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God created, in the beginning, a beautiful world, as a beautiful setting for the people He would make. He wanted the families of the earth to flourish, to reproduce, and to find joy in earthly life, in His presence; but human beings rebelled; and Satan is still at work, today, working to draw people away from God.
God is so lavish in his creativity that there are thousands of creatures which He has designed, hidden in the depths of the ocean, or elsewhere, and so with us; it should not cause us sorrow if all our gifts or creative powers, given by God, are not used or recognised to the fullest degree. With God's guidance, we can be certain that He will use them in the best possible ways for His good purposes.
We are right to defend human rights. Each person has been given life by God. However, there are no human rights, if the right to life is ignored. There are no human rights to fight for, if the right to life is ignored. So when Catholics write about such issues, they must first protest about the evil practice of abortion, before defending, for example, a right to food, shelter, a just wage, and other matters.
There is no gift from Heaven so precious as the gift of life, in a tiny child, except the gift of Eternal Life, which is Heaven, and salvation. Those who refuse the gift of life by rejecting the infant in the womb, are rejecting the Giver, Who is God, and failing to trust in Him. By killing the child, they risk their eternal Salvation.
It is not irrational, to conclude from what we see and know, that there is a Divine Creator of all that exists. We can look at the order in the whole universe, and the wondrous development of an embryonic human being who becomes a fully-grown adult, who thinks and reasons - and who can choose, guided by his 'in-built' conscience, to do good or evil.
If we could see into the womb of a pregnant woman, as if through a window, we would see a tiny infant, given life by God, and meant to receive love and education by its parents, in preparation for a good life on earth, and the eventual gift of Heaven. How blessed are those children who are welcomed as the fruit of their parent's union, as God intends.
Our Blessed Lady, who is not Divine, was chosen for a special role. In consenting to conceive within her womb the very Son of God, she allowed Him to show out more clearly than ever His Divine nature: His love, compassion, willingness to share our lives from beginning to end, and His mercy and tenderness. Christ showed out, on earth, as man, what the Triune God is like: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one all-holy Creator and Redeemer.
God is all holiness, purity, goodness and radiance. When we die, shall we be sufficiently like Him to be able to reach out to Him with joy, or to do so after some preparation? If our immediate reaction will be complete rejection of God there will be no place to go except down, away from Him into the Abyss.
Does not a great tree spring from a seed, in the dust of the earth? Why should God not have brought a man out of the depth of the earth, by His almighty power? He is capable of doing what is described in Sacred Scripture.
Who can claim that when some creatures, similar to humans but not human, were living at one side of a fast-flowing river, God could not have created, at the other side, human beings, who would begin life in simplicity and peace?
The Lord wants everyone to realise that He is the Source of life. His gift of life is a blessed thing. Every child arises from the Heart of God, no matter how strong or weak the child, how grateful the parents or neglectful, or whatever the circumstances. Every child is precious in God's sight. He gave each one life, and invites human beings to care for one another, with love, but especially the weak and defenceless.
People give joy to Christ by their gratitude for the gift of life. If the whole world were to show such delight at the birth of children, how much happier a place it would be! And how terrible for Christ, to see His gift of life despised and discarded.
Just as God has gifts for the Church, such as the Holy Eucharist, for His friends, so he has gifts for the whole world, the greatest of which - given even to those who ignore or hate God - is the gift of life. But when people reject life, and destroy innocent babies in the womb in the horror of abortion, they reject God the Father, whether or not they realise it.
If Christ had been born today to poor people, in a cave, in freezing weather, someone would have said: "He's got very poor prospects; He should have been aborted". Yet what a gift he was to the world! And everyone has gifts, above all the gift of life, even if he or she needs care and attention. It is wicked to slaughter tiny persons in the womb.
The very tiniest embryo is a small person: a tiny, unique human being that deserves to be respected, not experimented on, or frozen, or thrown away if found to have flaws of any kind, or to be of a sex unwanted by the parent.
I used to gaze over the cot, from my hospital bed, lost in wonder that God should allow human beings to 'create' children, and to have families.
I used to lie in the long warm grass, in summer, overwhelmed by the beauty around me, looking at the little insects that ran up and down a grass-stalk, or following the pattern of the clouds in the sky: aware of the 'hand' or presence of our Creator.
The Purpose of the Priesthood, by Elizabeth Wang
‘The Purpose of the Priesthood contains encouragement and advice for Catholic priests. It reminds them about the central meaning of the Priesthood, and about the need to teach the Catholic Faith in it…
How to Pray: Perseverance, by Elizabeth Wang
This text is published as Chapter 3 of How to Pray (Part One: Foundations), pages 19-30, entitled 'How to Persevere'. An introduction to the life of prayer with much practical advice about how to deep…
How to Pray: The Mass, by Elizabeth Wang
This text is published as Chapter 4 and 5 of How to Pray (Part One: Foundations), pages 31-38, entitled 'How to Pray the Mass'. An introduction to the life of prayer with much practical advice about h…
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