If I am to be completely honest, there are times it can be a real struggle to not feel a little bit defeated when it comes to the pro-life movement in the United States. It can be difficult to be positive when portions of our society brazenly celebrate death, such as the sudden deaths of Charlie Kirk and Lindsey Graham.
We are temped to reduce our pro-life focus to abortion, and for good reason considering abortion remains the preeminate priority. Even with that focus, the number of abortions in our country has actually increased since the Dobbs decision. On top of that there is an unknown number of unchecked chemical abortions. For every child (that we know of) killed as a result of abortion, three more are killed through IVF. Every single year, a population twice the population within the Archdiocese of Saint Louis is wiped out before having a chance to draw its first breath.
That said, the attacks on the unborn constitute only one front of the war between the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death. Transgender surgeries, same sex marriages, euthanasia and other attacks against human dignity continue to expand at an alarming rate. The scale of attack is absolutely staggering.
Closer to home, we have an opportunity to correct a grave error in November. We have the opportunity to remove the open door of death that was enshrined in the Missouri constitution. Certainly, we need to pray, fast, and give alms that Amendment 3 will pass successfully to lift this curse that has been placed upon our state.
At the same time, we must remember that even if things go our way in future elections, the battle will continue. The true enemy, the enemy of the Cross of Christ, is not of flesh and blood. The enemy is cunning, baffling, relentless and persistent. The enemy of the Cross of Christ will stop at nothing to see our spiritual destruction and the undermining (if not outright demise) of the Catholic faith.
The enemy seeks to separate us along the dividing lines of identity groups, economic class, and other secular definitions of what it claims defines a human person. The reality is that the enemy does not care about the Truth or the innocent other. The enemy only cares about self.
Make no mistake: The political system and the secular media are the enemy’s native domains. While we must fight on that turf in an attempt to save lives and protect the vulnerable, politics is not where this war will be won. Ultimately, the victory will not be declared in Jefferson City nor in Washington, D.C. This war will only be won on the battlefield of the human heart.
The Church has the battle plan for this type of warfare. That battle plan can be summed up in one word: Solidarity. Pope Saint John Paul II defined solidarity as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good”.
Solidarity was the heroic virtue of many of the saints we honor, including Maximilian Kolbe, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and from a different perspective, James the Apostle, whose feast day we celebrate today. It was the virtue of solidary that enabled Our Lady to allow her heart to be pierced along side the Heart of our Blessed Lord. These great saints (and many others) had the opportunity to escape death, but instead chose martyrdom by witnessing to the virtue of solidarity.
Solidarity is now the key to protecting human dignity from womb to tomb and unchaining the millions who are imprisoned by the delusional shackles of the enemy.
What must we do? Again, pray, fast, and give alms for the intention of the defeat of the Culture of Death in all its manifestations. But also, I encourage you to actively reach out to others, who feel marginalized. I encourage you to help them fulfill their desires to have healthy interaction and nurturing relationships within our parish communities. I encourage you to help them participate in our parish activities and fulfill their duty to seek the common good, irrespective of any apparent differences as defined by social norms.
When we allow ourselves to be defined by false identities of social norms, when we allow those false identities to define our sense of human dignity and self worth, it becomes very difficult to see the Truth. In that situation, it is very common to reject the Truth (sometimes in a very severe manner) when we are confronted by the Truth.
But that shell can be melted by love. The shell can be melted for those in our communities that desperately need the healing light of Christ in their lives.
In Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope Saint John Paul II said, “Solidarity helps us to see the ‘other’...to be made a sharer, on a par with ourselves, in the banquet of life to which all are equally invited by God. Hence the importance of reawakening the religious awareness of individuals and peoples.”
Brothers and sisters, this is our moment to reach out and walk with someone on their journey with God. This is our moment to be an instrument that makes God’s love visible in the life of another.
