1. Jesus, “the Life,” is to be the center of our lives, our families, and our parish.​
2. Created at conception in the image and likeness of God to live with him forever, and redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, every human person—no matter how strong or weak or “productive”—has an immense, absolute, eternal dignity and is always a good.  Human life and its dignity must be protected.
3. The conscience, the inner sanctuary where God speaks to the human person of his loving and life-giving plan, must be formed in the truth and reverenced by all.
4. Every human person fulfills himself or herself only by making a free and sincere gift of self to God and to others, as Jesus did.  As the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe teaches, human life and the family are worthy even of a heroic and prolonged sacrificial gift of self.
5. The sexual act is to be a sacred exchange of love in which married couples express with their bodies the sincere gift of self, making themselves (including their fertility, if they are so blessed), fully present and available to one another and to God, whose will is to create human beings in no other setting.
6. Fertile married couples, amazed at the fact that they are the ones on whom God relies to assist in his work of creating new human beings, responsibly fulfill this sacred trust when they make use of none but natural methods of family planning in the context of ongoing co-discernment of God’s plan.  Considering their own good, as well as the good of any children God has already entrusted to them, and the good of society, they continually seek to hear God in the sanctuary of conscience and to carry out his will with trust in his Providence.
7. Married couples not blessed with fertility foster a culture of life by their loving desire to procreate, especially when this desire, guided by conscience, prompts them to commit to serving life in any of a huge variety of other ways.  Through their loving commitment to God and each other, God showers his love and life on the world, often in surprising ways.
8. We were created out of love to love and to be loved for our own sakes, and so love is the only proper and adequate way to treat any human person.  Rather than a rival to defend oneself against, every human person is first and foremost a brother or sister to be supported.
9. Every human person enriches us by his or her very presence. 
10. We were created to live in solidarity, especially with the weak, the forgotten, the suffering, and those in need. 
11. The family (nuclear and extended) is the irreplaceable sanctuary in which different generations come together to help each other to grow according to God’s plan and each one’s unique place in the family.  “The future of humanity passes through the family” and so all other human endeavors and policies must support and serve the family in fulfilling this mission. Through the family, God’s life and love cascade into the world. 
12. The human person is more important than things.  Being who we are and are called to be is of far greater importance than what we have; possessions are only of value to the extent that they help us or others to be who we are called to be.
13. The terminally ill and the dying are at a critical stage of life and have a right to our presence, love, support, and prayer as they prepare to surrender all and return to God. They are in God’s hands and the moment of death is to be left in his hands.  All ordinary care, such as nutrition and hydration (in most cases), is to be provided to them. 
14. Jesus, by suffering to save us, made it possible for all human suffering, endured out of love, to be for others and to do great good.   
15. Our relationship with those who have died in Christ does not end with death.  They are our brothers and sisters.  They love us, help us with their prayers, and remind us to live with our hopes set on heaven, where they will welcome us home.  Any power death once had to frighten us or rob humanity of its dignity is defeated by this truth.
16. Every human life is a splendid gift from God and is to be embraced and celebrated. Every human life is a wonder worthy of a pause of veneration and contemplation.
17. Those who have contributed to the culture of death, upon their conversion and healing, can be the most eloquent promoters of a culture of life.
18. Mary reminds us to turn to God and pray and fast for the flourishing of a culture of life, trusting that God will provide.

As Catholics, one of the terms that we often hear used in parish and church circles is “Respect Life.” Since October 1972, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated (the first Sunday in the month of October) Respect Life Sunday as a way to call Catholics across the nation to remember the sanctity of life in a world where the dignity of life is not always respected. Respect for human life is a fundamental tenet of our Christian faith laid down for us in the very beginning of the Scriptures in the book of Genesis. This basic respect for human life is further shown to us through the example of Jesus, who often fought for the rights of the downtrodden and forgotten of society. He often challenged those who were in a position of authority to help the weak and powerless, and chastised them when they did not.         

When we hear the term “Respect Life” we often think immediately of the abortion controversy of pro-life vs. pro-choice. It was only three months after the first Respect Life Sunday in October 1972 that the Supreme Court overturned all state laws prohibiting abortions in its historic Roe vs. Wade decision. Occurring over forty years ago, this remains one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions in history.
         
Undoubtedly, the Catholic bishops had this Supreme Court controversy in mind when they initiated the practice of Respect Life Sunday, as a way of trying to raise the consciousness of, not only Catholics, but Christians everywhere of the importance of promoting life as God’s gift and the dangers of passing legislation that would diminish what God has created.
         
St. Pope John Paul II often used the term “culture of death” when referring to a tendency in our modern society to glorify violence and death. This tendency manifests itself in many ways, both blatant and subtle, in our everyday lives. To see it, all we have to do is look at our movies, music, entertainment and newspapers. It is easy for us to get desensitized to the sufferings of others when we are bombarded with a steady stream of news of peoples’ sufferings from around the world. It is also difficult to think of others’ sufferings when we have our own difficulties with which to deal. By looking to the Gospels and the example of Jesus, we are not promised that our problems will all go away, but we are promised the gift of hope in times of darkness.
         
Beginning in 1972, the bishops have focused on many critical concerns of the day — abortion, euthanasia, marriage and family life, capital punishment, poverty, immigration issues, chastity, natural family planning, post-abortion healing and reconciliation, the culture of life, biotechnology, children, teens, persons with disabilities, the elderly, those who are dying, and more. They attempt to call us to a higher awareness of many issues that affect the dignity of human life. They attempt to remind all of us that our call as Christians to support the dignity of life is not something that we can ignore.
        
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses had the job of bringing the message of God’s love to the people and to form them into a community that was faithful to the covenant they had made with God. Moses offers the people a choice. He tells the people that God has offered them blessing and life if they respect and follow His commandments. He also reminds them that if they do not embrace life then the alternative is death and despair. God has offered us the choice of choosing life or death, the blessing or the curse. He encourages us to choose life.
         
Moses said to the people: “Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord will bless you. If however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life” (Deut. 30-15-20).
         
During the month of October there will be a candle burning near the altar during the Sunday Masses. This candle is to remind us of our responsibility as Catholics to pray for a deeper “Respect for Life” in all its forms. It will remind us of the “Light of Christ,” which illumines our lives and gives us hope. Let us pray this month for those who struggle each day to find dignity and purpose in their lives. Let us pray for those who are in positions of authority, that they may promote the dignity of all people.

~ Fr. Robert T. Cooper