Respect Life Sunday

My advice to those that want to celebrate Respect Life Sunday in an apporpriate manner is to respect death. In the the late 70s, there was a song called Born to Be Alive.

Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez
Some in the pro-life movement have adopted it as a theme song. I would argue that we are not born to be alive, but we are born to die.

I do not intend to sound morbid. All human roads lead to earthly death. The people that seem to live the fullest lives are the people that understand that all human roads lead to death. These are people that comprehend that God is in control. So, rather than struggle to gain control, these people embrace what is before them and try to impact, but not control, their lives and the lives of others - Mother Teresa, Oscar Schindler, etc.

In the past week, I have had many connections to death. My mother's memorial Mass took place last weekend. The grandmother of a good friend suffered a stroke and is in a coma from which she will not awaken. A high school classmate died last night from injuries sustained in a car crash the day before - he leaves behind a wife, two young children and one child on the way.

Catholic priests and deacons get it. People often ask why priests and deacons never seem to be sad when they preside at funeral services. Priest and deacons recognize that people are born to die. A spiritual goal has been reached when a person dies. All is blissful for the person that dies. The struggle is for those that mourn the loss of a loved one. Helping those that are mourning to understand that the death of the loved one has resulted in new life for him or her is one of the most life-respecting actions there can be.