On this Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, we beg the Lord to stretch our hearts, that we may reverence life, life from conception to natural death, life in its mystery and givenness.
"By definition, a gift cannot be demanded; it can only be received graciously as a sort of surprise," Bishop Barron tells us. With open hands and grateful hearts, we accept the gift and promise respect, wonder, awareness of its beauty and gratuitousness. We dare not misuse or take life away, as if it were our possession.
Roses and Lilies, Henri Fantin-Latour (French, Grenoble 1836–1904 Buré), 1888, Oil on canvas, 23 1/2 x 18 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used with permission.