Reflect
Sister Joan Chittister is a prophetic voice in many ways. She has some strong words for Catholics who hang their hat on being pro-life when she says: “I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. . . . That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth.”
Pray
Mothering God,
You desire all your children to have what they need to thrive in this world,
not just survive.
Caring for the unborn is so much more than working to bring a child to life.
It means taking on and supporting the works of justice
and systematic problems that do not support women and children.
Help me to be a full voice
working to care for women, preborn children, and,
more importantly, the children already here in the world
who need services to help them thrive.
Amen.
Act
Do some personal research in the local community where you live. Can you find community or faith-based organizations that are not just simply “pro-birth,” but truly pro-life, working to impact health care, education, childcare, and support of single moms? Think about getting involved in work around these critical issues.
