A Pro-life Meditation
Romans Chapter 12 -- The New Life in Christ
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship."
~ Romans 12: 1
As Christian pro-lifers, we live not according to the flesh or to carnal desires, but we keep our bodies pure and holy, as they are temples of the Holy Spirit. We dress modestly and respect our bodies. In doing so, we show the world that we value the virtue of chastity.
We offer up any physical or emotional pain we have for the redemption of mankind and the salvation of souls, knowing that in doing so, we are uniting our sufferings with those of our Divine Savior and are carrying out God's holy will.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
~ Romans 12: 2
The world's view of success differs from that of the Christian. The world views monetary gain, physical beauty, prowess, and perfection, power and prestige as the key to happiness. Such values can only lead to man's ultimate destruction. As Christian pro-lifers, we live in the world, but are not of the world. Whle those who live in the darkness, focus on living for today and getting all the gusto they can out of life, the pro-life Christian focuses on the larger picture. Our conduct is based on "holiness." God sets his standard based on immortality. We focus on the face of God and eternity, knowing that one day our deeds will come to light. God did not call us to be moral, but holy. Holiness means separation from the world, not conformity to it. We renew our minds by focusing on what God wants us to do, which He reveals to us through His Word.
If someone is in pain or suffering, we know that God has a purpose for that suffering. It is never compassion or love that motivates someone to end a human life -- it is selfishness. Yes, it is painful to see someone you love hurting, but God endows those he chooses to suffer in union with Him with abundant graces to transcend that pain and he blesses them with a loving, supportive Christian community to encourage them to persevere and to help ease their pain. Just because it is difficult or painful to us to watch them suffer is hardly an excuse for ending their life. The Lord instructs us, "Comfort, give comfort to my people..." He commands us to share in the sufferings of others. He gives us the graces to do so through prayers and the sacraments. If we are grounded in Him, there can be no trial that is too difficult to handle.
Pain is synonymous with purification and we all need to be purified and made holy before we can enter the Kingdom of God. If our great and glorious God came down from Heaven to became a tiny babe who would later suffer horrific torture and pain for our sins out of love for each one of us, how can we not endure the small sufferings He gives us each day of our lives to perfect us in holiness? This is our act of spiritual worship -- to follow boldy and humbly in His footsteps for love of Him and our brothers and sisters.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship."
~ Romans 12: 1
As Christian pro-lifers, we live not according to the flesh or to carnal desires, but we keep our bodies pure and holy, as they are temples of the Holy Spirit. We dress modestly and respect our bodies. In doing so, we show the world that we value the virtue of chastity.
We offer up any physical or emotional pain we have for the redemption of mankind and the salvation of souls, knowing that in doing so, we are uniting our sufferings with those of our Divine Savior and are carrying out God's holy will.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
~ Romans 12: 2
The world's view of success differs from that of the Christian. The world views monetary gain, physical beauty, prowess, and perfection, power and prestige as the key to happiness. Such values can only lead to man's ultimate destruction. As Christian pro-lifers, we live in the world, but are not of the world. Whle those who live in the darkness, focus on living for today and getting all the gusto they can out of life, the pro-life Christian focuses on the larger picture. Our conduct is based on "holiness." God sets his standard based on immortality. We focus on the face of God and eternity, knowing that one day our deeds will come to light. God did not call us to be moral, but holy. Holiness means separation from the world, not conformity to it. We renew our minds by focusing on what God wants us to do, which He reveals to us through His Word.
If someone is in pain or suffering, we know that God has a purpose for that suffering. It is never compassion or love that motivates someone to end a human life -- it is selfishness. Yes, it is painful to see someone you love hurting, but God endows those he chooses to suffer in union with Him with abundant graces to transcend that pain and he blesses them with a loving, supportive Christian community to encourage them to persevere and to help ease their pain. Just because it is difficult or painful to us to watch them suffer is hardly an excuse for ending their life. The Lord instructs us, "Comfort, give comfort to my people..." He commands us to share in the sufferings of others. He gives us the graces to do so through prayers and the sacraments. If we are grounded in Him, there can be no trial that is too difficult to handle.
Pain is synonymous with purification and we all need to be purified and made holy before we can enter the Kingdom of God. If our great and glorious God came down from Heaven to became a tiny babe who would later suffer horrific torture and pain for our sins out of love for each one of us, how can we not endure the small sufferings He gives us each day of our lives to perfect us in holiness? This is our act of spiritual worship -- to follow boldy and humbly in His footsteps for love of Him and our brothers and sisters.
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