SAN ANTONIO • In all dioceses of the United States, Jan. 22 is observed as a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life.
    Since 1973 over 47 million pre-born babies have been killed through surgical abortion. Pharmacists for Life estimated that each year another 9 to 11 million just conceived human beings are aborted through the inducing action of contraceptives. Now, additional pre-born human beings are at risk of being aborted from the over the counter emergency contraception pill, also known as Plan B, which can also act as an abortifacient.
    Among the first pro-life events in 2007, Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated the archdiocesan Roe vs. Wade memorial Mass at San Fernando Cathedral the morning of Jan. 20.
    Prior to the liturgy, more than a dozen persons took part in a peaceful rosary for life procession in freezing rain from the cathedral to New Women’s Clinic at 419 San Pedro Avenue.

    In his homily at the Mass, Archbishop Gomez told the crowd that they were gathered to pray for life on the anniversary of the legalization of abortion in the United States and to ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to renew the commitment to the culture of life in the United States.

    “Modern society is threatened by the culture of death, mainly with the crime of abortion but also by euthanasia, violence, war and the death penalty,” said the archbishop. “We come to ask for God’s mercy to stop the abuse of life and the people at the beginning of the 21st century value the gift of life as a gift of God.”

    Archbishop Gomez referred to the readings at the liturgy. In the Letter to the Hebrews, Christ is referred to as the high priest. “The sacrifice of Christ brings redemption to the human race,” Archbishop Gomez said. “It means that with his coming to earth and giving his life as a redemption for our sins, Jesus restored our friendship with God the father and gave us the opportunity to go to heaven.”

    The archbishop recalled the words of Pope Pius XII, who said, “All men were thus rescued from the path of ruin and perdition and set once more on the way to God, to whom they were now to give due glory by cooperating personally in their sanctification, making their own the holiness that springs from the blood of the unspotted lamb.”

    “Christ’s sacrifice is the perfect sacrifice, but God in his infinite wisdom wants us to freely accept it in our own lives. That’s not an easy task,” the prelate emphasized.
    He mentioned the Gospel passage from St. Mark, in which it was difficult for Jesus’ relatives to believe in him. The relatives even said, “He is out of his mind.”

    Archbishop Gomez continued, “It seems to me that sometimes we are told that our faith is something we should keep to ourselves, that it shouldn’t influence how we vote and behave, and I feel that our secular society is not only promoting tolerance or government neutrality toward religion. It feels like they’re promoting hostility toward religion.”

    He quoted from the text of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical “The Gospel of Life,” saying, “The church has received the Gospel ... as a gift from Jesus ... to preach it to the whole world. ... We are at the service of the Gospel. ... With humility and gratitude we know that we are the people of life and for life, and this is how we present ourselves to everyone.”

    The San Antonio ordinary added, “Let’s renew our enthusiasm in the development of the culture of life in the world and especially in our country. It is an exciting time to be a Catholic. As exciting as it was for the disciples, even if people were thinking that they were ‘out of their minds.’”

    Archbishop Gomez concluded by saying, “We preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: a message of love, forgiveness, life and peace.”
    Then, the following week, on Jan. 27, the archdiocesan Office of Social Concerns chartered a bus from the Alamo city to head to Austin to take part in pro-life activities at the state Capitol.

More coverage on all Jan. 27 events will appear in a future edition.