Incarnate Word has recently entered into a bold new chapter of our commitment to the dignity of every human life. Incarnate Word is now known as a House of Refuge. This is our answer to the call of Pope Francis to be bruised, hurting and dirty because we have been out on the streets. This is our attempt to reach out to those in need of the healing light of Christ, those in need of the “Joy of the Gospel”. This is our attempt to walk with them in their hurts and pains, and ultimately be the light of Christ for them.
After Mass, I invite you to stick around to pray a rosary for pro-life intentions. Also after Mass, I invite you to meet one of our House of Refuge committee members (wearing blue T-shirts) in front of the church to learn more about this exciting ministry. For information can be found on the Incarnate Word website to learn more about this important work empowering the children of God to make life affirming choices.
I will now read to you our House of Refuge Statement:
Incarnate Word is a House of Refuge. This applies to you, everyone in this parish, and people you know who may be experiencing an unplanned or unsupported pregnancy, or some other life issue, and in need of a place of refuge.
This is what we believe:
Every child, no matter how they are conceived, is an image bearer of God, knit together in the womb by Him. Please know that being pregnant is not a sin, and the child you carry is not a punishment. Regardless of the circumstances, we want you to know that you and your child are loved, and we are here to support you.
While we will never encourage or support the decision to have an abortion, it is important for you to know how this parish will respond to those facing unplanned or unsupported pregnancies and other life-related issues.
This is what we will not do:
This parish will not gossip about you, shame you, or abandon you. This is a House of Refuge. We will not allow the family of God to harm others with words or actions contrary to the love God has revealed in His Word and in His Sacraments.
This is what we will do:
We will walk with you every step of the way, helping you carry and care for your child both before and after birth. There are people in this parish ready to walk with you, celebrate with you, and connect you with resources inside and outside of our parish. We will also encourage and support men to become loving fathers who protect women and children.
If you are considering placing your child for adoption, please know we are here to encourage and support you as you make this loving decision.
If you are open to adopting a child or providing foster care, we are here to support you as well. We will walk with you and provide resources and community engagement to help you answer this holy call to care for children desperately in need of a good family.
If you have had an abortion or have been involved in an abortion, we want you to know that abortion is not an unforgivable sin. As it says in Proverbs, "Whoever confesses and forsakes their sin finds mercy." We are here to love you, support you, and walk with you to find complete healing and spiritual freedom.
If you sit among us, but feel marginalized, feel unwelcomed, or feel as if you do not have a place for any reason, we are here to love and support you as well. Let us hear your story. Together, let us discover your true dignity and worth in the love of Jesus Christ.
As a House of Refuge, we are here for you, not as a judge, but as a conduit for the comforting grace of Jesus Christ. Remember, you are not alone. Fear is normal, but temporary. If you would like a supportive mentor to walk with you every step of the way, please contact the House of Refuge by calling the parish office, extension 491.
Thanks be to God!
Intentions
For the Church, that every parish may be a true House of Refuge where all people encounter the mercy, truth, and healing light of Jesus Christ, we pray to the Lord.
For mothers and fathers, especially those facing unsupported pregnancies, that they may find hope, courage, and loving support within our parish communities, we pray to the Lord.
For every unborn child, created in the image and likeness of God, that each life may be welcomed, protected, and cherished from conception to natural death, we pray to the Lord.
For families, especially adoptive and foster parents, and all who open their hearts and homes to children in need, that God may strengthen and bless them in their vocation of love, we pray to the Lord.
For those who carry the wounds of past abortions or other painful life experiences, that they may encounter God's infinite mercy, receive healing, and know the peace of His forgiveness, we pray to the Lord.
For our parish families, that we may always reflect Christ's compassion by welcoming, accompanying, and serving every person with dignity and charity, we pray to the Lord.
For all who feel isolated, rejected, or uncertain of their place in the Church, that they may experience the light of Christ through our welcome, our listening, and our witness, we pray to the Lord.
For men, that they may faithfully embrace responsibilities of fatherhood with courage, tenderness, and selfless love, we pray to the Lord.
For all of us gathered here, that the Holy Spirit may help us defend the dignity of every human person and become instruments of Christ's mercy, hope, and peace, we pray to the Lord.
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