Being Prolife

Stories of Life

“Four weeks into marriage we found out Liesel was pregnant with our first child. I can still remember having that “Oh Crap” feeling & sitting down at the table in our little house thinking “I’m not sure if I am ready for this”, even though I was 30, I still wanted to play for a while yet. Typical boy, a bit slow to grow up, avoid commitment, all that sort of thing. We had no money, I owned a pretty rough little cottage, I had a trade but no real full time work, I was mucking around working for myself a bit. Life as I knew it was about to change for EVER… how was I going to cope with that, “I’m not ready for this”, kept going through my head.

Well, today we have just had our seventh child & I reckon I have coped just fine…”

– Gavin

For more stories, visit www.notbornyet.com

A Prolife Parish

Some simple suggestions for building a prolife mentality in your life and in your local parish:

• Pray: being prolife is making a total gift of ourselves in love. Sounds superhuman? That’s where prayer comes in. Regular prayer is the fuel for our spiritual giving. Check out CathFamily’s Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe to get you started.
• Welcome: The Mass and sacraments are our strength to be prolife. However, many families with young children can feel unwelcome at Mass. Similarly, the elderly and disabled can feel excluded. Talk to your Parish Priest about dedicating one of the weekend Masses for families with children with a prayerful, but relaxed atmosphere.
• Mourn: Many women and men struggle with grief after miscarriages, still-births and abortions. Make sure your parish is equipped with the right information. Consider holding a memorial Mass for all the lost unborn children, or include them in the prayers of the faithful on weekend Masses.

Prolife in the Community

If you feel especially called to get more active on prolife issues in the community, consider the following proposals:

• 40 Days for Life: Organised during Lent, this is a peaceful 24-hour prayer vigil for the duration of Lent outside a local abortion clinic. The movement has seen some staggering spiritual fruits. Click here for more info.
• Practical Assistance: Crisis pregnancy support centres are desperately in need of practical assistance for vulnerable pregnant women. If you have a spare room or some spare time, do an internet search for your local pregnancy support centre and get involved.
• Homilies: If you are a Parish Priest, consider using a homily to speak about prolife issues, emphasising the hope and healing offered for those who have fallen. If done with sensitivity and prayerfulness, it can have a dramatic impact on your parishioners and be a step to healing and awareness in the wider community. Click here for some homily ideas.

This article featured in the December 2012 edition of the CathFamily e-Magazine.