Human life is so precious, so valuable. Each one of us has been made perfectly in the image of God. Each one of us has been given the gift of life. We should be so grateful to God for such a wondrous gift.

And yet, a culture of death is pervading the world as we know it. Disregard for the value of human life is rampant. Those who promote this culture of death worship at the shrine of abortion and euthanasia. They seek to put an end to life either before it has the chance to truly live, or prior to its natural conclusion. In their worldview life is not valuable. Or they may see some life as of greater value than other life.

Abortion is a terrible thing. It ends a beautiful human life before it can even take its first breath. There are so many different views in the community of those who support abortion as to when human life begins. Some say when the preborn baby develops a heartbeat, others when it is able to sustain itself outside the mother’s womb. Some even think termination right up to the end of a pregnancy is perfectly acceptable.

Scientifically, life begins at conception. This is not just a religious view; it is a scientific fact. When a man and a woman conceive a child, as soon as the sperm meets the egg, and embryo is formed with a unique set of DNA, a unique genetic make-up. It is a unique human life at its earliest stage. As that little life grows, it will develop a head, a body, all the organs, blood vessels, everything it needs to survive. As early as five and a half to six weeks after conception, that precious little life will develop a heartbeat. That little life should be taken care of and protected so that it can enter into this world and live.

Each one of us has been uniquely designed, knitted together in our mother’s womb. Each one of us is here because we were protected and given the chance to grow so that we could be born into this world. So what gives any one of us the right to deny that opportunity to any other preborn baby?

Life is no less valuable in the womb than it is outside of it.

What is truly saddening is that some people believe that if a preborn baby is likely to have some kind of disability, for example Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or any other condition, then it would be better for that life to be put to an end before it can come into the world to save it from suffering. This kind of thinking is truly horrific and utterly disrespectful to the sanctity of human life. Just because a baby might have a disability doesn’t render its life any less valuable. It doesn’t justify taking an innocent human life. It’s the sort of thinking that could be considered genocidal.

The other major argument made by those who demean and disregard the value of life is that it is a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have a child. No one has the right to take an innocent human life.

This is why there is such value in the sanctity of marriage. When a man and a woman commit to each other in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, they are giving themselves fully to one another, with a commitment to bringing new life into the world in the form of children.

The problem in modern society is that hookup culture is rife. As a result, far too many individuals are devaluing sex and turning it into something that it is not. It was not designed for meaningless hookups, but for the purpose of love and procreation.

On the other end of the spectrum of life is its end. Everyone should be able to live their life to its natural conclusion. But the culture of death seeks to speed up that end and terminate human life prematurely.

Now I think it is important to note here that suffering is not something we may necessarily desire. But there is a beauty in suffering (I know, it seems paradoxical) in that we can unite it to Christ’s suffering on the Cross. We can offer up our suffering for others.

Saint John Paul II once said to the sick and the suffering:

“You can do very much by your prayer and your sacrifice, your suffering… you can obtain much from Jesus Christ for those who may not need physical help, but who often are in terrible need of spiritual help… Your role in the parish is not merely passive.”

Saint John Paul II noted how our suffering can be redemptive, just like Christ’s suffering on the Cross, the greatest act of redemption known to man. I highly recommend reading his Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, which focuses on the Christian meaning of human suffering.

There are many in our world who are suffering spiritually. They may be struggling in their relationship with Christ, or struggling with sin. They might be having a difficult time approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They might be struggling with spiritual dryness. They may have been away from the Church for some time and may be trying to return. There are so many ways in which people can suffer spiritually. When others offer up their suffering for them, it can be transformative, not only for those who need such prayer and sacrifice, but also for those enduring suffering, because they can be at peace knowing that their suffering is working for the glory of the Kingdom.

So when euthanasia is promoted for those who are suffering, even those who may have a terminal illness, it is depriving those people of offering their suffering up for the good of others. It is also important to note that doctors can get diagnoses wrong, and such an error may deprive someone of life if euthanasia is used to prevent them from suffering. An individual that euthanasia is suggested to may live for a much longer time than they are prescribed by a doctor. That is valuable time that they could be spending with their family, making memories to last well after they are gone.

It is a terrible tragedy to cut life short.

December 28^th marks the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a Feast day where we remember all those innocent lives who have been cut short before they could even truly live. We remember all the young boys, two years of age or less, who were slaughtered at the command of King Herod because of his obsession with power. We remember all the victims of abortion, all those who have died at the hands of euthanasia.

But we must also be wary that being pro-life, being part of a culture of life, does not end with praying for an end to abortion and euthanasia. We must also ensure that we take care of the poor and the needy, and that we treat our neighbours well. Our neighbours are each and every one of our fellow members of society. We should look after each other, pray for each other, and show the love and mercy of God to all.

When the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with St John the Baptist, Elizabeth’s child leapt in her womb. One of the first people to rejoice at the life of Christ was a baby in the womb. It is so incredibly beautiful and clearly demonstrates the joy and the sanctity of human life.

Human life is sacred. All human life is valuable. No one life is more valuable than another. God has made us all in the image of His perfection. We must do all we can to protect life, to value it well. In order to preserve the sanctity of life, we must promote a culture of life.

Life is truly a gift from God.

May God Bless all human life, and may the Holy Innocents pray for us.