Not all too ago, we celebrated Christmas, remembering and celebrating that God became man, was born in the humblest of circumstances to a virgin, to save mankind. This month, January, the first month of the year, the Church dedicates to the Sanctity of Human Life.
In commemoration of the Sanctity of Human Life, tens of thousands will participate in the 51st annual march in Washington, D.C., held every year since the first anniversary of the now-struck down Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion debate back to the states.
Throughout the month of January, thousands of pro-life institutions and warriors across the country will hold their own March for Life events and other pro-life events to recognize and honor the sanctity of life.
As pro-life warriors in Ohio and many around the country already know, Ohio is in a troubling place when it comes to the sanctity of life. With the passage of Issue 1 in November, late-term abortion is now legal in Ohio, health and safety standards have been removed, and parental rights eviscerated. There is no other way to spin it. We are in a dark place.
As such, however, we are called and commanded to be the light and work even more diligently, more relentlessly to protect the sanctity of life. To change the tide, merely attending any of these incredible events won’t be enough. We must commit to changing something as personal and perhaps seemingly insignificant as our daily habits to have the impact to change the tide in Ohio.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said regarding habit: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If we are going to change the culture, we must start implementing daily habits into our lifestyle that over time will reflect change.
Think about it. If every person who attended the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. took just even one day a month to pray outside an abortion clinic, passersby would notice. Clinic workers would notice. Hearts and minds would be pricked, and seeds would be planted.
If, for example, every person who went to the March for Life decided to spend an hour in adoration each week praying for an end to abortion, praying for legislators, governors, pro-life leaders, abortion doctors, and clinic workers, hearts and minds would be pricked, and seeds would be planted.
If every person who attended the March for Life decided to take even one day a month to fast for an end to abortion and intercede for the protection of the sanctity of life, we would see change. Hearts and minds would be pricked, and seeds would be planted.
In Matthew 17:20-21, Jesus reminded us of the significance of praying and fasting to end demonic activity. “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
No one has a magic wand to wave to say if we did x, y, or z, culture would change, and society will be perfect. Quite the contrary, we live in a fallen world, and society will never be perfect. Only in heaven will we know perfection, peace and a world void of sin. Yet some of the most essential and powerful keys to change are overlooked including, prayer, fasting and witnessing for life.
Seeing as this world is a far cry from heaven, we have our work cut out for us. As Christians and Catholics, we tend to get so focused on our own lives, and even our own amazing missions and work that we forget some of the most essential and powerful keys to victory: prayer, fasting, and witnessing.
I am speaking to myself first here as it has been quite a while since I have, for example, gone consistently to pray outside of an abortion clinic. Yes, I go sporadically. But sporadic activity is no way to create change. Aristotle would agree with me on that. Consistency and repeated habits are the only way to excellence and effecting change.
God wants us to change our culture. He specifically called us to do “greater things.” Actually, in John 14:12, he challenged us and said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a challenge to me. Let’s take it up this Sanctity of Life month and see it through to the end of 2024. Maybe by then, it will be a habit. Even better, however, our Lord promises that our work, even if success is not seen immediately, is never done in vain. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
We just celebrated Christmas and the great gift of life. Now its time to pray, fast and witness for life as never before in 2024.
Rachel del Guidice is communication director for Ohio Right to Life.
