The victory on November 2 for the Culture of Life is only the beginning. We cannot rest. We must rally to the cry of John Paul Jones, “I have not yet begun to fight,” not with arms, but with attitudes, actions, and prayers.
What is the attitude I hope to achieve? When a child is considered the greatest gift from God, there will be no more abortions. Do I consider a child the most precious gift from God? Or are power, possessions, and pleasure more important? We need to change our attitude from “I want it and I want it now” to “What is best for this child?” If we considered what is best for the child, how many decisions in our families would be dramatically different? Do we prefer that God’s will or my will be done? If we are going to change the attitudes in this country, we need to start with ourselves. What is my attitude?
Actions reflect attitudes. Do my actions reflect my attitudes? God calls me to act where I am. Do I defend marriage, family, and life during the casual conversations at work, in line at the grocery store, or at family get-togethers with relatives and friends? Do I know the issues, so that I can defend the truth? Am I articulate, polite, and knowledgeable? Do I know the difference between embryonic stem- cell research and adult stem research?
The pro-life message begins long before the woman is pregnant and is considering an abortion. It starts with an attitude of purity. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (1 Tm 4:3-9). This attitude encompasses much more than a woman not becoming pregnant out of wedlock. It is recognizing that I am a child of God. I belong to Him. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. God lives in me. This attitude continues into marriage. Do I believe that the conjugal act is a sacred gift from God with a twofold meaning, both procreative and unitive?
What do I do to promote the attitude that every person is a temple of the Holy Spirit? Do I boycott products from companies that promote same-sex marriage? Do I talk to store managers about sexually explicit magazines at the checkout counter? Do I write to companies that support immoral television shows? Do I write to my congressmen or women about issues concerning the sanctity of life and marriage? Do I ask others not to use foul language or the Lord’s name in vain? Do I, as a woman, dress with dignity and not wear clothes that are too high in the hemline, too low in the neckline, or too tight and revealing? “Modesty protects the intimate center of the person” (CCC 2521). The Culture of Life begins with me.
If we want to convert the world to the Culture of Life, we need to convert the world to Christ through our vibrant, grace-filled example. We need to pray unceasingly. We need to offer sacrifices and good deeds for the conversion of hearts to the Culture of Life. We should be so on fire for the love of Christ that others should say, “We want to be like those Christians.” As Christians, we are called to be the leaven in the world. We can do this by promoting and living the Culture of Life.
We must believe in the Culture of Life in our hearts, know it in our minds, be convicted of it in our souls, and live it in our daily lives, because we will be attacked on all sides to relinquish the fight. In this year of the Eucharist, let us renew our efforts with a deeper prayer life, looking to the Eucharist as the source and summit of our Christian life. The Culture of Life begins with me. We must live a clear message. Life is beautiful. Celebrate the gift of life by standing up for the Culture of Life, so that children will be considered the greatest gift from God, then and only then will there be no more abortions.
Elizabeth Yank has been published in several Catholic magazines, including Heart and Mind, The Catholic Faith, The Catholic Answer, and others.
