmed the command "Thou shalt not kill". When
Peter wanted to protect him from capture, he said "Peter, put up the sword.
Those who live by the sword will die by the sword."
On this Respect Life Sunday we celebrate the value of all human life. We accept Jesus' instruction to put up the sword. That sword takes many forms in today's world, from bombs and bunker busters, to lethal injection and surgical instruments used not to give birth, but to bring death. Up with the sword! Let us eliminate the excuses: Preemptive offence, public safety, or the right to privacy. Nothing exonerates killing. We do not find any red ink or footnotes to the Decalogue in the Gospel of life. We cannot diminish the moral gravity of killing in warfare or in the womb. The sacred ness of human life is at stake when we do not count casualties in Iraq, or gloss over the 16,000 children a day that die from preventable hunger, or the 3,700 a day or more who are aborted in the USA alone. As Cardinal Bernardin has stated "Progress in any area of the defense of human life promotes progress in all areas, while setbacks in one area slow progress in others". Or as Pope John Paul has declared: "We cannot simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and progress, while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us", (Living the Gospel of life, 20), especially the pre born.
While we celebrate life and defend life, and raise our voices for those without a voice we also need to demonstrate compassion, reaching out to women facing difficult pregnancies, offering support and options. The newly formed Respect Life Committee has as one of its objectives the support of alternatives that lead to life affirming choices. While the church is clear in its ethical position with regard to abortion, we need to be equally clear that with Jesus there is no unforgivable sin. We are called to offer the healing and forgiveness of the Senor de los Milagros, who brings life out of death and peace where there was only darkness.