We continue in this month of October our reflection on
respect for life. October is also the
month of the rosary. The rosary and life
respect go together very well.
In 2002, Blessed John Paul II added the LUMINOUS
Mysteries to the existing 15 decades of the rosary. These mysteries call us to pray and reflect
on very specific dimensions of life.
These areas would be the sacraments themselves.
The first luminous mystery is Baptism of the Lord. What a call to the life of the sacred. He who did not need baptism called all us to
be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
If indeed we are in a culture of death:
what a wonderful way to affirm life!
Our baptisms are a respect for life.
The wedding feast at Cana is the second luminous
mystery. In our Hollywood culture of
glamour, our weddings can become parties, glitz, and just plain show-time. True holy weddings are about being called by
God to a vocation. True holy weddings
are about family life in God’s plans.
Respect for life has to be the first part of matrimony.
The third mystery is the proclamation of the
kingdom. How do we evangelize? How do we speak truth in a culture of
lies? It is as tough today as it was in
the time of Jesus. Disrespect for life is
not a new theme in our time. In our
daily lives we must defend life at every turn.
Mystery four is the transfiguration of Jesus on the
mountain. Here he dialogues with those
heroes who have already died and are nowhere to be buried. Moses and Elijah are dead and now Jesus
speaks to them. Respecting life is also
respecting death and the dead. These
mysteries are truly into the daily reality of life.
The fifth and final mystery is the Eucharist. What can call us more to respect life than this
sacrament? The documents of the Second
Vatican Council and all the popes following it stated that Eucharist is the
source and summit of our lives. What is
life giving to us? What is life
sustaining? What gets us through the
darkest moments? The word “Eucharist” in
Greek means thank you. To be of life
means that we do not presume life but are grateful for it.
In our respect for life these mysteries are luminous. The light goes on when in the darkness of
disrespect and irreverence for life we carry the light of life entrusted to us
in baptism; carrying it until we go out and meet all the saints.
No comments:
Post a Comment