A woman’s right to choose

This is the favorite euphemism of abortion supporters.

Among the nonsensical aspects of this euphemism is that it deceptively implies that a mother has complete ownership and control over her unborn child.

Despite the advances of medical technology, however, ownership of an unborn human being and complete control over an unborn child’s development both remain far from the reach of humankind.

A mother’s words to her children in today’s first reading (2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31) remain true today.

I cannot tell how ye came into my womb:
for I neither gave you breath nor life,
neither was it I
that formed the members of every one of you.

Although we must love and honor our parents (and obey their lawful instructions when we are children), we are not owned by them, not even in our mother’s womb.

We are not even owned by ourselves, not even when we are “adults” for we did not give ourselves the gift of life: that comes from God alone.

God has indeed given us the power to choose: he has given us free will, so that we may freely choose and love him - the giver of life.

Women or men, if we choose death, death awaits us in eternity.

Women and men, may we always choose life: not only in decisions such as bearing children or caring for the terminally ill, but also in helping each other (helping especially women and children in need as well as the sick and their caregivers) and in embracing the eternal life God offers us in Jesus Christ our Lord.