Novena for the nine days for life - day eight

As we reflect upon our laws as to whether they threaten or protect human life, I reflect upon the stark reality we have the community where I live.  I the towns of Brandon and Pearl in Mississippi, both located in Rankin county, they have declared themselves safe cities for unborn life.  However, across the river from us, in the city of Jackson where I work, they have aggressively tried to limit the rights of people trying to pray in front of the abortion clinic and have created an environment where those trying to practice their freedom of speech feel threatened and unsafe.  Our society is so polarized right now that it is important to know our rights and to speak out for our faith, to be a part of the conversation and to be a light in the world.  

The Declaration of Independence boldly affirms that first among our inalienable rights is the right to life, given to us by the Creator. Yet despite being so solemnly proclaimed, the right to life is today threatened and often denied, particularly at the moments when life is most fragile. Our laws should—first and foremost—protect life; but currently our laws abandon the most vulnerable and violate our nation’s core principles. For “there can be no genuine justice in our society until the truths on which our nation was founded are more perfectly realized in our culture and law” (Living the Gospel of Life, 14).

Laws and policies that legalize or promote an intrinsic evil like abortion violate the virtue of justice. Those who work as public officials and civic leaders have a duty to serve the common good, and therefore have a profound obligation to safeguard this most fundamental right. As Christians, we are called to be a leaven in the world, transforming our culture from within. Through our own prayer, witness, and civic participation, we can encourage our leaders to truly answer their call to protect the rights of all people. For “there can be no true democracy without a recognition of every person's dignity and without respect for his or her rights” (Evangelium vitae 101).