The holy season of Christmas is nearly upon us. One of the ways that we can truly celebrate this amazing act of our loving God to take on human form is to reflect on the value, dignity and meaning of human life.
In the introduction of his encyclical Evangelium Vitae ("The Gospel of Life"), Pope John Paul II refers to the Incarnation to remind us about the "incomparable value of every human person":
"‘By his incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every human being.’ … This saving event reveals to humanity not only the boundless love of God who ‘so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ (Jn 3:16), but also the incomparable value of every human person" (no. 2).
In her Life Issues Forum column, Susan Wills from the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Secretariat provides another extraordinary source of reflection from C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory:
"The dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. … There are no ordinary people. ... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ … is truly hidden."
Mrs. Wills then provides this encouragement: "At Christmas gatherings, in long checkout lines, and in overcrowded parking lots, let’s remember that Christ lives in the people around us. Let’s celebrate Christmas with profound gratitude that through his Incarnation and birth, Jesus showed us the meaning of love and the priceless value of every human life."
Another way to celebrate Christmas is to focus on the great work being accomplished by the pregnancy assistance centers throughout Nebraska. What could be more appropriate as we contemplate the gestation and birth of our Lord and the many challenges encountered by Mary and Joseph?
There are 31 pregnancy centers that serve the people of Nebraska. A complete list of these centers with contact information is available from my office or online at www.nebcathcon.org (under "pro-life").
These centers provide or facilitate housing, instructional programs, provision of maternity and baby clothes, furniture and other necessities, adoption through licensed agencies, parenting classes, job training, medical care including pregnancy testing, prenatal and obstetrical care, social services, including counseling, arrangement for transportation, child health care, assistance in applying for financial help before and after the birth, including the WIC (Women, Infants, Children) program, Medicaid, and child support.
Over the last few weeks during my weekly Friday morning segment on Spirit Catholic Radio (KVSS) I have interviewed directors from pregnancy assistance centers in Nebraska. These centers truly represent the heart of the pro-life movement and our effort to make abortion unthinkable.
What makes the extraordinary work of these centers even more edifying is that most of them operate with volunteers only. And all of them operate solely, or primarily, with funds from caring, pro-life individuals. By supporting these centers with our time and treasure, we truly celebrate and honor God’s sublime gift of the Incarnation, and we make a concrete contribution to building a culture of life and love.
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