Given at St George's Cathedral in Southwark Diocese on 3rd September 2022, for the Mass preceding the March for Life.
Choose Life…
We are gathered today to celebrate the Mass because we choose life, life from the very beginnings of the embryo in the womb, full of mystery and potential, to the sacred moment of the final breath of a person who entrusts his life into God’s hands. From the very beginning until the very end, God’s Spirit is at work.
In the words of psalm 139 at the very beginning of life, ‘It was you who created my inmost self and put me together in my mother’s womb; for all these mysteries I thank you: for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works. You know me through and through, for having watched my bones take shape when I was being formed in secret, knitted together in the limbo of the womb.’ (Psalm 139: 13-15)
For the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works – I thank you. We thank you. We thank you for all our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable; for the joy of our sisters and brothers who have a disability and live bringing the wonder and joy to those around them. I remember with deep gratitude and live the joy of the little community of adults with learning disabilities who met in the parishes of Derby and Nottingham and who taught me so much about the joys of life. Today we give thanks for the gift of life, for the culture of life. Choose life…
Ten Million Too Many… the theme of this year’s March for Life recognises the tragedy of ten million lives lost by abortion since the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967. Ten million too many… Ten million of our brothers and sisters who did not see birth. Ten million women who chose to have an abortion, often in very difficult circumstances, but who now carry the scar and pain of their choice. Ten Million Too Many… it is hard to grasp this huge number. Ten million faces who could have smiled and shed tears, who could have brought joy and gifts to others. We pray for those ten million lives which we commend to the mercy of the Father for we believe that every life is precious to the Almighty and that he knows each by his or her name and they rejoice in heaven. We pray for a culture of life where women and men are empowered to recognise the preciousness of a new life. The March for Life is a peaceful witness to a culture of life where all are valued and recognised for their inherent God-given dignity. It is a sign of solidarity with the most vulnerable.
This year the March for Life takes place on the day when the Relics of St. Bernadette begin their pilgrimage around the dioceses of our countries. Why is this important and why do I link the two events?
St. Bernadette in her poverty and need received a visitation from Our Blessed Lady. She followed her commands to tell people to come on pilgrimage to Lourdes. There we see men and women who are sick or disabled as the focus and centre of life. These are the ‘little ones’ into whose lives the Kingdom of God breaks. The relics of a saint are a tangible sign of their life on earth. In St Bernadette we glimpse a life which was created from the dust of the earth, filled with the Holy Spirit, who became holy through poverty, prayer and suffering. She points us to the dignity of every person and our future life in heaven. She speaks to us of the reversal of values where the weakest and poorest are centre stage. Today, we mark ten million lives too many lost by abortion and pray for the women who experience the trauma of this choice.
Choose Life…
‘It was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim his Good News to you in the face of great opposition’ (1 Thess. 2:20). These opening words of the first reading on this feast of St Gregory the Great, the Apostle of the English, who sent St Augustine to Kent, remind us that God gives us the courage to proclaim the good of all human life, the life from its conception to natural death, which is a gift of God. We have been entrusted with this Good News to share it. The March for Life is a pilgrimage when a broad company of women and men, of different faiths and none, unite to proclaim the wonder of this gift of life and seek to build a culture of life where all can flourish.
We are at a moment in history when the societies are very divided about abortion. There are strident arguments for a broader and more liberal law for abortion as well as the great movement of people, symbolised today, who argue that life must be protected from womb to tomb. This drama is being played out in the United States as well as in our country. There is an urgency to find allies with whom we can work to proclaim this good of life, often by silent witness and providing for women who are pregnant and need ways to help them continue their pregnancy. The Church needs to strive to offer hope and healing for all those hurt by the tragedy of abortion. Like the seed that falls into the ground in the parable of the Sower, we can trust that God will use every step we take and multiply its effects and they will be rewarded a hundredfold. Be courageous…
Ten Million Too Many… To build a stronger culture of life leads to other necessary changes in society. The many painful situations which lead to abortion are reflected in these shocking statistics and call for better legal and social protections for women and the unborn child. They call for much more reflection on what is needed for relationships and sex education that is rooted in respect and self-restraint, support for the family and single mothers. Today we pray for the building of a culture of life and welcome where all are recognised and treated as a gift.
Bishop John Sherrington
3rd September 2022