Crazy Weather Fails To Deter Our Diocese's 'Pilgrims For Life'

Imagine standing and walking for hours in freezing temperatures. Envision a seemingly endless bus ride with little sleep. Some might call signing up for this and paying for it a form of insanity. Experiencing it all with wide grins ... now that's a step beyond insanity!

Call it what you like; this was the 2014 March for Life pilgrimage that busloads of our diocesan youth enthusiastically took part in. Was there a worthy reason for all our suffering and sacrifice?

The youth of our diocese who headed for the March for Life in Washington, D.C., the week of Jan. 20 weren't able to experience the march itself because of dangerously cold temperatures.

It was still a valid pilgrimage, however, since we offered up our little sufferings and the disappointment that we couldn't do all the things we had planned – including the March for Life; the night "Life is VERY Good" rally led by Matt Maher (we attended the morning rally); sightseeing beyond what we enjoyed; and more delicious meals from the wonderful people of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Lake Ridge, Va., in the Diocese of Arlington, who hosted us again this year.

"All that for nothing," some might say, since we weren't able to attend the march, which was the reason why we were there. But our pilgrimage wasn’t in vain. People in the Washington, D.C., area – and everyone we encountered in our stops along the route - noticed us.

They asked about our matching sweatshirts and why we were there in the middle of January when we should have been in school. These were the times when we were able to speak up about life and show that we were there for a deeper purpose than just being tourists. We were there to defend life and to stand up for those without a voice. We spoke for those whose right to exist often is overlooked by many.

The culture screams that an unborn baby is not yet a human being, but we know that it is alive; it is a child; it has a right to live from the moment of conception. Some in our society argue that the elderly should quietly be euthanized because they are such a burden to the living, but we believe that every form of life has dignity and their suffering is not meaningless.

Some in our world look at a child with an extra chromosome and proclaim that the child's life is worthless, and that it will make the parents miserable to have a child who doesn't look like all the others. If, however, you have ever known a person with that extra chromosome and the down syndrome it creates, you understand that these "disabled" are beautiful children of God. They bring more joy than distress.

We are not called to be pro-life only a couple days every year, but every day. Every day we should find a way to speak up for those who are told that they aren't needed, that their lives don't matter.

We are called to love with hearts full of joy. So let us love those who disagree with us; let us embrace those who believe that abortion and euthanasia are acceptable. Let's treat them not with cold condemnation, but with the peace and love of Jesus Christ, the One who should always illuminate us.

Be the light of Christ and His joy to everyone you encounter. Don't let them leave your presence without first experiencing the true presence of the Eucharist at work in our lives. Let them only recognize in you the love of our Savior.

This is the way; this is how we will change the world. Not by a war, not by violent reprimands, not by a million more marches for life. We will change the world and our culture of death by first changing ourselves and by becoming the face of Christ. We will end abortion, euthanasia, and all other attacks against life when we love others and encourage them to see the truth:

Life is beautiful. Life is worth living. Life is a gift; so let's not take it away from those who have a right to exist. Life is precious. Never stop defending it.