Psalm 106:3 (where do we turn?) by Jeff Bishop

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"Blessed are they who observe what is right and do always what is just." ~ Psalm 106:3 (full readings)

Jeff's Reflections: As a student, I had been in many heated debates in the college and the medical school classroom about abortion. There was more heat than light in these discussions. Certainly more heat than warmth of conversation. One side, the side I was on, would try to use arguments to convince the pro-choice camp that we were correct. They too would bring out their arguments to try to convince us of their rationality. At some point along my journey, I read Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue, that describes in intimate detail the shrill voices of the opposing sides on abortion, sides that do not speak too each other. In fact, each side seems to be speaking only to itself.  I have often wondered why that is. Why is it that with all the ink spilled and the words spoken by the pro-life camp the other side does not see the rationality of the pro-life stance? Sometimes, like Solomon from today’s reading, we turn to false gods, in our case perhaps it is the god of reason. While arguments may be reasonable, if one does not share the premises, then one does not reason to the same conclusions.  Sometimes, we have turned to the god of power, hoping to make changes through politics and the law. But in our society, law is a blunt instrument of whoever is in power; it cuts both ways. So, where do we turn? Today’s gospel message points us to the Syrophoenician woman begged our Lord to heal her child. Jesus does not at first. However, she, with her great faith, prevailed upon our Lord to heal her. The faith that we need is not a faith in reason, or even a faith in the ballot box, or the law. We need faith that Christ can heal our culture. But as with all healing, it must begin at home with me. And then, perhaps we can better understand and live Fredericka Matthewes-Green’s call to us that we must work to change the hearts of those who live in our culture. Matthewes-Green noted that we do not need better arguments, or better laws; instead, we must first build a culture in which abortion is not even thought of as a possibility. For that to become a reality, we must have faith, and we must convert the heart.
* Jeffrey P. Bishop (MD, PhD) lives in St. Louis, MO with his three daughters and his wife Cyndy.  Dr. Bishop directs the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University.  His most recent book is The Anticipatory Corpse: Medicine, Power, and the Care of the Dying.

Faith Challenge: Seek out someone with whom you disagree, and get to know them in their hearts quite apart from abortion; instead of convincing their minds, perhaps we can convert the heart.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA,Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Apollonia and the Martyrs of Alexandria. 

Faith Quote: "God became man so that man might become a god." St. Athanasius

Through Christ our Lord,
Jeff
John 1:1-5

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (and family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.