Our life of faith in this world is often a mix of joys and sorrows. Consider for example, the role that our Catholic faith and faithful have played in this country with regard to respect for the life of the unborn.
As we know, in 1973 the Supreme Court, in what is widely acknowledged to be a terrible example of legal practice and scholarship, found that abortion, the termination of pre-born human life, is protected by our Constitution.

While abortion didn’t begin in 1973 (some of the earliest writings of our faith deal with and condemn the practice), with this decision a particular phase of our sadness was unleashed.

The usual suspects soon gathered their forces and once again told us that faith, and particularly our Catholic faith, had been exposed as behind the times, out of touch, and just not part of a modern society. The argument was over, we were told. Catholics just had to get used to abortion as a part of contemporary life.

Subsequently, best estimates suggest that some 54 million children have lost their lives by being aborted since that decision was rendered. The situation seemed bleak indeed.

But the Gospel of John gives to us the words of Jesus, reminding us that even in our darkest hour we must never forget: “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

And so, instead of giving up and going back into some cave where we could practice our faith untroubled among ourselves, the Church stepped forward.

For the last 40 years, with the support of many other Christians, people of faith and simply men and women of good will, the Catholic Church has been the first voice in favor of the unborn in our society.
And by prayer, reflection, witnessing, honing arguments to reach an increasingly secular world and sometimes even public jousting, respect for the gift of life and profound unease with the destruction of the unborn is now gaining ground in our society.

Young people find themselves increasingly uneasy with abortion and more supportive of the gift of life.
The battle is not over of course. But that is precisely what mystifies those who wish to silence us by saying there is nothing left to discuss. Here indeed is the growing joy that is mixed with our sorrow.
I reflect on this because of the disturbing news coming out of Philadelphia and the details about the abortion practice of Dr. Kermit Gosnell.

News reports (what few there are as the media has largely ignored the story) speak of testimony about infanticide as well as abuse of women and preborn children. A nightmare of unsanitary conditions and inhuman medical practices has been described. While abortion defenders tell us Dr. Gosnell is an isolated case, nothing to see here, our consciences know better.

We sense that when respect for the gift of life is lost, a needed boundary to human and humane thought and conduct has been broken. Every abortion at whatever stage of pregnancy is a profound violation of human rights.

But, do we not understand that without respect for the image of God in each person, there is no logical distinction that can’t be waived between early abortion and the horrors of Philadelphia?

If, in any moment of discouragement, we ask ourselves, “Why are we pro-life?” or “Does it really matter anymore?,” the past few weeks have given us a reminder and renewed motivation.

Hard work remains and probably always will in this area. But every person who is strengthened or converted by our prayers or our pro-life message, every woman who is consoled after abortion because we have preached forgiveness, every man who commits himself to marriage and responsible fatherhood because of our message is one more victory for the Lord.

Sorrows about disrespect for life abound in our society. But we can be proud and, yes, joyful. We preach the Gospel of Life, and it is worth every effort we make.