ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is a joy to gather here today for this sacred Liturgy and to celebrate the sanctity of human life in all of its richness and beauty and diversity. We especially welcome the families who have come and who give special witness to God's desire that husband and wife become one and celebrate the bringing of new life into the world! And we welcome, too, so many of our students and young people who accept the challenge to communicate the message of respect for human life now and in the years to come. In these faces and those of the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor, we see the glorious image of God reflected. In the words of Pope John Paul II, we celebrate God's glory "in every human being [who is] a sign of the living God and an icon of Jesus Christ" (Evangelium Vitae, no. 84).

Indeed behind each human face, in each person, we recognize a unique gift in which we discover God's plan of love. It is from this supreme source of divine love that we draw our own capacity to love. It is from this source of all love that life finds its sacredness, and in this sacredness life is inviolable from the moment of conception until natural death. "This boundless and almost incomprehensible love of God for the human being reveals the degree to which the human person deserves to be loved in himself [and herself]-independent of any other consideration-intelligence, beauty, health, youth, integrity, and so forth. In short, human life is always a good, for it is a 'manifestation of God in the world, a sign of his presence, a trace of his glory'" (Evangelium Vitae, 34, in Dignitas Personae, 8).

It was out of God's deep love that He spoke, as we heard in today's first reading, saying: "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him" (Gen 2: 18). And, so, God expressed His plan for man and woman to be partners and co-creators of human life. They draw life from God's love and share that same life and love with their children. Husbands and wives, indeed, have a special call to accept and welcome new life into their families and to create a loving home where children can likewise come to experience God's love. Modern society, however, presents many challenges to this call. The temptations of our culture do not always encourage practices that respect the dignity and sanctity of human life. Together with cohabitation and contraception, abortion has increased enormously. Accepting and welcoming children into the world has become a choice instead of a way of cooperating with God's plan for mankind. Modern science has even given us the ability to manipulate human genes to produce or eliminate desired characteristics. In some states, euthanasia and assisted suicide also threaten God's supreme role as the author of life. We are on the brink of having a society where the value of human life depends on its usefulness and how closely it adheres to certain desirable traits. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago reminded us that "When life becomes cheap or easily expendable in one area, eventually nothing is held sacred and all lives are in jeopardy."

Yet, hope is not lost! Thankfully, there are many people like yourselves who understand that the sacredness of human life extends to all-regardless of age or condition of health or economic status. "Through the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God confirmed the dignity of the body and soul that constitute the human being" (Dignitas Personae, 7). By virtue of our very creation, then, we share in the plan of God for all human beings to enjoy the right to life from the moment of conception to natural death. This is indeed the natural and inalienable right of every person, and it is also our responsibility to ensure that this gift of life is acknowledged, protected and defended. In its important instruction on Respect for Human Life entitled Donum Vitae, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith unequivocally states that "God alone is the Lord of Life from its beginning to its end. No one can, under any circumstances, claim for himself the right to destroy an innocent human being" (Donum Vitae, 19).

"Human history shows, however, how man has abused and can continue to abuse the power and capabilities that God has entrusted to him, giving rise to various forms of unjust discrimination and oppression of the weakest and most defenseless; the daily attacks on human life; the existence of large regions of poverty where people are dying from hunger and disease.and the many [wars and] conflicts that still divide peoples and cultures. These, sadly, are only some of the most obvious signs of how man can make bad use of his abilities and.[lose] the awareness of his lofty and specific vocation to collaborate in the creative work of God" (Dignitas Personae, 36). We must, then, dear friends, be continuously vigilant to protect the dignity of human life at every turn - in our homes, our schools, our places of work and recreation, and our halls of justice and legislation. Our times call for nothing less than our determined commitment to the "energetic promotion of a new culture of life" (Dignitas personae, 36). In every voice raised in defense of life, "there shines a great 'yes' to the recognition of the dignity and inalienable value of every single and unique human being called into existence" (Dignitas Personae, 37).

In today's Gospel, the disciples were acting in much the same way as many in our society today. They prevented the children from coming close to Jesus to receive his love and attention. They considered the children a bother-an interruption of Jesus' work and teaching. Upon seeing what was happening, Jesus rebuked the disciples, calling the children to himself, embracing them, blessing them and reminding us all that "the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 10:14). In imitation of Jesus, we must be willing to defy the status quo and to speak for the children and all those they represent-the marginalized, the oppressed, the innocent victims, and those who have no voice. Their silenced voices must become our voice, proclaiming louder and louder the need for justice and the recognition of their dignity as human beings-created in the image of God and reflecting ever so brightly God's glory. We cannot wait. In the words of our late Pope John Paul II, "together, may we offer this world of ours new sighs of hope and work to insure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love" (Evangelium Vitae, 6).

Dear friends: what is so encouraging today is that, even as the threats to human life increase enormously in our society, there are so many people who truly realize the value of human life and dignity. They realize how much they can and must contribute to the cause of life by prayer and by their diligent participation in the political process, speaking out for just laws in every dimension of life. Today on this Respect Life Sunday we remember the call of Pope John Paul II to respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life! Only in this way, he pointed out, will we find justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness! Let us realize also, dear friends, that in God's plan life is already victorious in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our prayers and work this victory will increasingly unfold in our city, our commonwealth and our nation! May Mary, the Mother of Life, assist us in our important challenges.  Amen.