Reflect Before the March for Life

The following is from an email blast sent out by Pennsylvanians for Human Life President Pete DeMaio. 

As we prepare for this exciting week and the upcoming March For Life, we invite you to take a step back from all the crazy preparations and reflect with us. Although so much good comes from the busy schedule of getting ready for such a big event, we cannot forget to take time to quiet our hearts and minds and keep Jesus as the focus of what we do. This past Sunday's second reading reminds us of this and what is truly at the heart of our mission: using our bodies for doing God's good.

Brothers and sisters:

The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him. Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a priceTherefore glorify God in your body.

When focusing on the spiritual part of our lives, we can often forget that our bodies are just as important as our souls. In trying to distance ourselves from a materialistic world, we often let our physical well being go with it. Or maybe we do find ourselves getting caught up in the corporeal culture we live in, and feeding into the lies that our bodies are just for pleasure. It can be confusing to navigate the tunnels of sin and lust that lead us so deep underground. Often in that darkness, we struggle to see clearly God's light and purpose for our bodies. This reading from Paul however, makes it clear that our bodies are not to be shamed or misused, but are sacred temples to be cherished and taken care of.

Almost everyone enjoys having their own space. There is nothing better than coming home to your own bed at the end of the day, or returning to your home after a trip or a hard time at work. Even joyful days are made even better by coming home and realizing you possess a space to live in all of your own. We take pride in our living spaces, and making them comfortable and a reflection of ourselves. We would never want to invite someone in to a house that was dirty and did not feel like us. When guests or friends come over, we take the time to clean and create a safe space that is inviting. So why is it any different when we invite Jesus to reside in our hearts and the Holy Spirit in our bodies?

Just like we take care of our homes and rooms, so must we take care of our bodies as they are a home for the Holy Trinity. Just as guests and friends could not sit down a table with the surface covered and the chairs knocked over, our most important and cherished friend, Jesus, cannot spend time with us in a place that is not clean. If our body is made dirty by our actions so will our clarity be affected. This is why it is important to refrain from immoral action as Paul preaches. It would be weird to have a house and not furnish it traditionally with a bed, table, chairs etc. There is a natural design we all follow for making a home a home, and you would not be able to live properly without all those components. Our bodies are the same way. God is the architect of the homes that are our bodies and by furnishing them with virtues, we not only can live our best lives but also glorify Him.

When we divert from this natural plan from our bodies and do not follow God's traditional plan of male and female union, abstinence until marriage and more, it is like putting a bed in our kitchen and a fridge in our rooms. We will get jumbled up and disoriented in the gift of life we have, and will not be able to live properly, welcome Jesus into ourselves, and give praise to our Father. Not only will our physical well being affect our spiritual welling being, but it also will affect the lives of others. As we approach this March For Life, we need to be conscience of the cause of the abortions committed and the lives lost. The cause is straying from God's plan for us and engaging in actions that result in broken families and unexpected pregnancies. We cannot use abortion as a bandaid for a deeper wound, and that wound is what our society creates when as individuals we neglect to treat our bodies with respect and dignity.

So what can we do? As Paul says, avoid imorality. Furnish your body like you would your home, and trust that Jesus will come stay with you there. We are not our own. Our bodies belong to the Father, and is a beautiful thing indeed. Just as you would give your closest friend a key to your house to stop by whenever they wanted, give the Lord the key to the home of your body today.

If you live in Pennsylvania and would like to get involved, visit PAforHumanLife.org