The Gift of LIFE

We have class this Sunday. If you've missed recently, we'd love to see you back in class!

Yesterday was the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. It's a peaceful event asking our country to re-think how it thinks about the issue of LIFE (mainly focusing on abortion). I have had the opportunity to attend the march a few times, not to simply take high school kids to Washington D.C. for a little adventure or to hold a sign, but because our faith and our very human nature should compel us to stand up for life in its most vulnerable form. And because abortion affects all of us and is deeply personal to me.

You see, I can easily think of three people I knew quite well when they experienced an unplanned pregnancy outside of marriage: one relative, one good friend, and one high school student I worked with. Thankfully, all of these women chose life. However, I know in at least one of these situations, abortion was viewed as an option. This particular instance also happens to be the one I know best and the daughter who was born is now an incredible, kind and generous high schooler. Her parents' lives were forever changed by her, but not in the ways they imagined. Yes, life was difficult, especially those first few years, but love allows us to do things we never imagined possible. On Thursday I went to a diocesan event for DREs and the speaker said something that really stuck with me, "Our dignity is not dependent on what we can do, but rather on who we are." We all have dignity that is innate - given to us when we're conceived and receive a soul.

This whole idea of the "right to life" has weighed heavily on my mind and heart lately. As I told the parents with children preparing for 1st Communion, my husband and I are expecting our first child. We have experienced the anticipation of an ultrasound, the anxiety of wondering whether or not our child will be healthy, felt and seen the kicks and punches, endured the still on-going morning sickness, and we've been overwhlemed by what we don't know and profound joy and love for this little one that we haven't yet met. We can't forget that the babies are not the only victims of abortion. As St. Mother Teresa said, "Abortion is profoundly anti-women. Three quarters of its victims are women: half the babies and all the mothers." Please, keep the babies, the mothers and the fathers in your prayers.

And as always, you'll find our upcoming schedule and our FORMED feature, which has some content about the topic of LIFE.
Peace, Jenna Ripp