Proclaiming the sanctity of human life

September 30, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Each one of us is called by name - Each one of us is meant to be holy and loving. Why? Because each one of us is "made in the image of God."

On this first Sunday of October in our church we are reminded to begin anew a program by which we "Respect Life" in a special way. However, this call to celebrate life and to focus our attention on those contemporary threats to human life are to be year-round. There is no other moral or social reality that is and will be as crucial in our country and in the world as the protection of all life - "made in his image", the theme given to Respect Life 2004.

As I reflect upon the readings from scripture on this first Sunday of October, the prophet, Habakkuk, speaks to the problem of evil in the world and Luke's Gospel is speaking about justice. We are called to have an ongoing concern with both of these topics.

There is no doubt that many of you have prayed and worshipped for a long time for an end to the world's evil. You also have worked long, and perhaps even with difficulty, in programs and activities to protect all human life: the unborn child, the disabled, those fragile with age and sickness, all who possess inherent God-given dignity equal to that of every other person. Thinking about all of these efforts, you may be able to easily identify with the prayer of Habakkuk: "How long, O Lord, I cry for help but you do not listen!....why must I look at misery?"

God's response was the same to the prophet, Habakkuk, as it is to us today: "The vision has its time". This 'vision' is the most central aspect of our faith. God created the vision - a vision that has been many times renewed throughout history by him despite our failings, our sinfulness. God has been attempting to give the vision back to us to put us all back into harmony, as it was when he created the world.

Our attention has to focus on justice as we hear today's reading from the Gospel of Luke. For Luke, and for Scriptures in general, justice consists of living in relationship with God and with our neighbors, all of them. It is an effort by Jesus, through Luke, to define the relationship of a disciple with God, a relationship that Jesus lives, namely, always being attentive to the value of human life as a gift from God and, at the same time, to be opposed to and do away with all that destroys or endangers human life.

We all exist - 'made in his image' - to love and serve God. Jesus served his father to the point of giving up his life and we are called to imitate this. As we begin anew on the first Sunday of October, Respect Life Month, we must accept the challenge with renewed energy to proclaim the sanctity and value of human life as a gift from God and the foundation of human dignity. May we also renew our commitment to confront all that destroys or endangers human life, even though we may think God has abandoned us. We must remember the 'vision' is still present - embrace it.

I encourage each one of us to continue with patient endurance to support or encourage the development of whatever sustains, nourishes or provides for the proper enjoyment of life and create advocacy for whatever meets particular needs of families or individuals. By this we are giving God another opportunity to use each of us as His disciples to bring about the time when all humanity lives in harmony with God and each other. In the end the work of defending human life is the work of God. "The vision has its time."

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Roger J. Augustine
Diocesan Administrator