Archbishop
Thomas Wenski preached this reflection during the Holy Hour for Life observed
at St. Mary Cathedral Jan. 28, 2021, as part of the archdiocesan observance of
9 Days for Life to mark the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision
legalizing abortion.
26
years ago, Pope Saint John Paul II stated in Evangelium Vitae: “Laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human
beings through abortion or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the
inviolable right to life proper to every individual; they thus deny the
equality of everyone before the law.” (EV #72) No human law can validly
contradict the Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”
Photographer: IZZY RENNELLA | FC
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preaches during the Holy Hour for Life he led at St. Mary Cathedral the evening of Jan. 28, 2021, as part of the 9 Days for Life observance on the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the U.S.
In
1973, the Supreme Court ignored the facts of human life in the womb, as well as
the facts about abortion’s negative effects on women, to find a constitutional
“right” to abortion. But abortion is not a right – it is a terrible wrong! Each
year on the sad anniversary of this Supreme Court decision, thousands march
from the Mall to the Supreme Court. This year, because of COVID, the March for
Life is happening virtually – and this Holy Hour from St. Mary’s Cathedral in
Miami is one way we can come together – even as we stand apart – to pray for an
end to legalized abortion; and we ask God to heal and reconcile those scarred
by abortion – especially mothers who mistakenly saw abortion as a “solution” to
a problem.
Today,
this Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament takes place on the feast day
of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic doctor. The Church owes a great debt to St.
Thomas for his teachings that have had a profound influence on our
understanding of the doctrines of our faith, including the Great Mystery of
Faith which is the Holy Eucharist. The hymns most often used during Adoration
are the O Salutaris, the Tantum Ergo, Adore te Devote. These hymns were
composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. Thank you, St. Thomas, for helping us to give
voice to our faith in Jesus truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the
Altar.
I
invite you to silently pray before Jesus. We can even pray without words. For
example, once St. John Vianney asked one of his parishioners, a poor farmer, what
he said to Jesus in the long hours he spent before the Blessed Sacrament. He
replied: Father, I say nothing to him. He just looks at me, I just look at him.
However,
to give some structure to your prayer tonight, may I suggest using the acronym,
ACTS. All prayer falls into one or more of the following categories: Adoration,
Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Take the first letter of each word and
you get A-C-T-S, ACTS.
So,
let start with Adoration. Spend some moments adoring Christ. We adore you, O
Christ, and we praise you, for you have redeemed the world.
Comments from readers
Robert DeVault -
02/05/2021 12:26 PM
I am afraid that the "culture of death" has inculcated the U.S. culture to the point of acceptance. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church must stand up and defend the unborn in a much stronger stance than we have witnessed in the past. To remain silent is to give consent. Until we hear homilies that deride abortion and Planned Parenthood little if nothing will change. The time has come for the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, and priests to continuously make their voices heard against the slaughter of innocent babies in the womb and not once or twice a year. Make the Catholic Church strong again!!!
Comments from readers