Today marks the 42nd anniversary of a tragedy. This tragedy has taken the lives of over 57 million children. That’s not counting how many other lives have been injured. How many women have been forever scarred. How many men have been hurt by the loss of their child. How many siblings who are changed when they learn there should have been another face in that family picture.  How many people who were going to change the world were never given the chance. How many best friends were brutally torn apart. This tragedy is like a rock thrown into a pond. The single event sends ripples out, spreading far and wide. What is it, you may ask? Abortion.

What is abortion? To some it’s “terminating a pregnancy” or “exercising the right to choose”. What it really is, however, is something far darker. Abortion is the taking of a child’s life. I’ll spare you the gruesome details of how that is done. but you can Google it yourself if you want to feel your heart break into pieces. Because it’s awful. It’s horrific. It is the most barbaric crime that is legal and protected under law right now. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled, in the case called Roe v. Wade, that abortion was legal.

As Catholics we are charged with the duty of upholding the value and dignity of each and every human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. You cannot be Catholic and “pro-choice”. The two are incompatible. As Heroic Catholics we will take a stand against this barbaric form death. We must. There is never a reason for abortion to be okay. And if we stand idly by and allow others to kill innocent babies then we are not doing our job.

The Church has been fighting this battle since long before Roe v. Wade was decided upon though. The Didache, the earliest Catechism written around 50 A.D., tells us that “..you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill what is begotten…”. 

And St. John Chrysostom writes about it as well:

We must take a stand against all crimes against the dignity and value of human life. The biggest crime today is abortion. There are other pro-life issues, such as Euthanasia, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, In Vitro Fertilization, and more. Today I’m focusing on the one that has taken 57,000,000 + lives. I encourage you to pray today for all those who are, who have been, and who are considering being involved in an abortion.

OH. One last thing: There’s this HUGE March for Life going on today in Washington D.C! Pray for all those who are on it, it’s amazing and awesome and perhaps one year I will be able to go and participate in person rather than in spirit!

And here’s a quote from Pope Francis:

“Each child who is unborn, but unjustly condemned to be aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who, even before He was born, and then as soon as He was born, experienced the rejection of the world.”

Now go! Be the Pro-Life Generation!

Say it with me: “I am the Pro-Life Generation!” now turn to somebody around you and say, “YOU are the Pro-Life Generation!” now say it together, “WE ARE the Pro-Life Generation!”

WE will end abortion. We will see life respected and valued as it should be. Be the voice for the voiceless. Be a hero. I know you can.

Below is a poem I wrote a few years ago, it was a challenge from a friend for me to try out writing a poem of epic proportions (meaning REALLY LONG) so I did, and the result is a 24 page, 195 stanza (or 196 or 194 – I lost count), poem on the Pro-Life movement.  Read it if you want, I felt like I needed to include it today.

~

Catherine

An Endless March

Marching onward

with no end in sight

The silent warriors praying

For a stop to this “right”

 

Surely, they reason

This cannot remain so

The decision made

They pray it will go

 

“Today it’s okay

For the innocent to die?

Since when does the law

Ignore the cries?”

 

The enemy advances

Invading and taking charge

The people take a stand

Too stop the giant at large

 

The opposing gain ground

For now a new fortress

Is there to be found

And along with that fortress

 

comes all the sorrow

Of the children who won’t experience

The day of tomorrow.

This she shrugs off

 

And walks in anyway

To find out the truth

And how much she has to pay

Seated in a chair

 

With a positive test

To schedule an appointment

That will take care of the rest

The silent pleading

 

And the ongoing prayer

She gives the cold shoulder

To those who really care

“How many days

 

Must I deal with this ‘thing’”

That’s how much she reduced

The gift from the King

The woman to whom she was speaking

 

Opened up a book

And wrote down the girl’s name

Told her how long it took

“No one has to know

 

What you are doing

They can’t make you

Do something you’re rueing”

She took their advice

 

And signed off on the page

Ignoring the question

Concerning her age

Inside she was crying

 

And so very scared

If her mother found out

She woudln’t ever care

In fact, she thought

 

