“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Mt 5:46-47). Jesus asks us to consider who is outside our circle of love. For all of us, there are certain people in whom we’re not really interested, or their beliefs are opposed to ours, or they even offend us.
In this final homily of our four-part pro-life series, we can meditate on three groups of people that may be beyond our love (and, parents, in about 10 minutes, we’ll show the photos of abortion, so please keep that in mind if you don’t want your children to see them).
First, as we’ve talked about from the beginning, we may not truly love people who are pro-abortion. I’m sad to say that that is still I. I can give all sorts of excuses as to why I find them frustrating, but the problem is with my love.
When Jesus teaches today, “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also… and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them also the second mile” (Mt 5:39,41), He’s referring to patience with those who insult us and cause us great inconvenience. According to the Jewish Mishnah (a written collection of Jewish traditions), if someone right-handed slapped us on the right cheek, that would be a slap with the back of their hand, which was considered more insulting and demanded double the restitution. But Jesus tells us to waive this right. And, if a Roman soldier uses his privilege to force us to carry his equipment up to one mile, then we should be generous enough to help him for a second (Curtis Mitch & Edward Sri, The Gospel of Matthew in Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, 100)!
I see this patience and generosity in Stephanie Gray’s book, where time after time, she recounts stories of people who are angry with her about abortion and attack her, but she always responds calmly and demonstrates sincere care for them.
Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Whom you would change you must first love, and they must know that you love them” (Stephanie Gray: Love Unleashes Life, 76-78).
Second, for anyone here who is more pro-choice, you may want to practice Jesus’ teaching if ever you get frustrated with us pro-lifers. You may see us as judgmental and condemnatory, perhaps because some of us think or even act like we’re better or holier, and seem to show no compassion for people in difficult circumstances.
Obviously, it’s our responsibility to commit none of these sins, but, perhaps you could think about how Jesus’ words apply to you, that you don’t condemn us unfairly. Please be patient with us. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:44-45).
Third, we need to apply Jesus’ words to the preborn, because they are the least loved in the world and perhaps by us. They cannot speak for themselves or defend themselves. According to Wikipedia, in Canada, in 2020, there were 74,000 abortions nationwide, but given that there’s no federal body tracking all the numbers, and that private clinics like Planned Parenthood aren’t obligated to report their killings, and that abortion pills like RU-486 are never included in the count, the numbers are surely higher.
As we’ve shown every year, here are the statistics of the leading causes of death in the world in 2023 according to Worldometer.info, the secular website in charge of global data:
Because abortions cause the most deaths in the world by far every year, this is why Catholics argue it’s the most important moral issue.
Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Sometimes we Catholics say, “I’d never have an abortion, but I’m not going to tell others what to do.” Wow. You’re so moral. To follow Jesus means doing the maximum, the best we can do, not the minimum.
For the past two years, we’ve shown photos and videos of babies who have been aborted, and we’re continuing this today because it’s not enough to say it’s wrong and give statistics. We have to see what pro-choice means. So, in a few seconds, we’ll show these images.
If you just came by today, I’m sorry to catch you off guard, but, while these videos and photos are shocking, what’s more shocking is the fact that this happens all the time in our country and that it’s permitted by law. In addition, most of our culture encourages it.
We’ve also learned from experience that videos and photos do change many hearts. The argument goes from abstraction to reality. Indeed, the reason why so many pro-abortion people don’t want these pictures shown is because they work. They save innocent people from being killed, so it’s our responsibility to stand up for the defenseless.
We’re going to show one video and then some pictures, all in succession. The video is of a doctor describing her abortions: It’s the same description we heard for the past two years, but with animation. It’s sickening that this procedure happens. People always say, “It’s just a clump of cells.” If it’s just a clump of cells, then this video won’t bother anyone. Furthermore, no one denies that a baby in the second trimester is this developed, and that a D&E abortion happens this way. After this, there will be photographs of abortion in the first trimester, and these photographs are taken because doctors have to ensure they remove all of the parts of the children from the uterus. Again, if you don’t want to look, then please look down. So, here we go:
As we’ve emphasized, God wants to forgive all sins, including that of abortion. Nevertheless, we should be angry that what we’ve just seen happens all over the world and is supported. And we should let our anger move us to action. If you’re able to sign up for our 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil, please do. Again, we’re going for seven days, Feb. 23, 2023 to Mar. 1, 2023, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you can take multiple shifts, as many of us are doing, please do. If you can invite a friend, please do. The cards are in the pews: If you could pass them down to people, that would be wonderful. Thank you for your willingness, time, and courage. Thank you!
May we all aim to be like our heavenly Father, who makes His love come upon all people.