Print Issue: October 3, 2002

Life - Our First And Most Precious Gift

By Mary Boyert, Special To The Bulletin

Can you recall the best gift you ever received? Perhaps it was a beautiful painting of the seashore where you grew up or a lovely piece of jewelry from a loved one. Or even something with little financial value but deep with meaning - a clover plucked from the front yard by your 3-year-old daughter; the comfort from a friend in time of need; your grandson's two little arms squeezing your neck in a great big hug.

We can all think of several gifts that would qualify. And, if we compared our "Gratitude Lists," we would find something interesting. Although the gifts would vary from person to person, one thing would be the same. we are most grateful for the giver and not the gift. Because, after all, the old saying is true; it is "the thought that counts." The gifts we treasure the most, those we keep in our hearts, are those that are given out of love, the ones that represent a sharing in the life of the person presenting the gift.

While none of us can truly understand or explain the wonder of God, perhaps we can gain just a small glimpse of his love for us if we use the gift analogy. As Catholics, we know that God gave us a sharing in his own life. In Genesis we read: "For in the image of God has man been made." (Gen 9:6) God shared his own life with us. there is no greater gift than that!

If we use all the examples of all the gifts we've ever received in our entire lives, we don't even come close to the gift of God's love for us in the first gift we all received - the gift of LIFE.

Yes, the one gift we all share in common, given to us by our heavenly father, is the gift of life. It is our most precious gift because it is a share in the life of the father and we have the opportunity to share in this life forever! This is the most powerful message of love we will ever receive.

We may find it difficult to grasp the true meaning of this gift of life. But when we do, our reaction is the same. we are struck with awe and wonder. We may respond as did the psalmist, "I give you thanks that I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Ps 139:14)

October is Respect Life Month, as designated by the U.S. bishops. What better time to meditate on the great gift of life! During this month, we are asked to put a special emphasis on respect for life in our parishes and our communities.

Our parish pro-life committees have been hard at work planning liturgies, programs and other activities to help us focus on the gift of life. Our priests and deacons are working to include respect for life in their October homilies. Many groups that work to protect life are sponsoring seminars and other events to increase respect and legal protection for human life in our country.

The underlying reason for all these efforts is the church's awareness of the simple fact that each and every human life is a gift from God, "a manifestation of God in the world, a sign of his presence, a trace of his glory." (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, 34)

Yes, every individual human being, from the very instant of his or her existence, is to be protected and cherished. This is the basis of all Catholic social teaching - the dignity and value of every human life. And, the church is consistent in its support of all human life in its various stages and circumstances. The concept of "a consistent ethic of life" can be summarized in the words of the U.S. bishops:

Opposition to abortion and euthanasia does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. Any politics of human life must work to resist the violence of war and the scandal of capital punishment. Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing and health care. Therefore, Catholics should eagerly involve themselves as advocates for the weak and marginalized in all these areas. Catholic public officials are obliged to address each of these issues as they seek to build consistent policies which promote respect for the human person at all stages of life. But being "right" in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life. Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the "rightness" of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community. If we understand the human person as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" - the living house of God - then these latter issues fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house. All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the house's foundation. These directly and immediately violate the human person's most fundamental right - the right to life. (Living the Gospel of Life, 23)

This is a powerful message, one to seriously reflect upon. We have been given a great gift, the gift of life, as has every other human being, no matter how young, no matter how old, no matter how weak, no matter how strong. During the month of October, let us all thank God for the gift of life. And, then let us all work together so that all other human beings have the opportunity to enjoy their gift of life as well!

Mary Boyert is director of the archdiocesan Pro-Life Office.