She would tell me I’m right

This thing inside me

Won’t be worth the fight

And so she left

 

With her cheeks stained with tears

Her body a wreck

And left with her fears

No one to tell her

 

That she’ll be okay

All she had left

Was a voice trying to stay

She walked to her car

 

And got inside

He would bring her to his house

Where she would reside

A victim of crimes

 

And no way to get out

She was too afraid

To let loose a shout

So now as she rode

 

And watched the people pray

She wanted them to help

She wished that they may

The day of the sentence

 

Drew closer and near

Her ‘thing’ was growing

And becoming very dear

She told him her thoughts

 

And for that she cried

He would kill her

If the thing didn’t die

Shaking and sobbing

 

She walked in again

The place seemed dreadful

And she had no friends

Years she had been hidden

 

Away from this world

Kept in a house

Where she couldn’t be heard

Now given the chance

 

To run away

She feared he would find her

And force her to stay

They told her she’d be alright

 

That things would be fine

Then they put her to sleep

So she wouldn’t whine

An hour later

 

She awoke in pain

Her baby was dead

What had she gained?

He took her back home

 

And tuned out her screams

As the baby she destroyed

Haunted her dreams

All this happened

 

Because of a law

No one cared for the girl

And too soon she would fall

The armies of people

 

Praying as one

Hoped things would soon change

And the race would be run

A man joined their forces

 

After he found out the news

That his wife of ten years

Was changing her views

He wanted to save

 

The child inside

But she was saying no

And left his side

So much had changed

 

He had reasoned

Since the days when they were young

Was it the change of the seasons?

He talked to the police

 

And he pleaded his cause

But as a father

He was told to mind the laws

No one would care

 

That it was his boy

THat she wanted dead

Like he was a broken toy

His voice wasn’t heard

 

And he mourned his loss

As she told him the news

His child was thrown out like moss

And so the enemy

 

Claimed another life

A baby destroyed

Purely out of strife

The legions of souls

 

Pleading for an end

To the war on these children

What more could they send?

Roses began to cover the ground

 

Petals and thorns together

The symbolism sharp

A reminder of the lives lost forever

She entered with no mind

 

To take life away

But her mind was changed

When she heard what her parents had to say

“You’re a failure,

 

you’ll never go far

All our money and dreams

Fed to the gar”

So pressured and angry

 

She ignored the petals on the ground

And crushed them beneath her heel

No love could be found

How dare these people

 

Try to end her right

To make a decision

Not start a fight

She cursed their names

 

And shook her head

Those people, she decided

Shouldn’t have gotten out of bed

And again the opposers

 

Destroyed a love

A child that was a gift

From heaven above

The people were saddened

 

And nearly turned away

Nothing they did

Could change this way

The thousands were falling

 

And millions already had

Yet many average people

Found no reason to be sad

After all, why would they?

 

To them it wasn’t a life

Nor a child at heart

They wanted to decide

When life would truly start

 

But still they persisted

And joined in their prayers

With those not yet born

to show their cares

 

Mommy, please say no

This isn’t the way I want to go

Daddy said he wants me to stay

Please don’t make me go away

 

I have my whole life to live

Please listen as I pray

My angel tells me I shouldn’t be scared

But I worry you don’t really care!

 

Mommy, please know that I love you

And I want to live!

I really do…

A heart was changed

 

And a child saved

A drop of white

In a black, empty cave

The war goes on

 

Unending murders and kills

All bending to the choosing

And what the woman wills

The fight goes on

 

And the warriors never tire

For inside them burns

A lifegiving fire

She walked from her car

 

And knelt down on the ground

Her knees cold and wet

But joy would abound

One day, so many years ago

 

She had been one to say

This wasn’t the way to go

But now, as she joined the cause

She hated to see women

 

Put life on pause

She wept for their lives

And for those lives that the ended

She wanted to be able

 

To have them all friended

For she knew in her heart

That all it would take

Is someone to listen

 

To all the heartache

When she made her choice

At the age of fifteen

No one told her

 

