This is being observed as “Respect for Life” weekend. On August 30th, about 365 persons in leadership roles across our Diocese attended a Conference with the theme, “Reflecting the Face of Mercy.” One of three specific areas in which all of us are challenged to reach out to witness to God’s Mercy is that of situations in which persons have participated in the crime of abortion. Because human life begins at conception, abortion is an expression of murder.
And yet, God’s compassion and mercy reach out to persons who have participated in this crime. In Christ, persons who have participated in abortion(s) are offered forgiveness for this sin and the opportunity to have new life in Him.
All that we do has consequences. Participating in abortion often brings about results such as the following: guilt, anger, emptiness, a profound sense of loss, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other forms of risk to mental and spiritual health.
If we are to benefit from all that the Lord would give to us and do in and through us if we’ve been involved in an abortion, we need to communicate what we have done to the Lord in and through another person or persons. A good place to begin along this line is to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. No sin or crime is too great to be forgiven. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God’s offer to forgive our sins is tailor-made to our situation. As a follow-up to receiving forgiveness in this healing Sacrament, we are encouraged to participate in Eucharistic Adoration, a practice that Archbishop Fulton Sheen describes as “oxygen for the soul.”
Because of threats to mental health that participating in abortion often brings about, on-going follow-up to participants in abortion is essential. Here is where the Project Rachel Ministry would come in. This confidential ministry is designed to promote on-going and holistic healing. Participants in this ministry are offered a variety of tools to help along this line, such as counseling, one-on-one mentoring, and retreats. It can be powerfully assuring to realize that others are there with us as we work toward experiencing the healing that is offered to persons in this situation. To gain more information about this vital ministry, kindly either call 888-456-4673 or use the Project Rachel website, which is www.hopeafterabortion.org
Perhaps the greatest way in which we might help persons who have participated in abortions is to pray for persons in this situation. Let’s particularly invoke the intercession of our Blessed Mother for persons in this painful situation. Let’s pray that abortion participants will find a setting with another person or persons in which they can feel free and unafraid to acknowledge what they have done. In such a setting, persons who are hurting in this way can be directed to those steps that lead to experiencing forgiveness which in turn leads to the on-going process of healing.
In Christ, persons who have participated in an abortion or in abortions are offered newness of life. Individuals who have been involved in an abortion(s) can experience in a most powerful and personal way that as we receive the offer of our Lord’s forgiveness for participating in this tragedy, He would take us right where we are and make something beautiful out of what remains of our lives in this world.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Nelson Beaver – Pastor