October 6, 2002 (27th Sunday in ordinary time - year A)
(Life-chain Sunday - Pro-Life)
Deacon Michael Kiley
St. Julie Billiart
Isaiah 5: 1-7   Philippians 4: 6-9    Matthew 21: 33-43

“The kingdom of god will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”  Powerful words.  Frightening words.   

Fact: (taken from www.abortionfacts.com) Figures from 1973 to 1998, published by the Alan Guttmacher institute, the statistical arm of the International Family Planning Organization, which is not a pro-life organization, categorically states that in the United States there have been 38,010,378 abortions. World wide they place the statistics at 53 million abortions.  In most cases experts agree that in reality the count is much higher due to abortions not recorded. 

“The kingdom of god will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”  

Fact: Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is gaining wide spread adherents to the belief that a terminally ill patient has the legal right to request death and be given an injection of choice to die.   

“The kingdom of god will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”  

Fact: Stem cell research is becoming world wide.  The actor, Christopher Reeves of superman fame, has recently called for a bill in congress to expand government funding of stem cell research.  Mr. Reeves suffered spinal injuries in a fall and can no longer walk.  There is a good indication that spinal cells harvested from human fetal tissue could be used to help him walk again if transplanted to his spine. I believe we can all sympathize with his situation but at the heart of stem cell research is the fact that the best source for these cells is human fetal tissue.  Harvesting the stem cells destroys the embryo.  In short, we are producing test tube babies in order to kill them for their parts.  

“The kingdom of god will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”  

This has been one of the most difficult homilies I have ever prayed and thought about.  I believe you all know me well enough to know that I like nothing better then a good laugh and a smile but this weekend we are called to look at something that has no laughter, that has no smile - Killing.  The killing of the children of the world, the killing of the unborn, the killing of the ill and the elderly.   

I know that many consider the abortion issue to be a personal matter.  It is difficult and painful.  We want to be compassionate and understanding and we need to be compassionate and understanding. But the church repeatedly calls us to defend the right to life from the very beginning of conception to the moment of the individual’s final breath.  All life is sacred!!! But like the tenants of the vineyard, we live in a world, where legally we have seized the very sacredness of life and have decided to be the god of its death.  God has given us so much. God is the author of all and the creator of all but we in our free will are telling that author of life, that we know better how such a gift is to be used. We are returning death for life. What a produce we are returning to god. 

Recently I read: (quoted from www.priestsforlife.com) “Abortion is the exact opposite of love.  Love says, ‘I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person.’  abortion says, ‘I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself.’  In the Eucharist we see the meaning of love and receive the power to live it. The very same words that the lord uses to teach us the meaning of love are also used by those who promote abortion: ‘This is my body!’  these four little words are spoken from opposite ends of the universe, with totally opposite results.  Christ gives his body away so that others might live; abortion supporters cling to their own bodies so others might die.  Christ says, ‘This is my body given up for you; this is my blood shed for you.’  these are words of sacrifice; these are words of love.”   

Indeed, the Eucharist gives us the strength of love that we need to carry out into that world, his love and courage, to stand up and face the evil one who is the master of all lies and deceit.  But if we do not have this cornerstone, this foundation of love in our hearts, then nothing will stop the killing.  As the song of song 8:6 says: “love is stronger than death, more powerful even than hell.”