Adoration of the Holy Eucharist is the way for us to have life and have it more abundantly, and share that Life and Light with the world.

This past week has been one mark by incredible tragedy; unspeakable death and suffering. The earthquake in Haiti has left an estimated 200,000 dead. Some believe the death toll may reach a half a million. It is one of the most deadly earthquakes in human history; it may be the most deadly one ever. It is a tragedy on par with the Tsunamis of 2004. And it is exasperated in the fact that Haiti is already one of the poorest countries in the world.
Our Holy Father joins the world in mourning and praying for the people of Haiti, many of which are fellow Catholics. In fact, I heard that the bishop of the Haitian Capital of Port au Prince has been confirmed among the dead. We must pray and fast for our brothers and sisters in Haiti, but we must do more.
The Catholic Relief Service which helped and continues to help so many in the 2004 Tsunamis, has already sprung into action; although it's facilities, which were already in place helping the poor in Haiti, have been for the most part been completely wiped out. They desperately need our prayers and our financial help. Our Bishop, Bishop Doran, along with the other bishops of the United States, have asked all parishes to take up a second collection this weekend in order to help financially the suffering people of Haiti. They have asked us as well to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives, as well as for all of the victims of this horrible event.
On Thursday, I watched a live segment on one of the news channels as a group of people were trying to dig out survivors trapped in one of the collapsed buildings. The reporter actually stuck a microphone down into a hole in the ruble and you could hear, live on T.V, those buried alive crying out for help. We pray that they were able to get these folks out; many others we pray, will still be rescued from collapsed buildings; but we know for many others, these collapsed buildings will be a tomb.
Before this live segment came on the news, I was working on my article for today's bulletin about our youth traveling to march on our nation's capital in order to give their witness to the sanctity of all human life. And so, after I watched this very distressing live video feed and live audio of victims buried alive in the ruble of a collapsed building, I couldn't help realizing that there is another tragedy still occurring in our day which has so far killed many more times the number of those killed in both the Tsunamis of 04, and the Haitian earthquake. And that is tragedy of the Roe vs Wade decision, the sad anniversary of which we remember this Friday, January 22nd.
This tragedy of epic and unfathomable proportions, which, sadly, most chose to ignore, has brutally and violently killed, by conservative estimates, over 50 million human beings. The womb, which should be the safest place on earth, has now become a tomb, just like those collapsed buildings in Haiti. I wonder what would happen if we could record, as they did the other day of those trapped in the collapsed buildings, the voices, the cries for help of those babies about to have their little lives snuffed out in their mother's wombs.
I also couldn't help thinking of the massive efforts being undertaken, and rightly so, to save as many of the victims of the Haitian earthquake as possible; but shouldn't we make at least of a massive effort and even greater to save innocent children in the womb. In either case, we can never do enough, but we have to at least try to do more.
We may not be able to record the cries of babies in their mother's wombs, but with all of the modern technology, such as the GE imaging scan, we can see very clearly that what is in the womb is no mere glob of tissue but a living human being. We don't need to record sound in order to know that it is a scientific fact, not a matter of faith, but a scientific fact that life begins at conception.
Not in any way meaning to cheapen the gravity and enormity of the incredible suffering of the people of Haiti, we must nonetheless admit that suffering on an even greater scale occurs, sadly, in the womb where so many are slaughtered on the altar of convenience, for the sake of so-called "free-choice." or the "right to chose" which really means freedom to choose to kill another human being or the right to kill another human being.
And now if it couldn't get any worse, the current proposed health care bill will require our tax dollars to fund such unspeakable horror. While the House passed a health care bill that prevents the federal government from funding elective abortions, and includes provisions making health care affordable and accessible for all, the Senate rejected this and passed a bill that requires federal funds to help subsidize and promote health plans that cover elective abortions, while forcing purchasers to pay directly for other people’s abortions. These two bills must now be combined into one bill that both the House and Senate will vote on in final form. The U.S. bishops continue to strongly oppose abortion funding, while calling for critical improvements in conscience protection so our Catholic hospitals and their doctors, nurses and staff would not be forced to perform abortions (which of course they will never do, and so will be forced to close their doors). Also the bishops are calling for critical improvements in the affordability of health care for the poor and vulnerable, and access to health care for immigrants. Health care should be used to protect and save lives, not to take them.
In today's bulletin, you’ll find a bulletin insert from the U.S. Bishops Conference asking you to please contact your congressional representatives immediately and urge them to address these moral issues. The bulletin insert includes a web address that allows you to send an email message to Congress with a click of a button. The bishops have asked for our swift action and our prayers. Thank you for your help. We can help make sure that health care reform will protect the lives, dignity, conscience and health of all. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.”
This something we all can do to help the relief effort to save lives and alleviate the suffering of so many, children and women alike. We can and should also, as we are doing for the victims of the earthquake, pray and fast for all of the victims of abortion, which include again, not only the babies, but the woman who many times are pressured into such a decision because there doesn't seem to be any other alternative. In the bulletin today as well, I have listed numbers to call for abortion alternatives.
Part of this prayer for the end of abortion, as well as the alleviation of the suffering of the victims of all tragedies, must include our prayer in front of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. This Friday at noon, as the death bell toll 50 times, St. Patrick's will have a special Holy Hour of prayer and reparation, begging our Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist for the end to abortion and all crimes against the human person. As well as for the conversion of all those involved in those crimes either by their explicit action or by their indifference to such unspeakable evil in our midst. If you can't make it on Friday, please come to the all night adoration Saturday night to Sunday Morning, or the Holy Hour held every day before Holy Mass or on Thursday evenings and Sunday evenings. The Eucharist is the source of all life because it is Jesus who is Life itself. We will never end abortion and other crimes against life until more Catholics begin with faith, reverence and love, adoring Life Itself in the Holy Eucharist. Adoration of the Holy Eucharist is the way for us to have life and have it more abundantly, and share that Life and Light with the world.
Father Lombardi, who is a Vatican spokesman, said, "The outpouring of love expressed in solidarity is perhaps the only possible consolation for the catastrophe in Haiti caused by Tuesday's earthquake. Father Lombardi suggested that this "generous and genuine love is, perhaps, the only consolation, the only great answer to this sea of grief, as the love of Christ who dies on the cross is the only true answer to man's suffering." It is the Eucharist makes the power of this sacrificial love of Christ available to us, for the Eucharist is the God who is Love. Let us put the power of Christ's love given to us at this Holy Mass in action in our lives. Our Lady of all those who suffer, pray for them, pray for us. Amen.