ST. CHARLES—“This Mass and this day, especially for those of you who are heading for the bus ... is filled with a lot of anticipation and no small amount of nervousness, anxiety,” said Bishop David Malloy as he began his homily for those who would soon be on the diocesan-organized bus and heading out for the 2018 March for Life in Washington, D.C.

 

As in past years, the Jan. 17 evening Mass was held at the eastern edge of the Rockford Diocese at St. John Neumann Church.

 

The bishop spoke of the agenda for their trip and of the March for Life route that would wind up at the Supreme Court. 

 

“It’s going to be,” he said, “a witness of young people, hundreds of thousands (of them).

 

“At a point we say: We stand with life, we stand with the gift of life, but we also are deeply disappointed that our country allows that life to be taken. 

 

“It allows abortion, and there’s something about that it is so painful, it is so devastating, and finally it is so wrong. So how do we say that in a way that balances those two things ... We are going to celebrate the gift of life and we are going to protest that our country allows this.”

 

Estimates are that about 60 million children have been aborted since the decision, Bishop Malloy said. 

“Sixty million never had the chance to breathe, to run, to laugh, to play basketball, to go on the bus,” Bishop Malloy said.

 

He spoke of the “people going past. There will be probably women who have already gone through this. A lot of them end up with tremendous regrets ... There may be others walking by, maybe women who are pregnant now and who are wondering (what is the right thing to do) ...

 

“And here you are, making a stand, witnessing, and someone like that woman going by is wondering:

Is the witness going to be the kind of witness that’s pointing its finger at someone, (or a witness) that says: Life is a good thing. Yes, we’re willing to help. Yes, the image and likeness of God is in that child. Yes it’s the right thing to have that child; it’s what God intended however you got into this circumstance. That positive witness is going to cure more broken hearts; it’s going to convince more ...”

 

Reflecting briefly on the first reading of the day, the bishop said, “We’re like David against Goliath ... but looked what happened. David was mocked, was taunted. He simply said ‘I’m going out there in the name of the Lord.’ ... and He conquered against all expectations.

 

“We’re going out as David, in some sense, as David against Goliath. I don’t see humanly how this is going to change anytime soon, but I trust God’s grace. I trust that if we continue to witness to love, to doing the right thing, God will have his time and place that he will help us.”

 

After explaining and encouraging the travelers to take advantage of the plenary indulgence made available by Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Bishop Malloy concluded by saying, “We’re going to be holy, we’re going to be out there: the most positive, convinced, faithful witnesses. Babies are good things. Babies are in the image and likeness of God. And we hope, pray, convince every mother to have those babies, and any who are suffering because of it, because they had abortion, we want to see them comforted ... 

 

“We want to help them through the Church, to heal their heart.”