We gather for our monthly diocesan Respect Life Mass on the Optional Memorial of the Holy Name of Mary. “The object of this feast is our blessed Lady bearing the name of Mary, and it was instituted that on it the faithful might in a special manner recommend to God, through the intercession of His all-holy Mother, the needs of the Church, and thank Him for His almighty protection and numberless mercies, especially those we receive on account of the graces and mediation of the Blessed Virgin. The feast was allowed at Cuenca in Spain in 1513; it spread in that country, and in 1683 Pope Innocent XI extended it to the whole Western church, as an act of thanksgiving for the raising of the siege of Vienna and the defeat of the Turks by John Sobieski, King of Poland; it was at that time assigned to the Sunday within the octave of our Lady’s birthday, but is now kept on the date of Sobieski’s triumph” (Herbert Thurston, S.J. and Donald Attwater, editors, Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Vol. III, p. 544).

Yes, we lift up to Mary the needs of the Church and of our contemporary society. A pressing fundamental need is respect for human life, from the first moment at conception through every stage of its development to its last moment at natural death.

Sadly, for too many in our world, even among believers in the God of life, there is a disconnect between protecting life at its beginning and at its later stages. Bishop Robert C. Morlino of the Diocese of Madison wisely observed in his recent column: “The challenge for us as Catholics in the United States – and it is a challenge both personally and as a community – is to bridge that disconnect and pull that whole seamless garment of the defense of life together, rather than rending that garment in twain and choosing one, while almost, or actually, excluding the other. The social teaching of the Church and her pro-life stance surely are interwoven as a seamless garment.”

If we do not defend and protect life at its very beginning, then there is no life to protect and defend later. This is why the attacks on life at its very beginning are so evil and horrendous. Abortion and embryonic stem-cell research destroy the life of the most defenseless, vulnerable and innocent human beings.

Therefore, the questions about the beginning of life are not “neuralgic questions,” as some would hold. These questions are fundamental; these issues are primary and essential. To state that human life must be protected and defended at its beginning is based, first of all, on science. Modern technology allows us to see within the womb; at ten weeks or even earlier, we see a human being, not a mass of tissue. So, it is a human life that will be deliberately and unjustly ended through abortion or through other attacks on human life. This is not a statement of faith, but of reason. Of course, faith comes into play, because those who believe must respect all human life and not deliberately and unjustly end it.

We are pro-life – for life – at its beginning and therefore must be for life at its various stages of development and at its end. This is why end-of-life issues also are not “neuralgic.” Pope John Paul II affirmed this continuum in his encyclical on life. (cf. Evangelium Vitae, Nos. 10 and 11).

An issue so prevalent these days is healthcare reform. Yes, the need for such reform is real. Allow me to share with you several key points from a pastoral letter written by two of my brother bishops: Archbishop Joseph Naumann and Bishop Robert Finn. “We claim no expertise in economics or the complexities of modern medical science. However, effective health care policies must be built on a foundation of proper moral principles. The needed change in health care must therefore flow from certain principles that protect the fundamental life and dignity of the human person and the societal principles of justice, which are best safeguarded when such vital needs are provided for in a context of human love and reason, and when the delivery of care is determined at the lowest reasonable level. The rich tradition of Catholic social and moral teaching should guide our evaluation of the many and varied proposals for health care reform….No Catholic in good conscience can disregard these fundamental moral principles, although there can and likely will be vigorous debate about their proper application…. Recent cautionary notes have been sounded by Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chair of the U.S. Bishops Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William Murphy of the U.S. Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Social Development, against the inclusion of abortion in a revised health care plan. At the same time, they have warned against the endangerment or loss of conscience rights protection for individual health care workers or private health care institutions. A huge resource of professionals and institutions dedicated to care of the sick could find themselves excluded, by legislation, after health care reform, if they failed to provide services which are destructive of human life, and which are radically counter to their conscience and institutional mission. The loss of Catholic hospitals and health care providers, which currently do more to provide pro bono services to the poor and the marginalized than their for-profit counterparts, would be a tremendous blow to the already strained health care system in our country. It is imperative that any health care reform package must keep intact our current public polices protecting taxpayers from being coerced to fund abortions. It is inadequate to propose legislation that is silent on this morally crucial matter. Given the penchant of our courts over the past 35 years to claim unarticulated rights in our Constitution, the explicit exclusion of so-called “abortion services” from coverage is essential. Similarly, health care reform legislation must clearly articulate the rights of conscience for individuals and institutions. Some proposals for government reform have referenced end of life counseling for the elderly or disabled. An August 3, 2009 Statement of the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses on Health Care Legislation, in addition to calling for the exclusion of mandates for abortion, the protection of abortion funding prohibitions, and the assurance of conscience rights, insists that the mandating of end of life consultation for anyone regardless of age or condition would place undue pressure on the individual or guardian to opt for measures to end life, and would send the message that they are no longer of value to society. The nurses’ statement concludes, ‘We believe those lives and all lives are valuable and to be respected and cared for to the best of our abilities. Care must be provided for any human being in need of care regardless of disability or level of function or dependence on others in accordance with the 1999 Supreme Court Decision in Olmstead v. L.C.’ (www.nursesforlife.org/napnstatement.pdf).” (Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Health Care Reform).

Obviously we need to be correctly informed regarding the facts, so that we will be objective, balanced and principled in accord with the Church’s teaching and guidance in the areas of moral theology and social justice.

Yes, the cause of life and for life begins at conception and continues to natural death. First, we must pray for conversion of hearts, including our own. We are all in need of God’s saving mercy. Saint Paul reminds us in our first reading that he is a prime example of how Christ Jesus might display his patience – “I was mercifully treated.” Again, I quote Bishop Morlino’s recent column: “It is so important at this time that our Catholic homes and families re-emphasize their role as schools of mercy, not at the expense of justice, and not at the expense of Truth, but recognizing that Jesus Christ gave His body to be broken and His blood to be poured out, so that there might be mercy. This is the reason for our devotion, through the inspiration of Sister Faustina and its confirmation by Pope John Paul II, to the Divine Mercy prayers, which I hope are becoming more prominent and more frequently practiced in our homes and in our parishes” (op. cit.).

We must be rooted in the truth, including the truth about life and practice that truth in love. If we do, to recall today’s Gospel, we are like “someone who comes to [Christ], listens to [His] words and acts on them,” someone who builds his house on rock.

We must witness through our involvement in discussions and in our vote. In the Holy Name of Mary, we find strength. St. Bernard’s counsel is so inspiring: “Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary…in danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart…If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination” (Benedict XVI, address at Heiligenkreuz Abbey, September 9, 2007).

Yes, in praying to Mary and invoking her Holy Name, the Church and the world discover the solution to every need, including the need to respect life from conception to natural death.