Celebrating the Gospel of Life

September 23, 2011

In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, Blessed John Paul II outlines several activities he believes are necessary to build a "new culture of human life". One of those activities is to celebrate the Gospel of Life. "Because we have been sent into the world as a ‘people for life’, our proclamation must also become a genuine celebration of the Gospel of life.

"For this to happen, we need first of all to foster, in ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook…[that] arises from faith in the God of life, who has created every individual as a "wonder" (cf. Ps 139:14). It is the outlook of those who see life in its deeper meaning, who grasp its utter gratuitousness, its beauty and its invitation to freedom and responsibility.

"It is the outlook of those who do not presume to take possession of reality but instead accept it as a gift, discovering in all things the reflection of the Creator and seeing in every person his living image (cf. Gen 1:27; Ps 8:5). This outlook does not give in to discouragement when confronted by those who are sick, suffering, outcast or at death’s door. Instead, in all these situations it feels challenged to find meaning, and precisely in these circumstances it is open to perceiving in the face of every person a call to encounter, dialogue and solidarity."

To help prompt reflection on the deeper meaning and beauty of human life, starting in 1972, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated October as Respect Life Month. More particularly, they designated the first Sunday in October as Respect Life Sunday.

Since the first Respect Life Month in 1972, the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Office has produced a Respect Life Program Packet to assist dioceses and parishes in celebrating the miracle and sacred dignity of human life; in celebrating the Gospel of life. This program packet has evolved in its presentation over the years but has always contained educational materials on timely respect life issues, liturgical resources and program ideas.

This year’s program packet contains eight very attractive educational brochures featuring these topics: contraception, abortion, death penalty, persons with disabilities, embryo research, end-of-life issues, reproductive technologies, and marriage. Accompanying the educational brochures are program models that provide suggested activities to help reinforce and live the teaching presented in the brochures.

A liturgy guide provides a variety of prayer and liturgical resources. This includes homily notes to assist priests and deacons in preaching about the dignity of human life on Respect Life Sunday and on January 22^nd, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous abortion rulings. Several years ago, the U.S. Bishops declared that "January 22 shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion."

Furthermore, at the request of the U.S. Bishops, the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament recently approved a Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life which may be used on such occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life. This new Mass setting will be included in the Revised Roman Missal.

The key message of this year’s Respect Life Program is captured in this concluding paragraph of the program’s signature flyer:

"Although it seems a paradox, the greater the sacrifices made out of love, the greater is our joy and peace. Whether it is the brave decision of a pregnant woman to reject abortion and allow a loving family to parent her child when she cannot, or the daily sacrifices of parents in raising young children, or the hard work of caring for an elderly relative with dementia, when we step up to these challenges, God can stretch our hearts and fill them to overflowing with his love, joy, and peace. With hearts so transformed, we can become living witnesses to the meaning of Jesus mission: I came that all might have life, and have it to the full!