“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” Jeremiah

This passage from Jeremiah reminds us that amazingly God has known each of us even before we were in our mother’s womb. Scriptures such as these and the teachings of our Church have called us to have a profound respect for life. October is a month in which we reflect upon our support for the gift of life. I would like to share some passages from the Catechism of our Church in reference to this. We hear in paragraph 2270: “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his (or her) existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”

The Catechism quotes the document Donum Vitae with the following: “The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his (or her) origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.” Some of the things we can do to promote our respect for life can be praying for those who are pregnant, learning more about why the Church supports the gift of life, becoming an advocate for life, donating to charities that support those who have chosen life but struggle with material needs. Recently, a local organization that supports those experiencing a crisis pregnancy, the Allied Women’s Center, had a gala where they expressed need for support. This is one of many ways to help. Their phone number is (210) 224-7077 and their website is www.alliedwomenscenter.com. They are located at 102 Marshall St.; S.A. 78212. May we all move towards a greater respect for the gift of life.