Monday, November 7, 2016

What If?

What If?

Yesterday was the last day of the "Forty Days for Life." Tomorrow is the election for our new president. The two are tied together.

One candidate believes that the fetus inside a woman is not life and the other believes it is. As a Catholic I believe that life starts from the moment of conception. As a scientist I believe that the possibility of existence should have priority over the extinction of possibility. (e.g. "Don't waste good" - Gibbs NCIS, "Don't waste life" - God, Heaven.)  I have heard many Catholics say that they would not have an abortion but believe that it is the woman's choice. Since Adam and Eve's choice in the garden was their own then I guess God does let us choose. This does not make our choice correct however, and does not mean that it will not have repercussions much as Adam and Eve's choice did.

What if life starts at conception? What if the soul enters this fetus at conception? If this is true then this fetus is a living being, neither the mother nor the father. The genetics show us that at the moment of conception the fetus has genes that are distinct from both mother and father. In a criminal court of law this distinction would be enough to identify a distinct individual, yet not for a fetus. The word fetus itself attempts to hide from us the actual facts of this genetic distinction. If life does not start at conception then we must abandon our use of genetic markers to identify individual living human beings in criminal cases.

If life starts at conception then the fetus becomes an infant and has rights like any other human. People argue that the child is dependent on the mother.  The mother does not have to honor that dependance, especially if it risks her life. I will not get into this argument, however most all abortions are for convenience and not to save the mother's life, making this argument mostly irrelevant. This is especially true since modern advances in medical care have made this less of a problem.

If life starts at conception then it is murder to destroy it. If life starts at conception then it is a child of God. If life starts at conception then it is part mother, part father, and part God's creation. God has a plan for each of us. It is one thing to destroy our own part in God's plan but it is much worse to destroy another's part. God sees the faces of these little ones. God's mother, Mary,  protects these little ones as her own. Look into the night sky and you can almost see the souls of these little ones twinkling as stars in the night. The light you see is a reflection of God's face.

Copyright 2016 Daniel Strizak




Sunday, November 6, 2016

Litany for the Unborn


Litany for The Unborn


For the conceived, Lord protect them.
For the conceived who are loved, Lord protect them.
For the conceived in danger from natural causes, Lord protect them.
For the conceived who are unwanted, Lord protect them.
For the conceived who are unloved, Lord protect and love them.
For the conceived who cannot defend themselves, Lord protect them.
For the conceived who have no rights, Lord protect them.
For the conceived who are viewed as soulless, Lord show them your Spirit.
For the conceived inches from life in this world, Lord protect them.
For the conceived longing to draw their first breath, Lord fill their lungs with your breath.
For the conceived thirsting for mother's milk, Lord let them suckle their fill.
For the conceived aching for a mother's touch, Lord let these mothers' hearts ache until they hold these tiny ones.
For the conceived aching for their father's firm hold, Lord let these dads' hearts ache until they hold these little ones in the protection of their strong arms.
For the departed unborn who never tasted life, Lord give them your everlasting life.
Lord for those unborn who's possibility of life was stolen from them, avenge them with the sword   of your pure love by wounding their thief with a permanent emptiness of this loss.
Lord bless those fighting for these unborn with a special blessing.
Lord bless those fighting for these unborn by surrounding them with the millions of unborn souls in the times when all seems lost.
Lord bless those fighting for these unborn by surrounding them with the millions of unborn souls at the hour of their death to guide them to their rest with you.
Father give us your guidance.
Jesus give us your strength and wisdom.
Holy Spirit give us your love.

Amen.

Copyright 2016 Daniel Strizak