The Cause of Life

 

I am starting to cool down after the last post.  Whenever I get angry about such things the image of Jonah under the castor oil plant always comes to mind - God's hint, I think.  I imagine God raising an imaginary plant over me to cool my ill humour.  That story tends to get me settled, and reminds me that I must pray more - as a priest that should be a given!

That gets me thinking.  So far the Church has not proclaimed an official patron for the pro-life Cause.  Perhaps this latest endorsement of the culture of death by the powers that be should be a spur to us to ask the Holy Father to appoint a patron.  But who should it be?  I know the pro-life movement in the US rallies behind Our Lady of Guadalupe (beautiful apparition and stunning miraculous image of the Blessed Mother).  Since her canonisation St Gianna Beretta Molla is also venerated by members of the pro-life movement. As a doctor, as well as a mother who offered her life for her child, she is well placed.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta is also an excellent candidate.  Her pro-life speech at the Noble Peace Prize ceremony in 1979 was powerful and embarrassed the pro-abortion committee.  I'm surprised they never took the prize off her for her "oppressive anti-abortion beliefs".  Knowing Mother she had the money spent as soon as she got it.  Her work on behalf of the unborn was heroic and eventually led to the demonic attack led by Christopher Hitchens shortly before her death.  Traditionally, the Holy Innocents also seem to fit the bill - they were murdered by an evil king who wanted to cut short the life of a child that offended his ambitions. 

Of the saints in waiting, the Servant of God, Cardinal Terence Cooke is also a good candidate.  In his suffering he pleaded with the world to respect life most particularly at its must vulnerable moments.  He fought a fierce battle against abortion, first in New York, and then, did everything he could to prevent the implementation of the Roe v Wade judgement in the wider United States. He was a truly heroic figure who saw how precious life was.  Another possible candidate would have to be the Venerable Pope John Paul II, well know for his defence of the Gospel of Life. 

Are there any other candidates?  Let me know what you think.  In the meantime, we pray, and we do what we can, and trust in the Lord.

O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life.
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.

Venerable Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae