December 2007

Dear Lay Missionary of the Gospel of Life,

By the time you receive this letter you would have celebrated the holy nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I want you to know that I held you in my heart and prayers as you celebrated that blessed day. I look forward to deepening our faith together this Christmastide and promoting the Gospel of Life in the New Year.

Two special feast days remaining in this month call us to exercise the liturgical component of our Missionary spirituality. Let's join together to give special emphasis to the Pro-life dimensions of these Holy Feasts. It is important that we experience the Pro-life rhythm through the Church calendar and liturgy.

The Holy Innocents, December 28: These children were martyrs because they were killed as part of an attack on Christ. Today, though opposition to Christ is not normally the intention of those who have abortions, it is nevertheless a central part of the efforts of those who deliberately and persistently work worldwide to assure that abortion remains legal. Mockery of Scripture, Christians, the Church, and God himself is a common aspect of the beliefs, writings, and activities of radical abortion advocates. The children killed by abortion are the Holy Innocents of our day, and some theologians and other members of the faithful are studying and advocating for the possibility that the Church will claim these children as martyrs. (Fr. Pavone)

For Further Study:

Pro-life Homily for the Feast of the Holy Innocents

The Hope of Salvation for Infants who die without being Baptised, by The International Theological Commission

The Holy Family, December 30: Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all [their] household." When they were converted, they desired that "their whole household" should also be saved. These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world. (C.C.C. 1655)

For Further Study:

Letter To Families, by John Paul II

Let's get the New Year off to a holy start by participating in the first Friday (Jan.4) of the month Pro-life Examination of Conscience as well as our daily Prayer of Consecration and Prayer to End Abortion.

January will be a powerful month of Pro-life activity that will inaugurate a year of witness to the sacredness of every human being from conception to natural death. Fr. Frank and I want to do everything possible to help equip you for this work of witness. Please be on the look out for our E-mails that will give both spiritual and practical ways to establish the culture of life in homes, cities, nation and world.

Rejoicing with you in the Victory of Christ!

Sincerely,

Jim Pinto, Jr. M.E.V.
Pastoral Associate: Priests for Life
National Coordinator: Missionaries of the Gospel of Life-Lay Associates
E-mail: Missionary@priestsforlife.org

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