Getting it wrong on abortion: Homily for Monday, January 22, 2024

Readings for Today. Listen to our other podcasts.

There are times when the “right” approach on abortion is limited to one major political party. In sharing my story about my sister, I try to articulate that we are not called simply to make sure someone is born, and then left totally on their own. As Mother Teresa said, if we do not experience peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.

Getting it wrong on abortion

Today in the United States, at the Church of the United States, it’s the day that we remember the unborn and for their safety, for their protection, for their right to live. And I want to talk a little bit today about why this issue is so important to me, one. Two, why I think most both major political parties get it completely wrong. And three, maybe what it is that we can do as a result.

So why is this issue important to me? I have to talk about my own family. Even many people who know me well do not know that I had a sister who was a year older than I was. She was born with many medical difficulties. My sister would never have talked, she would never have walked, she would have really been completely dependent for her entire life.

And she died when I was four, so even my knowledge of her is quite limited because I was so little. She was five when she died. And really, in many ways, it was in fact a tremendous gift that she she died. She had had lots of surgeries in her life and we could argue that it was an almost impossible life. But when I listen to my parents talk about my sister Darlene, one thing is very clear. They loved that little girl with their entire heart.

And there are a few things to say that are important to note here. One, my mother had had difficult pregnancies. She had two miscarriages before she had my sister and then I was actually two months premature and was almost born in the elevator even though she had been in the hospital for about a month before I was born. So she had some difficulties.

So it would have been completely understandable when they learned from the doctors that my sister had these difficulties to say we just can’t do this. Moreover, this was quite a long time ago and there weren’t the social services that there are today. And so I’m sure that it started my parents on a really challenging financial course. They did not start by owning their own home. In fact, they rented at least twice and maybe three times to the bed. [Editor’s note: four.]

Oh no, yeah, it would be three [four] times before they were able to buy a house. They’d been married almost 12 years before they purchased their home. And so it wasn’t the case that they had lots and lots of financial resources to make this happen.

My father in particular, not that my mother didn’t love my sister, I don’t mean that, but my father in particular always impressed on me that I had a sister. That she was valuable and that she had dignity and she had worth and that I had an advocate in heaven because she was a holy innocent. Now that’s the first thing.

So it’s important to me because it would have been so easy for my parents to have said I just can’t do this. But they didn’t and I know it changed their lives. I know that my sister made such a profound and deep impact on my parents.

But do both political parties get right or get wrong rather when it comes to abortion? It should not be a right codified in the Constitution. It should not. It’s not something desirable ever. It’s always an action that is wrong even though it is not always sinful.

But here’s what the Republicans get wrong. We must have a profound safety net for everyone. Health care shouldn’t be something that’s up for grabs if you’re lucky enough to have the resources to get it. Child care should not be up for grabs if a single mother needs to work. Paid family and medical leave is a family value. Those first months of life for parents with their children are phenomenally important for their life. Having food to eat should not be something that’s dependent solely on whether or not one is fortunate enough to get it.

And so the issue will never be one we can discuss in peace and harmony until we recognize what most of the developed world knows. You see, we have in the developed world abortion laws that are really easily among the most free in terms of how long one could get it.

Most of the world in fact does have a restriction on abortion that is limited to the first trimester. Most countries in the developed world do not allow abortion after about 20 weeks. The big controversy in our life. Why? Because there’s a safety net that provides for people who are in difficult circumstances. Both of those things are necessary if we are to make any progress.

Now lastly, this issue is not going to be solved legally. It’s going to be solved when we have the ability to change minds and hearts to recognize that every, every, every human being at every stage of their life has a right to live.

If in fact we are people who come to believe that we need to protect the unborn but we don’t need to provide for their material ability to exist, or at least to provide the opportunity that they have that, then we’re misguided. If we believe that we only deserve to live if we live without wrongdoing, we’re misguided. Even if a person is guilty of the most heinous crime, it is not up to us to end their life.

The giving and taking of life is left to God alone because that’s who God is. This is a challenging, challenging issue.

I know I’m a little lengthy this morning but I do want to say one other thing about this sin because it’s it’s one that’s confusing to people and I think the explanation is a lot simpler. All sins will be forgiven except someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit. What is that sin? Refusing to believe that God can forgive sin. In which case, God can’t forgive sin. If we don’t believe that God can forgive sin, God can’t forgive sin.

I just couldn’t let it go as a simple explanation. Let us ask the Lord today to help us to appreciate all life, born, unborn, young, old, in prison, out of prison, in need, not in need, so that we might come to proclaim that we are indeed made in God’s image and likeness.

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.

About Author