What it would really mean

She was alone

And had nowhere to turn

For she had a job

 

And had money to earn

Her family depended

On her willingness to work

And to care for a baby

 

Not a day could she shirk

So she silenced her cries

And thought she was being brave

All the while

 

There was a life she could have saved

Brought back from her memories

She noticed a sound

So slight and quiet

 

It was hard to be found

But it was the crying

Of a woman who was scared

Who needed a friend

 

Or someone who cared

Up from her knees

And she ran down the lane

Finding a girl

 

Hiding in the rain

At first ignored

And then told to leave

She asked what was wrong

 

And what did she need?

The girl wiped her eyes

And took a step towards her

“I need to get away”

 

Then she began to shiver.

A few more minutes

Of careful listening

And the story she found

 

Was most interesting

This girl was but twelve

And thrown out of home

Sent to the streets

 

Where she could roam

Her parents were mad

And her boyfriend no good

She was pregnant and upset

 

“Could you help me” she could.

A wound that was healed

And a smiling face

The woman received so much

 

Much more than just grace

Still, though all this joy

There’s no seeming end

To the killing of girls and boys

 

Hope is being lost

And joy thrown out

What is needed now

Is someone to scream and shout

 

A young girl

Took this task upon herself

And took lots of books

Off the library shelf

 

She studied on her own

Until she knew

Enough to say

Only what was true

 

But all too quickly

Her confidence wavered

They ripped her apart

Like a country road paver

 

She resolved to try again

And this time be strong

All the while the thousands

Lost in the wrong

 

Praying and fasting

Is what they were told

Would help bring an end

To this evil, not of old

 

They joined hand in hand

And so formed a chain

Standing outside

In the wind and the rain

 

Some turned away

When this they saw

Others just ignored them

And liked the law

 

They pleaded to have

THe praying removed

But the police found

There was nothing they could do.

 

It was perfectly legal

To gather and pray

So, to the abortionists dismay

The praying could stay.

 

It became the “new normal”

For some to curse

The lives of the prayerful

And attack their free verse

 

Such people like this one

Who were lost and alone

They did not know better

All they did was moan

 

She took up her stance

Holding her sign

Against the praying

Fighting against time

 

Her mother and family

Backed her up

They chanted and screamed

But someone asked, “what’s up?”

 

A kind young fellow

With a rosary in hand

Approached the crowd

This wasn’t planned

 

He looked at the girl

And then to her sign

And asked her this question

“Do you have some time?”

 

The girl was confused,

but ready to defend

Her points of view

This man’s view mend

 

“What do you want?

My mind is decided

I’ll talk to you

But no change is provided.”

 

The young man nodded

And just smiled to her

“I won’t change your mind

I just want to hear your answer.”

 

And so the two talked

For over an hour

The conversation was cut short

By an April shower

 

But by this time

The two were smiling

Laughing at a joke

Over the atrocious tiling

 

They shook hands

And parted for the day

But emails were exchanged

They had much more to say

 

Days like this

Happened more frequently

When the young people stood up

And spoke their view gently

 

But still, the ongoing war

With battles raging forward

THe end it somewhat near

But there’s a lot to work towards

 

Manning their stations

With weapons in hand

They have a constant vigil

Over the whole land

 

Some go out

And nobly speak to the crowds

Sometimes they listen

Other times they are run out

 

Others will sit

At their computer desks

And write up articles

That tell of the rest

 

These reach far and wide

With todays technology

But still not enough

To hold the raging sea

 

So many more stories

of the lives lost today

3700 are missing

That’s 3700 more than yesterday

 

The souls of the lost

With the cry of those being destroyed

rips at the hearts

Of all the girls and boys

 

They plead for their life

And wish for a chance

But no one can hear them

And they get speared with a lance

 

Sometimes though

They indeed survive

But then left on their own

They have no choice but to die

 

Unwanted by some

Loved by many

These little ones are finished

Thrown out like a penny

 

The workers and such

Who stand there all day

Leading women in

Just interested in their pay

 

