Respect Life

Pope Francis recently wrote: "Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn, and the poor, are masterpieces of God's creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect."

This weekend Catholic parishes in the United States observe Respect Life Sunday. This annual observance calls us to a renewed appreciation of human life and to a renewed commitment to uphold the dignity of human life in all we do. This includes our treatment of others, our advocacy on behalf of those whose rights are too often ignored and our careful review of candidates and their positions on life issues before we vote.

In the above quote from Pope Francis, he refers to human beings, whatever their status, as "masterpieces of God’s creation." Part of our commitment is to make sure, through our efforts, that all people, including the weakest and most vulnerable, know they are "masterpieces of God’s creation." The people in our homes, the child in the womb, the frail elder, the hungry poor, and the person struggling with physical or mental illness should be able to count on you and me to affirm their dignity and communicate by our actions that they are "masterpieces of God’s creation."

No matter how the world might view us or others, let us treat each person as the masterpiece that he or she is.

Fr. John Klein, Pastor