31st Sunday, Love Your Neighbor (the unborn), as Yourself

 

A scribe came to Jesus, and asked Him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Our Blessed Lord replied, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

To love God with all our heart, all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength is to put God first in everything. We must place God above our job, our family, our home, our health, and our very own lives. The early Christians lost their jobs, their family, their home, they suffered physically, and gave up their lives to follow Christ.

Those of us, who live the stewardship way of life have discovered, that when we put God first, He will take care of all our needs. A life of stewardship is a life lived trusting God and being a steward to our neighbor.

To live the stewardship way of life-- is a call to discipleship, to truly love God with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength-- and to love our neighbor as our self.

I would like to tell you of some specific neighbors, who need our help. These neighbors have no home, no job, no healthcare, no family, and their lives are in immediate danger. Who are these people desperately need our help? The unborn.

Since Roe vs Wade was overturned and since the loss of the Value Them Both Amendment, abortions increased in Kansas by 154%, due to majority coming from out of state. In 2022, there were 12,318 abortions in Kansas, but most are from out of state.

In August, a new abortion clinic opened in Pittsburgh, Kansas. They have sidewalk counselors who stand outside and they take down the car tags to find out where the people come from. Over the past few months, only two were from Kansas, all others were from out of state.

Those who go to abortion clinics are often times confused, pressured and hurting. They need our prayers and support. God is infinitely merciful and will always forgive those who ask Him. God’s mercy is for everyone. Sometimes, we can make choices and not fully understand what we are doing or the consequences to our choices. But, God can work through our mistakes and He can overcome our sins. He loves us even when we sin. But, He hates sin because sin hurts Him and hurts us and hurts others.

All of us have a right to work, a right to our family, a right to healthcare, a right to education, and right to live a peaceful and long life. Except of course, our unborn neighbors.

Pope John Paul II, said, “The common outcry, which is just made on behalf of human rights—for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.”

Today, many are more concerned about the environment and the economy. But what good is a home, a job, a family, healthcare, the environment and the economy, if millions are never be able to enjoy these basic goods of life, because they will never even be able to live, due to abortion?

Some may say, “The Church has no right to push her views in social and political matters”. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Church intervenes by making moral judgment about economic and social matters when the fundamental rights of the person, the common good, or the salvation of souls requires it.”

Some also argue--politicians have no right to persuade others with regard to morality. However, people we put into office, vote for abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, cloning, transgender policies, euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, religious freedom, which are all moral choices.

Our country desperately needs political leaders who will defend life and outlaw abortion. Politicians should defend the Constitution and help fellow Americans to live by the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;

In the Declaration of Independence it states, “All men are created equal.” Where are we created equal? We are all created equal in our mother’s womb.

And it states we have and inalienable right to life from God, our creator.

Catholics have an obligation to vote in order to improve society and prevent it from harming innocent people. Catholics are disciples of Christ, called to evangelize the world. We have a duty to defend the weak, the poor, the elderly—and the unborn.

Since abortion became legal, we can no longer vote straight across the board for our own political party. To vote, without paying attention to the issue of life, is to put one’s party over one’s faith. It places our allegiance to our political party, over our love for God, and our love of neighbor. Can we say, we really love God--- if we fail to love and protect our neighbor-- unborn children?

My friends, there is absolutely no other issue-- as important in any election than the issue of life. To consciously vote for a pro-abortion candidate, who is running against a pro-life candidate is a serious sin requiring confession.

If both are in favor of abortion, then we should vote for the one who will cause less abortions.

To not pay any attention, as to how the candidate would vote on the issue of life, is irresponsible. It’s not putting God first. It’s not loving God with all one’s heart, all one’s mind, and all one’s soul, and it is not loving one’s neighbor as one’s self.

Who will be a steward to their neighbor? Who will come forward to vote for life--to stop the tragedy of abortion? Now is the time to put God first-- and love Him with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, and to love your neighbor, who are helpless children.

If Jesus would speak to us, what do you think He would say? Perhaps, He would say, “Hear O America! The Lord our God-- is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is this: You shall love your neighbor (who are my unborn children) as yourself. I came that all may have life and have it abundantly. Please Vote—the life of your neighbor-- depends upon it!