Thoughts
As next week is the 42nd Annual March for Life in DC, this is a great time to meditate upon life. Life is valuable not just because here on earth we can experience love, joy, physical pleasure and intellectual satisfaction. While all of those are wonderful gifts from God, life is of the utmost value because through it we can come to know and be known; to love and be loved by Almighty God for all eternity. Each human life is uniquely, purposely and perfectly created by God: born or pre-born, smart or intellectually challenged, fit or crippled, sound or mentally ill. Even the adulterer, murderer and blasphemer are cherished by God. Murder is not the only crime against life! Hatred, cruelty, racism, disrespect, scandal, and apathy toward our neighbor promote death, as does our own intemperance, addiction, sloth, sexual impropriety, and other unhealthy life choices.

Challenge
Take some time to explore how you might better promote life in yourself, your relationships with others and in society. Go to confession if this self-examination reveals some serious past failures on your part. Forgive others (and yourself) for the failure to promote and protect life. Pray for the conversion of hearts of those who do not properly value life. Take some time to meditate upon God’s greatest testament to life’s value – The Second Person of the Trinity being born, living as a human, suffering, dying and Rising from the dead for you!

Go Deeper
+ Top 13 quotable quotes by Pope Francis on sanctity of life
+ Awesome video by Bishop Don Hying: What Does Pro-Life Really Mean?
+ Attend a local pro-life rally in Chicago on January 18
+ Watch the March for Life events on EWTN
+ Read the Encyclical Letter on human life Humanae Vitae (includes Catholic teaching on contraception)
+ Read what the Church teaches about Life And Dignity Of The Human Person
+ Great Emotional pro-life music videos: My Heart Beats Too + Mother’s Inspirational Video of Blind Baby Boy and news follow up
+ Lighthouse Catholic Media CDs regarding Defending Life
+ Priest for Life Website
+ Read what the Church teaches regarding embryonic therapy and biomedical research