ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

      My brothers and sisters, today we gather as a faith community to give praise and thanksgiving to almighty God for the many blessings He has given to each one of us. Specifically we give thanks for our life and the life of those we call family and friend. Annually, my brother bishops and I set this day, Respect Life Sunday as an opportunity to reflect upon the many contemporary life issues that face our society. Issues that are critical to the defense of the sanctity of life - especially as we face decisions concerning our national and local civil leadership. As the electorate we must exercise our duty and responsibility to cast our vote for candidates who hold with our Catholic teaching that respecting all life from conception to a natural death is inviolable. This is an issues of justice and promotion of the common good of all mankind. As we celebrate the dignity and respect for all human life we are reminded that the essence of the Eucharist is the victory of life over death. Our Eucharistic celebration today gives strength and motivation to our commitment to respect all human life. My dear people, I implore every one to prayerfully reflect and to reaffirm our commitment to work tirelessly to build a true culture of life that reverence the sanctity of all life. As someone who respects all human life we must selflessly give ourselves to this cause with steadfast dedication and love as modeled for us by Jesus. My friends, I believe before we give witness to the truth about life we must give witness to our belief in the redemptive power of the Eucharist.

     As you know, our Holy Father has called for a Year of the Eucharist beginning on October 10 goal of the Congress is to help the faithful to better know, love and serve Jesus Christ in the Eucharistic mystery, the center of our Catholic life. One might say, devotion to the Eucharist leads one to a devotion to life and a devotion to life leads one to the Eucharist.

     As we gather here to celebrate Mass this morning, I am reminded that twenty-five years ago, this weekend, Pope John Paul II visited the United States including Philadelphia. Maybe you remember the Mass celebrated across the street atop the majestic Swan fountain, I was here for that visit. During his visit to our country, our Holy Father stated, "Human life is precious because it is the gift of a God whose love is infinite; and when God gives life, it is forever!" To have respect for life is to be committed to an issue that is bigger than just oneself. Sadly, too many today are merely focused on themselves and their own life and this self preoccupation leads one into a self absorbed world that no longer has room in it for the needs of others. As such respect for human life becomes marginalized, concerns for the self outweigh the needs of others, who often wind up as mere objects used to meet other’s needs. Each October the Catholic Church of the United States celebrates the Creator’s greatest gift - life - and in this coming year we celebrate Jesus’ greatest gift - His gift of self for us.

     Many would like to voice their belief that our world, indeed our country is beyond salvation as we travel deeper into, what many call a culture of death. Remember the words of the prophet Habakkuk, in our first reading, who cried out to the Lord, "How long, O Lord? Destruction and violence are before me." Just as the prophet did we too must place our trust in the Lord and have patience that God will work in His own time. This does not mean although, that we remain idle but rather fortified by the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we must toil as faithful servants of the Lord in presenting our message of sanctity for all human life. It is through frequent reception of Holy Communion and prayer that we will be fortified to enter into the battle of and for life. One needs to only look to Our Holy Father, to see a living example of what it means to be a servant of and for life. His message has been consistent and clear that life must not be devalued, but rather held in reverence and esteem as gift from our loving creator. Our culture has become one in which death - the ending of life - is seen as merciful. Too frequently, a woman may choose to abort her child because she finds herself in overwhelming circumstances resulting in a feeling of no support from the father or from family. I stand here today to say that as a church community we will stand with and help any woman who is pregnant and needs assistance. All abortions on demand must end.

     The respect for the life of the most vulnerable, includes not only the unborn but also those individuals confined to a bed or chair, dependent upon others for life support. Many believe they would be better off being euthanized because they seem to have nothing to contribute and are in pain. Remember my dear people, what His Holiness, Pope John Paul II said this August when on his pilgrimage to Lourdes,"with you I share a time of life marked by physical suffering, yet not for that reason any less fruitful in God’s wondrous plan." A plan not of our making, but of God’s choosing. A plan that includes both the joys and sorrows of life. Joys that mirror the Good News of Jesus and sorrows that embrace the cross of Jesus both activities which lead us to our heavenly reward. We can not escape either even though some, who in their noble work of trying to find a cure for the diseases of humanity, believe that a good end, the eradication of disease and suffering, allows the taking of another life for this end. What Our Holy Father said twenty five years ago during his visit to our nations still rings true," Nothing surpasses the greatness or dignity of a human person."

     "All human beings ought to value every person for his or her uniqueness as a creature of God, called to be a brother or sister of Christ by reason of the incarnation and the universal redemption. For us, the sacredness of human life is based on these premises. And it is on these same premises that there is based our celebration of life - all human life. This explains our efforts to defend life against every influence or action that threatens or weakens it, as well as endeavors to make every life more human in all its aspects." We cannot back down is defense of life as our Holy Father strongly testifies to in these words. There is a need now to stand up and announce to the world that we all have value.

     We, as faith filled Catholics, need to speak out against these violations against human dignity and state our message with resolve and conviction. Recall what St. Paul wrote to Timothy in his letter today. "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control" and, "do not be ashamed of your testimony..."

     As servants and faithful Catholics we receive our strength for our labors for life from the Good News of Jesus Christ and from Holy Eucharist. This is the food that nourishes us for the tasks at hand. This day, Respect Life Sunday and this year, the year of the Holy Eucharist, are intimately intertwined. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and respect for life is our faiths first precept. The two - respect for life and the Eucharist - are inseparable. Pope John Paul II stated in his homily during his visit in 1979, that, "if a person’s right to life is violated at the moment in which he is first conceived in his mother’s womb, an indirect blow is struck also at the whole of the moral order which serves to ensure the inviolable goods of man. Among those goods, life occupies the first place."

     My brothers and sisters, the challenge to promote and work for the respect of all human life requires dedication and patience for it is truly a labor of love. A labor which is carried on through faith in knowing that we are about God’s work and in time his plan will prevail. In our Gospel from St. Luke today, the apostles ask Jesus for an increase in Faith and Jesus responds that with the tiniest amount of faith great things can occur. Go forth now as faithful followers of Jesus, to proclaim His message of love and compassion, His message of love and life now and forever.