By Sr. Therese Maria
Touma, MSCL
“A society will be
judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members; and among the most
vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying.” Saint John Paul II
On
January 27th, the Maronite Servant Sisters participated in the 44th annual March
for life in Washington DC. We joined our voices with over half a million people from
across the nation standing up to defend the unborn.
What an
amazing and powerful statement we made to the entire world: Life is sacred from
the womb to the tomb. We prayed, marched, celebrated and witnessed to the
dignity and sanctity of life with His Excellency Bishop Gregory Mansour and
over 100 fellow Maronites.
The
night before the March we participated in a prayer vigil for Life at Our Lady
of Lebanon Church in Washington DC. We came before the Lord as a church family to
love and thank him, to implore his mercy, healing and peace for those who have
had an abortion and/or those who perform, assist or encourage abortions.
The
theme for this year's March for Life was the Power of One. There are so many
inspiring stories that we heard that revealed the impact that one person can
have in building a culture of life. In essence, to be
Pro-life is to be Pro-Woman and Pro-baby!
The 2017 March for Life was truly historic, peaceful and moving, including speeches by Vice President Mike Pence, and Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President. In particular, Mia Love's testimony stirred my heart as she recounted her immigrant parents' story; and how they considered aborting her over 40 years ago. Mia is a living testimony of what could have been and how one life can make a vital and positive difference in our society. She is the first black woman Republican in Congress. What a gift and hopeful witness Mia is in demonstrating how we can reach our full potential by valuing the sacredness of life.
Let us continue to pray and sacrifice in defense of the dignity of human life: born and unborn.
“Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it the "path to life" (Psalm 16:11). The challenge is to make the Church’s "yes" to Life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!” Saint John Paul II