One lady went in

With a sting in mind

To see if the truth

Could come out, she’d find

 

Her story was woven

And her tales so tall

But in the midst of these lies

It seemed very small

 

She got the evidence

Needed to condemn

And soon it went global

Attacking them

 

They tried to deny it

But the evidence was clear

Although nothing much

Could be done, as was feared

 

And so went the years

With silent pleas

To make this evil illegal

They were on their knees

 

Foundations were formed

And businesses started

To open the doors

To those not so close-hearted

 

One choice to save

A decision to live

She walked into the welcoming doors

And was glad she did

 

They comforted her tears

And told her not to worry

She smiled and felt safe

The months passed in a flurry

 

And proudly she came

Back one day

With her child in her hands

And thanked them for coming her way

 

A change was beginning

Could the tide turn?

After all these years

For what would these people yearn.

 

They watched yet another

Young girl walk in

And they shed her tears

As her child was thrown in a bin

 

Her mother had made her

And for year after year

She could hardly sleep

So great was her fear

 

The face of her child

Lost in the night

She ran and ran

But found no light

 

Seeking forgiveness

And wishing for love

She turned to the Church

And prayed to Above

 

It took many years

But soon she could say

I’m ready to move on

From that fateful day

 

This girl was blessed

And found a love so true

Many children had she

And many more smiles, too

 

But always, that thought

In the back of her mind

Made her turn away

She couldn’t release the bind

 

Joining hands with the others

Now growing to many

They prayed and they wished

For the children who seemed worth less than a penny

 

The voices of those

Who coudln’t be heard

Blended with all

And helped the hearts turn

 

Listen to us

We beg and we plead

Let us stay living

Give us a chance to breathe

 

Mommy and Daddy

Don’t destroy us all

But give us our days

To jump in the leaves of fall

 

Unanimous cries

And singing hearts

Making their way

It’s a good start.

 

Little children came out

With their mothers in tow

They wanted to see

The prayerful row

 

Each day more were lost

Yet a few were found

The minds were turning

Turning right around

 

All to often they watched

The child taken away

But the occasional joy

Of the one who got to stay

 

Legislators began

To pass some new laws

That helped greatly

This life giving cause

 

Still not enought

And just more cause for worry

As the enemy approached them

In more than a hurry

 

“Repeal the laws”

“Give us our rights”

“You can’t tell us all

How we live our life!”

 

Calmly and quietly

The speakers refuted

The claims of those

Who were so soon uprooted

 

Annual events

Soon came to be

Where people as a Nations

Prayed with a great need

 

They marched the Capitol

And swarmed the streets

With organized chaos

To the enemy, greet

 

Showing their faces

With great pride

They waited for a president

Who would take their side

 

Still, the wating

Has been going on

And things have gone worse

As the days have been done

 

Still choosing death

Over a natural right

That was granted to us all

When this Country first came to light

 

He wanted to stop her

But there he stood

With his little child in his hands

He wasn’t welcome in this neighborhood

 

How silly, he thought

That I cannot bring her inside

When the one carried by my wife

Can go in their to die

 

Why can’t I take

My little one as well?

To help convince her Mamma

The other one is swell

 

He banged on the door

But his words were ignored

As he waited outside

The thunder began to roar

 

Defeated at heart,

He retreated to his car

Where he could take shelter

From the rain coming from afar

 

In the midst of the storm

He saw a small light

Outside his window

Burning bright

 

At that moment,

He was certain he knew

His little angel

Was in heaven, it’s true

 

Head in his hands

He began to cry

And picked up the little girl

Saying, “Don’t you dare die.”

 

Onlookers watched

As this scene unfolded

Their prayers hadn’t been answered

Fate was already molded

 

Why didn’t his voice matter?

He wondered later that day

As he sat in the Church

Trying to think of what to say

 

He lost his little baby

As though it wasn’t his

And now he had to try

To love and forgive

 

Onward they marched

Each year, early on

To show support

For the ones unloved

 

Braving the snow

And ignoring the ice

They walked as one

Their meaning concise

 

Moving as a Nation

To show the whole truth

Of the terrible crimes

Allowed to take roost

 

Over and over

For years this has gone by

And still the law is in place

No one hears the silent cries

 

They think it’s for the best

That this remain a choice

But when did we have the right

To silence someone’s voice?

