This week's Spirit & Life is by Father Shenan J. Boquet, president of Human Life International. Spirit & Life is the weekly e-column of
Human Life International.
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The Pope is Showing Us the Way
Dear Friends,
If
anyone thinks that Pope Francis is going to gradually lose his momentum
and zeal to preach the Gospel as successor of Saint Peter, they are
very much mistaken.
Consider
the invitation to his 1.4 billion-member flock -- a first in Church
history -- to simultaneously join him in one hour of Eucharistic
Adoration last Sunday. He wanted the Church to place its focus on Jesus,
the source and summit of our Faith. Jesus is the source of all we do
and will accomplish.
Pope Francis is showing us the Way to our Father.
Pope Francis' unannounced participation in Rome's March for Life
on May 12 was also momentous. He used this occasion not only to
encourage the 40 thousand people gathered to persevere in their
necessary efforts on behalf of life, he also extended a personal
invitation to all the world to join him on June 15 and 16 as the Church
reflects on Blessed John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) -- a document dedicated to the ardent defense of human life.
These events speak volumes about the Holy Father's passion and determination to keep front and center
the mission of the Church and the responsibility of every disciple to
fully and actively participate in evangelization. These events challenge
us as disciples of the Lord Jesus to personify in our daily lives the
precious gift of salvation, the joy it offers, and the necessity of
defending life and its dignity in every stage and circumstance -- from
the moment of conception until natural death. By elevating these events
to the global stage, Pope Francis stands in the midst of his brothers
and sisters, reminding all of the transforming power of Jesus Christ --
the Word made flesh -- the Savior of the world. Furthermore, he
challenges the baptized to tirelessly and courageously live the gift of
faith in the midst of daily life.
Why
are these events so important, so crucial to the integrity of the
Church's proclamation of the Gospel? Our Holy Father is courageously
reminding us that the Church stands in solidarity with every person who
suffers from temporal or spiritual impoverishment. As universal
shepherd, he is telling the world that the Church's mission to proclaim
God's generous mercy and justice must be witnessed by her faithful.
Pope Francis is showing us the Way to evangelize.
Pope
Francis has consistently challenged those of us, both in the Church and
outside the Church, who are indifferent to the plight of their brothers
and sisters to remember our accountability towards our neighbors. His
gaze and influence has also been directed to those holding authority in
the temporal sphere, reminding them of their responsibility to uphold
God's commands while deciding laws that support the common good.
Some
have claimed that the Holy Father is shaking the proverbial cage. I
agree. We are all affected by his example. Status quo is not acceptable
or permissible. Prayer and action is demanded if we are going to be
leaven in society. The universal call to holiness and adherence to the
full teachings of Christ and His Church are not optional or negotiable.
Every aspect of human life is to be enlightened by the light of Christ.
The theme for the day celebrating Evangelium Vitae
is "Believing, May They Have Life." The Holy Father knows the remedy
for healing the wounds of the culture. It begins with fidelity to Jesus
and His Church, closeness to the sacraments, prayer, holiness, and
virtuous living by all the baptized -- clergy and laity.
Let
us pray for our Holy Father and all who will gather in Rome next
Saturday and Sunday. Let us pray for conversion and renewal within the
Church so she may be leaven within the dough giving rise to the
culture's genuine transformation. Let us also thank the Almighty Father
for the example and leadership of Pope Francis as we humbly request the
intercession of Blessed John Paul II to aid the Holy Father and us in
our efforts to build a Culture of Life and Civilization of Love.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
