I know you’re all avid cover-to-cover readers of the Catholic Herald, so you know what happened on June 24 — the never-thought-we’d-ever-see-this U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade and other related cases thus ruling that there is no right to an abortion in the U.S. Constitution.
If I’m to write about something topical and how it relates to us as Catholics, that’s obviously something noteworthy to write about.
To be perfectly honest, I still don’t know what to think yet, much less write about.
Immediate reactions
My initial mood toward the breaking news that day was not celebratory.
“Stunned” may be a better word for it.
Following that, my brain shifted into a “we have to work now” mode, as my nearly 18 years of experience in news kicked in knowing we had to get the word out via our online media and get it in the next print edition of the paper.
I looked at the variety of mixed emotions on social media, from people I’m connected to and people social media thinks I want to hear from.
It was an emotional day for everyone.
Many celebrated the next step to ending abortion for good.
Many panicked at the idea of rights and privacy being taken away.
These emotions have not lessened in the month since the Dobbs ruling.
If I’m going to be honest, I’m a little worried.
I’m worried that the consequences from the 2022 edition of “elections have consequences” could mean the next Congress will “codify” abortion into law and deal a devastating challenge to the pro-life movement.
I’m worried this conflict over abortion will escalate into violence and property will get damaged, people will get hurt, or worse.
I’m worried that misguided people will take their emotions out on the Church and blame us for ruining lives and taking away rights.
I worry that the Dobbs decision was a smaller step than we thought it was and we have a long way to go yet to end abortion for good.
I know I worry a lot.
Letting go and letting God
So what do we do?
Only what we can.
To the surprise of no one, we can pray. We can pray a lot, or rather we should pray a lot. There is so much to be done yet and it can all start with prayer.
We can be ready for those moments in our lives when we’re called to defend life.
I know this is a very delicate situation right now.
Some of us may be at odds with our family members and friends over this very topic.
It might take a miracle to change a heart or a mind overnight, but God is good at miracles.
God has been with us every step of the way and He knows what will happen in the near future and beyond.
We have our parts to do in this struggle, but we also have to trust in Him to help us with some of the heavy lifting.
We can’t do this alone. He has never wanted us to do this alone. He’s not going to make us do this alone.
While it appears the hill has gotten steeper in regards to ending abortion, that just means the Almighty has to give us more of His infinite graces.
Maybe this is truly a situation where things have to get darker before they get brighter.
Maybe we need to realize that the challenge of creating a culture of life is more than just something that started in January of 1973.
Maybe ever since Adam and Eve were cursed to return to dust, humans have always had a growing disrespect for life and it’s been an uphill battle ever since.
Don’t give up
Me trying to sound optimistic is about as practical and possible as an ant giving a lion a piggyback ride, but here goes.
I’m sure many saw the end of Roe as impossible and a lost cause, but in God’s time, it wasn’t.
I’m sure many feel ending abortion and living in a country that is based on respect for life is a lost cause, but it doesn’t have to be.
We have the greatest wingman ever in the Almighty One, and he has a plan. It’s His world, we’re just living in it. Know Him. Love Him. Serve Him.
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for you.