Peace and wellbeing to you. The month of October is designated by the Catholic Church in the United States as Respect Life Month and the first Sunday of October is observed as Respect Life Sunday. This year’s theme is “Mary, Mother of Life.” In turning our gaze to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we find in her life a perfect witness to the sanctity of every human person, from the moment of conception to natural death. Mary’s yes to God invites each of us to replicate her actions in welcoming, protecting, and cherishing the gift of life, even when it asks us to make great sacrifices.
In a world that too often views human life through a lens of convenience and pragmatism, our Blessed Mother stands before us as a luminous sign of hope and reverence for all whom God has created. Her witness should not simply inspire us but call us to action. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, her response was not calculated or conditional, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). In receiving the Author of Life in her womb, Mary became the Mother of Life, and the Church has always recognized her as the New Eve, the one whose obedience restored what disobedience had broken. Mary’s fiat challenges us to examine how we respond when life arrives unexpectedly, inconveniently, or at a great cost. I therefore invite all of us to open our doors widely to those women who are facing an unexpected pregnancy. Let us support our local pregnancy resource centers with volunteers and donations, to welcome expectant mothers into our parish communities with practical care, and to ensure that no woman in our diocese ever feels that abortion is her only option because the Church was absent.
Mary’s apostolate of presence is one we need to imitate. When Mary learned that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was pregnant, she traveled “in haste” to be at her side. Mary did not flee when the cost of love became great. She stood at the foot of the Cross, faithfully present in the hour of her Son’s greatest suffering. This models a kind of presence in suffering that goes beyond problem-solving but rather remaining with those who are most vulnerable. From the Cross, Jesus entrusts Mary and John, the beloved disciple, to each other, modeling the responsibility we bear toward every person at every stage of life. As threats to the dignity of the elderly and the seriously ill continue to grow, including increasing pressure to accept assisted suicide and euthanasia as “compassionate” choices, our diocese must respond with the authentic compassion that John showed Mary. I call on our parishes to strengthen ministries to the homebound, hospitalized, and the dying; to equip families with Catholic resources for end-of-life decision making and to accompany the elderly with the same urgency and tenderness that Mary showed US.
This October, I encourage you to participate in the Sanctity of Human Life Collection which supports the Respect Life and Pastoral Care programs of our diocese. It is through the generous support of our parishes that the Office can continue to offer post-abortion healing retreats in English and Spanish, support and accompany women facing a crisis pregnancy, provide training and support to parish leaders and volunteers, and implement the Caring for the Whole Person Initiative ministries that offer information and accompaniment for those facing a serious illness or nearing the end of life. Each of these programs reflect the example of Our Lady - a Church going in haste, an institutional fiat in response to seeing every life as precious and beloved by God, worthy of our time and protection.
Let us entrust the cause of life to Mary, our Mother, who has shown us how to say ‘yes to God’s precious gift of life. May her example move us to prayer and action so that we can continue this essential work and bring the love and mercy of Christ to all we encounter.