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Blog_Changing our world in light of Pope Francis� message_E


Where does true happiness lie?

1) In a world where we truly believe God to be the author of life: Every child would be considered a gift to be loved and cherished. 

In a world where we have lost the sense of God: Unborn children are considered property to be disposed of at will, and the mother’s womb becomes the most dangerous place to live. We find it almost impossible to trust our fertility to God’s wise plan. Most of us will never know how many precious gifts were intended for us.

2) In a world where the end can never justify the means: Infertile couples would never resort to medical interventions which endanger human life in any way.

In a world where we have lost the sense of God: We fertilize human female eggs with male sperm in a petri dish, and then selectively discard those newly formed human beings who don’t measure up. We call this “invitro fertilization.” 

3) In a world where we truly believe God to be the master of our fate: We care for and suffer with the ill and the dying.

In a world where we have lost the sense of God: We ask our doctors to now become killers and assist us in committing suicide. We then call this death with dignity. 

4) In a world where we understand that God orders, directs, and governs the entire universe by a plan conceived in wisdom and love: We live lives of chastity; sexual self-control, saving sex for marriage, understanding that because we were created in the image and likeness of God it has to follow that the sexual act that produces human life is also sacred.

In a world where we have lost the sense of God: We manipulate and distort God’s perfect design beyond recognition! We have completely separated the idea of having children with having sex.

5) In a world where we allow vengeance to be God’s alone: We would punish criminals with bloodless means and we would not “Kill people, who kill people, to show that killing people is wrong.”

In a world where we have lost the sense of God: We take the stand of an “eye for an eye” and both of us end up blind! 

To be Catholic is to be unconditionally pro-life. But what does it mean to be pro-life? It means to understand that God created and loves each and every human being as if they were the only one. And that we are called to see the reflection of our Creator in every person.

We need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name:

  • Abortion is not merely the termination of a pregnancy but rather the death of a child; a child never to be held by a mother’s arms but only embraced in her heart.
  • The unborn child is not merely fetal tissue but rather a human being with an everlasting soul.
  • The post-aborted woman is not merely someone who exercised her freedom of choice, but rather someone hurting so desperately for having committed what seems to be the unforgivable sin.

But are we so different? We must all seek forgiveness, because we have all aborted God’s will at some time in our lives. Maybe not physically, but certainly spiritually. And it is all of these spiritual abortions that have helped create a world where the physical abortion is possible.

What must our response be as Catholic Christians to those things which destroy the sanctity and dignity of human life? We must humbly pursue the truth and we must aggressively practice love; to our families, friends, and neighbors. This is what we are called to do! To speak the truth in LOVE.

All it takes for evil to prosper, is for good people to do nothing! My prayer for this world is that soon we will reach the place where kindness and truth shall meet.

As we enter into a “Year of Mercy,” please ask yourselves what you are willing to do to the change the world in which we live. If we can seek to discover in all things God’s will and not our own, then we will experience the peace the Lord wants for us. 

Comments from readers

Mary T. Tate - 10/21/2015 11:13 AM
Joan, Great article. You captured the feeling of Pope Francis perfectly. Thanks for sharing it with us. God Bless.
Rosalie Cobb - 10/19/2015 05:22 PM
Amen, Joan. So well written. I have always listened to what you have had to share and taken it to heart. Thank you for your many years of service to Respect Life.
Lourdes del-Calvo - 10/19/2015 01:33 PM
well said, for the exception of the wording, I think the last paragraph, and I now have to paraphrase it, cause I cannot remember the exact words..."we all have aborted God's will at one time or another in our life"...I'll be 79th on Feb. 11th next year. My husband left me cause I refused to have an abortion, 53 yrs ago, I have never 'aborted God's will', I'm a cradle practicing Roman Catholic, never left or question my Church, maybe some pastor or priest, yes...but never left the church cause a priest. I follow our Pope Francis, we have to open the doors to our Church and our Hearts to all, MOST IMPORTANT WE CANNOT CHANGE THE LAWS OF GOD OR OUR CATHOLIC FAITH, THS WE CANNOT DO...we do HAVE to Love all not just in words but in action. I could not eat a good heavy meal knowing there are Homeless in the street or put my head on my pillow at night. If I was called by the Lord to serve Him I want to live a modest life. Walk the talk!
Anne DiBernardo - 10/19/2015 12:33 PM
Beautifully articulated. I miss listening to you speak, Joan!
Terry Walters - 10/19/2015 11:53 AM
Thank you! Beautifully said.

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