The scourge of abortion comes to us because we have hardened our hearts to love. Our definition of love is so perverted and so overtaken by emotions and feelings that we have lost our understanding of love for what it is – “willing the good of the other for other.” (Thank you, Father Barron). Furthermore, the rise of our secular society, one that does not see God as primary and in fact sees the man himself/herself as the end-all-be-all, lends itself to our distortion of love and hence a lack of appreciation for the gifts with which we have been endowed with by our Creator.

I have always advocated a more grassroots movement to change hearts away from the concept of abortion in both men and women through the modeling of our Christian faith. Especially as we uphold our faith’s definition of marriage, family, and love we show by example, the strongest form of persuasion, how and why life is so precious from conception until death.

That being said this past year has been pivotal in moving me toward an understanding that a step-by-step shift in law is important in solidifying the change in hearts that are occurring. Yes, there remains a deep divide in this country at this time which I know stems from a whole lot of misinformation that is designed to obfuscate and confuse. A good job has been done and the only way to overcome this is living out God’s pure love because only He who is Love can win hearts away from what is not love.

This Year of Faith is key in giving the “grass-roots” movement I discussed a big push which I predict will continue to positively impact the present divide. The more we live out the love of Christ in our own lives the more we enable Christ to make transformations in the hearts of all men. This means loving as He would love, without judgment, and with a fearlessness to let others know, intimately and personally as we are each given opportunity in our own lives by our Father, of the message of Christ’s love. As we do our part and then leave the rest to Heaven, we trust God enough to allow Him through His Son, the Saviour, to make a transformation in the hearts of all men. It is not up to us to change hearts, my friends, it is His work that does it. We are just conduits….a broom He uses to sweep up the mess created. Trust Him and beg Him to be seen through you so that He can impress our neighbors, friends, and enemies and bring love to each situation. This is what will make a change and allow, slowly but surely, according to His plan, a Resurrection of His love among His people and thereby a change in hearts and in laws.

Changing hearts my brothers and sisters in Christ is about the courage to give your own life to Christ. As you live each day for Him, saying yes to our Father’s will, and making mistakes but owning a contrite heart seeking forgiveness and the grace and strength to move on, you will become less you and more Christ. When there is less you and more Christ, you give Him room to move and to be effective in moving your neighbor’s heart. This is where change can happen. This is how the Year of Faith can become powerful.

So as I continue to pray during this year’s 40 days for life, I thank God and rejoice for the number of people I saw standing in line at confession this past Saturday and I thank God and rejoice that my daughter and I were included in that special line. I pray that we Christians imitate Christ in His love and that we are ready to sacrifice at the cross, each in our own way, as our Saviour has done and as we are called to do. This will move our Father’s heart and allow the Kingdom established here by the Son of Man to flourish.

Amen.