by Fr. Paul Burchat, A Priest of Madonna House and former Chairman of Priests for Life Canada

(Readings:  Wis. 3: 1-4, 4b,5,9   Eph. 5:8-14   Jn. 6: 35-40)

With the passing of Fr. Jim our country has lost one of its most dedicated priests working on behalf of pro-life. He was passionate, knowledgeable, single-minded, devoted, and courageous - all the things you would look for in someone to head an organization such as Priest for Life Canada. Knowing Fr. Jim I can only imagine that the manner of his death was exactly as he would have planned if he could have had any say in the matter (i.e. during the preaching of a pro-life mission).The readings refer to the two aspects of his faith which were so central to his life and his work, namely his seeking for truth and justice and an unwillingness to compromise with evil and secondly his great love of and devotion to the Eucharist. I first met him when we, as a steering committee, were looking for someone to be the director for our organization and Archbishop Gervais put his name forward as a possible candidate.

My relationship with him on the one hand was quite stable and durable. We both were of one mind when it came to our standing squarely on the Church's teaching with regards to beginning and end of life issues, human sexuality, marriage and family, and our conviction about the need to promote prayer for pro-life work. However when it came to the details of how we should run Priests for Life Canada, that frequently generated some very lively discussions at our board of directors meetings. Through it all we grew in mutual respect and did enjoy many light hearted moments together. The last time I saw him was one such occasion. We traveled together to Prince Edward Island last fall for our annual symposium and I found it to be a very relaxing time in spite of all of the work that had to be done over that weekend. It was a time to reminisce and reflect on what God had done with our work over the last twelve years and to laugh at some of the seemingly absurd situations we found ourselves in over the course of that time.A sense of humor is critical in order to survive when working in this type of ministry. 

The other aspect of our being here, besides mourning the loss of Fr.Jim, is to reaffirm our hope, which as the first reading says is "full of immortality". Hope of course is the belief that God will be faithful to what He has promised, provided of course, that we do our part. It is not based on wishful thinking or the notion that how I live my life will have no bearing on my eternal destiny, quite the opposite. True religion is not about helping people to feel good about themselves or to assuage a nagging conscience, but about helping them to face the truth and to encounter the grace of God in the midst of their difficulties and ultimately to reach heaven. We must never lose sight of our priorities and the means to attain our goal, which entails living well here. In this regard it is critical to remember that while we all have a God-given, unconditional right to life we do not have an automatic, unconditional right to eternal life!  St. Paul reminds us of this very clearly in Philippians when he says, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"(2:12). Our world however seems to believe otherwise - that no one has a right to life and that everyone is going to heaven regardless of how they have lived.I cannot help but suspect that some people may be in for a rude awakening. 

In the book of Deuteronomy God clearly sets before us two ways, one leading to life and the other to death (30:15-20). We need not be intimidated by this reality. If we want life - and Jesus certainly desires that we have it to the full (Jn 10:10) - it can be ours. If we are willing to live, as God would have us live, our hopes will be realized. The Lord is always faithful and merciful; we need never despair. Our hope also is that we will again one day see our brother and that our sorrow will turn to joy and our grief to happiness. As our funeral liturgy reminds us and our faith tells us we know that life does not end at the grave but rather it is changed. We hope and pray that for all of us the change will be for the better.

The Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus’ message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. (#1)

To all the members of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love." (#6)

The blood of Christ, while it reveals the grandeur of the Father’s love, shows how precious man is in God’s eyes and how priceless the value of his life. . . . Furthermore, Christ’s blood reveals to us that his greatness, and therefore his vocation, consists in the sincere gift of self... Whoever in the Sacrament of the Eucharist drinks this blood and abides in Jesus (cf. Jn 6:56) is drawn into the dynamism of his love and gift of life, in order to bring to its fullness the original vocation to love which belongs to everyone. (cf. Gen 1:27; 2:18-24) (#25)

"We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the "culture of death" and the "culture of life." We find ourselves not only "faced with" but necessarily "in the midst of" this conflict: we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life." (#28)

Truly great must be the value of human life if the Son of God has taken it up and made it the instrument of the salvation of all humanity! (#33)The deepest element of God’s commandment to protect human life is the requirement to show reverence and love for every person and the life of every person. (#41)

The Gospel of Life is both a great gift of God and an exacting task for humanity....In giving life to man, God demands that he love, respect and promote life. (#52)

The use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a child once born, just as to every person. (#63)

True "compassion" leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear. (#66)

We are asked to love and honor the life of every man and woman and to work with perseverance and courage so that our time, marked by all too many signs of death, may at last witness the establishment of a new culture of lfe, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love. (#77)

Everyone has an obligation to be at the service of life... Together we all sense our duty to preach the Gospel of life, to celebrate it in the Liturgy and in our whole existence, and to serve it with the various programs and structures which support and promote life. (#79)

We need to bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society. (#80)

These can be summed up as follows: human life, as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable. For this reason procured abortion and euthanasia are absolutely unacceptable. Not only must human life not be taken, but it must be protected with loving concern. The meaning of life is found in giving and receiving love, and in this light, human sexuality and procreation reach their true and full significance. Love also gives meaning to suffering and death; despite the mystery which surrounds them, they can become saving events. Respect for life requires that science and technology should always be at the service of man and his integral development. Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person's life. (#81)

To be truly a people at the service of life we must propose these truths constantly and courageously from the very first proclamation of the Gospel, and thereafter in catechesis, in the various forms of preaching, in personal dialogue and in all educational activity. (#82)

... I propose that a Day for Life be celebrated each year in every country, as already established by some Episcopal Conferences. The celebration of this Day should be planned and carried out with the active participation of all sectors of the local Church. Its primary purpose should be to foster in individual consciences, in families, in the Church and in civil society a recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. Particular attention should be drawn to the seriousness of abortion and euthanasia, without neglecting other aspects of life which from time to time deserve to be given careful consideration, as occasion and circumstances demand. (#85)

By virtue of our sharing in Christ’s royal mission, our support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through the service of charity, which finds expression in personal witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity and political commitment. (#86)

No single person or group has a monopoly on the defense and promotion of life. These are everyone’s task and responsibility.... the challenge facing us is an arduous one: only the concerted efforts of all those who believe in the value of life can prevent a setback of unforeseeable consequences for civilization. (#91)

The family celebrates the Gospel of Life through daily prayer, both individual and family prayer....But the celebration which gives meaning to every other form of prayer and worship is found in the family’s actual daily life together, if it is a life of loving and self-giving (#93).

The first and most fundamental step towards...cultural transformation consists in forming consciences with regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish the essential connection between life and freedom. ... There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. ... Love, as a sincere gift of self, is what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest meaning. (#96)

A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world...Let us...discover anew the humility and courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will breakdown the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals inspired by the civilization of life and love. (#100)

"It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. (#101