Today, hundreds of thousands of pro-life people gathered in Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life, commemorating the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that struck down existing state laws protecting unborn children. For those who have been on the March or seen footage of it on EWTN (you can hardly see it anywhere else!) it’s hard not to take note of the youthfulness of the pro-life movement.
The majority of those in attendance at the March for Life in D.C. every year are high school and college aged, and lately we have even seen pre-teens get in on the pro-life activism action. No doubt this baffles some people who see abortion as a “reproductive choice” that gives young people (who just cannot control their sexual desires) the “freedom” to have meaningless sex without limit or consequence. Who wouldn’t want that?! But, when you realize that a significant portion of your generation has been killed off, it has an effect on you.
It’s pretty sobering to know that when I was conceived, my mother had the legal choice to have me killed before I was born. What I and many people my age and younger realize is that to be born after 1973 means that we are lucky to be alive.
I am certain that this is why a growing number of us are so actively pro-life. Any one of us could easily have been one of those 54 MILLION children who have lost their lives to abortion in the last 39 years, so it is not hard for us to see that children conceived today need our voices and our help. We are a generation lucky (and grateful) to be alive and we survived to be a voice for the voiceless.
Thanks to all the young people who turned out in record numbers yet again to tell the Nation:
You will NOT silence my message
You will NOT mock my God
You will STOP killing my generation
You march for nothing less than our future. God bless you all! And, please, bring that enthusiasm home with you and continue to be a witness for goodness and life in your hometowns.
I couldn’t be at the march today, so I did my own little “mini-march” on the trail this morning, praying my rosary as I rolled along for the safety of the March for Life pilgrims and an end to abortion. And I was struck by how appropriate it was that the Joyful Mysteries were the mysteries of the day. The Joyful Mysteries are so profoundly pro-life. First there is the unwavering “yes” of a young Jewish girl to a daunting and difficult proposal. Then, of course we reflect on the conception and birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Even the in-utero gymnastics of the unborn John the Baptist make it in to our reflection in the second mystery of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth.
I realize that the day is winding down, but, if you have the time, please, take 15 minutes and pray a rosary to end abortion. Reflect on the mystery of the incarnation which reveals the incomparable value of every human person and pray for those whose lives have no value in the eyes of the world. Ask Our Lady to give all women the courage to accept the gift of life in difficult circumstances and imitate her example of authentic femininity. And, finally, pray for the safe travel of all of those heading home from D.C. today!
