During his apostolic trip to Denver in 1993 for World Youth Day, John Paul II stood in the midst of people gathered from the four corners of the globe and invited all to fully embrace the transforming power of the Gospel of Life and boldly give it witness. Nearly twenty years have passed, but the prophetic words of the Vicar of Christ still resonate:
Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops. Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern "metropolis". It is you who must "go out into the byroads" and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.
Fifteen years ago on September 5, 1997, one of the greatest modern day witnesses to the Gospel of Life died having selflessly served her Lord and neighbor. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta embodied the very heart of the Gospel. She not only proclaimed with words and deeds, privately and in the public square, she proclaimed with her very life. She was moved by Love to love. She didn't hide her Faith or consider it a "private matter"; instead, she set it on a stand for all to see. She was willing to surrender her will in order that God's will might be accomplished. Like John the Baptist, she decreased in order that He, Jesus, might increase in her. Only Love can transform hearts and minds. "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love," Mother Teresa once said.
I am often reminded of Mother's life as I participate in this great Apostolate for the defense of Life. How can we restore God's will in a world that has moved so far away from God? How can we truly transform hearts and minds that have embraced the world and its ways? The answer is revealed in the lives of the Blessed, like Mother Teresa. "What marvelous work this little woman from a humble family was able to accomplish with the strength of her faith in God and her love of neighbor!" John Paul II said on the first anniversary of her death. Mother Teresa showed the entire world how the charity and self-giving of one person moved by our Lord could transform the hearts and minds of countless others towards embracing God's love. A light set on a hill cannot be hidden. It is this ground on which Our Lord builds His Kingdom.
Often lost in the discussion and debate on Life and the Family issues, is the realization that no matter how many "points" we score to show up our ideological opponents, if we are to truly have an impact on the debate, we must transform hearts and minds with truth and charity. Mother Teresa, much like our Lord Jesus, was a radical in her commitment to the poorest of the poor. She taught the world that human life, all human life, deserved to be treated with dignity and deserved our love. Right now in the United States, and across the world, we know there are many who do not believe that Life is sacred or worth protecting. We know there are many who do not even consider an unborn child to be a human being. Even if Roe v. Wade was overturned today, the fight to protect the unborn would be far from over because we have a society that does not yet value human life. Hearts and minds still need to be changed. The Gospel still needs to be proclaimed and witnessed.
Mother Teresa understood the logic and consequences associated with an anti-life mentality. "If we allow a mother to kill her own child, how can we tell people not to kill each other?" Her point makes sense, and the logic is clearly understandable; yet, excuses are made every day to rationalize the death of millions in the womb, to alienate the less fortunate and euthanize the elderly and sick. It's hard not to be angry at those who permit abortion and other travesties against the dignity of Life to continue, but constantly reacting in anger will not lead them towards a greater appreciation of human dignity. It will not transform their hearts and minds. Education, formation, clear arguments and challenges are needed in the discussion about the sanctity of Life and Family; however, these must begin with a heart fully transformed in the Love of God who teaches us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.
We love the unborn whose lives were unwanted and disposed of just as Mother Teresa loved the poor who were unwanted and disposed of by society. But we must also love those who fight us in our mission to protect life and show them the transformational power of Christ's love. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1Cor 13:3). "The proper way of serving others leads to humility. The one who serves does not consider himself superior to the one served" (Deus Caritas Est #35). When we begin from recognizing what has been given to us in Christ Jesus, then we in turn can freely give what we have received; We are useless servants (c.f. Lk 17:10).
John Paul II's final public Angelus on April 3, 2005, which was proclaimed the day after his death, offers a summation: "As a gift to humanity which sometimes seems bewildered and overwhelmed by the power of evil, selfishness and fear, the Risen Lord offers his love that pardons, reconciles and reopens hearts to Love. It is a Love that converts hearts and gives peace. How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy."
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr Boquet signature
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
