Convenience or Holiness?

Homily for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
There is a sign on some of the beaches in Florida – perhaps you have seen it or heard about it. The sign alerts beach users to the presence of endangered sea turtles and asks for their help in protecting them. Beach users are instructed to avoid disturbing nesting females, to leave nests, eggs, and hatchlings undisturbed, and to turn off lights that shine on the beach at certain times of the year, while the turtles are nesting. Then, at the bottom of the sign, in bold letters, is the proclamation: “Sea turtles are protected by county, state and federal law. Fines up to $20,000.”

It is good that we protect sea turtles and other endangered animals – the advancement of the human race has certainly come at the expense of many of God’s other creatures. But seeing a sign like this should make us stop and wonder: what kind of country this is that creates laws in three different levels of government – county, state, and federal – to protect sea turtles, but at the same time, allows the murder of innocent human beings through abortion, legalizes scientific research on human embryos, and, in some states, allows direct euthanasia. Something is not right.

This Tuesday, our country marks the 35th Anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade, legalizing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. In his dissenting, or minority, opinion on the case, Justice Byron White complained that the Supreme Court, and our culture in general, values convenience and pleasure more than life itself. Convenience is not a virtue – it is not the goal of human existence. Isaiah reminds us today that the Lord formed us from the womb to be his servants, to be a light to the nations. Life itself is the greatest gift that we have been given, and it is our duty as Christians to allow God’s gift to prosper, whether it is convenient or not.

Fortunately, the convenience of abortion is not the only choice for pregnant women who feel, for whatever reason, that they are not ready or able to be a good parent for their child. Help is available, even in our own community, through resource centers that provide financial assistance, medical services, legal advice, counseling, a place to live, jobs, education, and assistance to keep the child or to place the child for adoption. There is help, but even more, there can be forgiveness and healing. The reality is that many women have had abortions, sometimes on their own, sometimes with the support or encouragement of family or friends. Right now, a baby is aborted every 20 seconds in this country. It is a legal medical procedure and happens through all nine months of pregnancy. One of the most critical and necessary parts of the Church’s pro-life ministry is a ministry of healing and forgiveness. The gospel of life is a gospel of mercy, and the healing that God offers is one of the most powerful gifts we can receive.

St. Paul reminds us today that we who are sanctified in Christ are called to be holy – we are called to be holy – to completely give ourselves over to the will of God. To be holy means to take God’s gifts seriously, to recognize God’s presence in all human beings, from the moment of conception to natural death, and everywhere in between. It’s a stark contrast – convenience or holiness – the convenience of our society, ignoring God’s gifts whenever we want to; or the holiness of the gospel, even when we fail, but striving for holiness, being the servants of the God of life. Convenience or holiness – more protection for sea turtles or human babies. But is there really a choice?