 

A country of twisted tales

Mixed with plenty of lies

Is what we have become

As our original Constitution dies

 

How long until once more

Freedom can reign

And all will be pleased

Can we be that again?

 

Candles float on the lake

As a sad and silent reminder

Of the millions gone

They thought it to be kinder

 

Other places have flags

In pink and blue

A vivid way to remind us

What we have done, it’s true

 

And still others

Will give up their voice

For just a day or so

To make their point

 

They bring to the surface

What happens to those

When the doors to the buildings

Don’t remain closed

 

Over a million a year

In this place alone

How can we ever

This behaviour, condone?

 

A troubling time

We have entered in

And so is this the start

of something much too big?

 

They look at the flag

And think of what it means

Then look at the Nation

And see the crushed dreams.

 

Clashing swords

Made of plastic and ink

The goal in mind

The other ship to sink!

 

An endless battle

Of wits and wills

All the while

More innocent blood spills

 

Ceaselessly murdered

For no fault of their own

Never will they

Know the comforts of a home

 

Some say it’s better

For them to not live

Than to live the life

That the parents could give

 

Such words and sayings

Many take to heart

And make the decision

To rip life apart

 

She ran to the clinic

To escape from her fears

Of the man she lived with

Who often brought her to tears

 

The child was growing

And she didn’t want it alive

Because then she’d have to care for it

And she’d sooner die

 

When offered her options

There was but one

She took it and all too soon

The deed was done

 

The bullets flew

Swift and fast

With so much against them

How can these laws last?

 

A tragic tale

Yet ringing out true

And young people ask

“Well what can I do?”

 

They’re scared to stand up

Because of what could go wrong

But with leadership

They’ll go right along

 

Still though, fears reign

Is it enough, or is this in vain?

Will there ever be a day

When the killings and murders will go away?

 

Marching forward

In an endless line

The people take a stand

All of the time

 

The end is getting closer

Finally in sight

WHen enough people stood up

To do what was right

 

It’s still an uphill battle

But the way is clear

WIth praying and speaking

The day shall draw near

 

Changing a mind

And touching a heart

Helping others

Sets them apart.

 

A kind word

Or gentle face

Could save someone

With ease and grace

 

They looked at her eyes

And told her no lies

She didn’t have to do this

Because doing this she despised

 

One took her hand

And lead her across the street

Where she would be met with kindess

And smiling faces would greet

 

They would care for both her

And the baby inside

Keeping both mother and child

Happy and alive

 

Cheers went up

From the surrounding crowd

As with a choice for life

Joy will abound

 

The battle is still going

But the tide has turned

The people are changing

And freedom for all life is yearned

 

Until that day comes

When victory reigns

And even thereafter

Prayers shall be said again and again

 

Especially now

When times are most trying

People are worried

About the children dying

 

And onward the soldiers marched

Forward with smiles

Their loving ways

Stretched for miles

 

The homeward journey

Would soon be complete

Then they would be done

And up off the streets

 

But the trials and toils

Gave them not a care

For hand in hand

They walked with prayer

 

No swords or guns

But with their weapons at hand

A string of beads

Against the law of the land

 

Some with their signs

Others with their books

Not caring at all

About all the weird looks

 

Onward they walk

Again and again

Until life shall win

And love shall reign once again.

 

The silent pleas

Have not been ignored

In fact, with the others

They are implored.

 

Souls of those

Sent to heaven above

Keep turning the hearts

So that all might love

 

Intercede on our part

And keep us in mind

As we hope to live

And see the sun shine.

 

Give our thanks to the ones

Who fight for our cause

Until the day

When truth reigns in the laws

 

Thanks be for all

Those fighting for life

And standing up for

All that’s right.

 

So ends this tale

But the battle is true

Protecting the next generation

Is a job for me and you.