What does it mean to have a culture of life today? I am an archdiocesan attorney in Washington, DC, and I’m often involved in policy and advocacy work related to pro-life issues. One critique that I hear frequently related to the Catholic Church’s teaching on life goes like this:  “There is a difference between being pro-baby and pro-mother.” In other words, a Church that professes the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, must promote love for one another at each stage of life, especially for mothers who choose life. 

Too often our culture responds to unexpected pregnancies with shaming and shunning. This is not a new concept. In the culture of her day, Mary’s pregnancy seemed scandalous. Even Saint Joseph struggled with how to respond to Mary’s pregnancy. We know from Matthew’s Gospel that since Joseph “was a righteous man,” he was “unwilling to expose her to shame, [and] decided to divorce her quietly” (Mt 1:20). Thankfully the angel changed his mind. 

In a culture of life, all life is a gift that brings joy! We hear this joy in the Visitation as Mary set out to visit Elizabeth “in haste.” There is excitement in Mary’s pace. Elizabeth reacts to Mary’s pregnancy with the famous words that we pray in the Hail Mary, “Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” These are declarations of support and of welcome. Even John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb “leaped for joy.” What’s more, these women did not exchange mere fleeting greetings of support, but rather, Mary remained with Elizabeth for three months. These women lived alongside each other and cared for each other. 

When someone becomes pregnant unexpectedly, it is natural to experience a range of feelings. In Mary’s life, which was free from sin and full of grace, she experienced confusion and possibly apprehension, asking the angel “How can this be?” A woman may feel happiness, but also fear, or even anger at an unexpected pregnancy. She may ask herself, “What am I going to do?” or “How am I going to be a mom?” or “What will my family think?” These are the moments when a culture that upholds life walks alongside mothers and loves them.

At the beginning of her Magnificat, Mary gives us a great example of giving thanks to God for the gift of life:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

What might happen if we collectively prayed this first stanza of Mary’s Magnificat for every mother and her baby? It could break open our hearts to love each other better. How else do you see a culture of life evident in today’s Gospel reading?

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¿Qué significa hoy tener una cultura de vida? Soy abogada arquidiocesana en Washington, DC, y a menudo participo en políticas y trabajo de defensa relacionados con temas provida. Una crítica que escucho con frecuencia relacionada con la enseñanza provida de la Iglesia Católica es ésta: “Hay una diferencia entre ser pro-bebé y pro-madre”. En otras palabras, una Iglesia que profesa la santidad de la vida desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural, debe promover el amor mutuo en cada etapa de la vida, especialmente hacia las madres que eligen la vida.

“[Y]ou will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

Christ’s words here are part of the Last Supper Discourse, His final words of wisdom for His Apostles at the Last Supper, just before His death on the Cross. He is confirming that they will experience anguish like His – not only at His death, but also later in life, when all of them except John the Beloved would become martyrs. 

And surely, as Our Lord spoke these words, He was also thinking of His own Passion. In mere hours, He would be in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading with the Father on His knees to let the cup of suffering pass. And then He would accept it. In the twenty-four hours after that, He would be betrayed by one of His closest friends, sentenced to death in place of a murderous rebel, scourged and mockingly crowned, driven through the streets in shame, and crucified between two criminals, abandoned by all His Apostles except John.

Christ knew all this, and yet He accepted the cup of His Passion willingly, because He loves us desperately, and His joy in saving us outweighs His grief. He was in anguish during His hour, yet I wonder if, like a woman in labor, He too “no longer remembers the pain” due to the joy He experiences when even one soul chooses to love Him and follow Him. His is a joy that endures beyond all grief. And He promises the same for us. 

“Amen, Amen, I say to you.” The word “Amen” means “it is so” or “it shall be so.” Not “I hope so” or “I’d like that.” No, the word “Amen” carries a certainty that is almost unparallel in any other language. And Christ says it twice here, indicating the greatness of His promise: the promise of enduring joy. 

“I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” A three-fold promise: Christ will come to His faithful, they will rejoice, and their joy they experience will be unshaken. 

Following Him means taking the path He took. Loving Him means suffering as He suffered. We will experience great grief in this life, but there is more to the story, and that is the key – “your grief will become joy.” Not “it might.” It will. “Amen, amen, I say to you…”

This is the infallible hope of the Christian. Our joy does not come from worldly success or even spiritual consolation. Even if our lives are nothing but grief here on earth, that does not determine our eternity. Our joy comes from Christ’s promise. If we follow Him, we will emerge beyond grief into His joy. There will be grief, and that grief will become joy. Of those two things we can be absolutely certain – and the second part is infinitely more important. It is the promise of eternity with Him.

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“Ustedes estarán tristes, pero su tristeza se transformará en alegría”.

Las palabras de Cristo aquí son parte del Discurso de la Última Cena, Sus últimas palabras de sabiduría para Sus Apóstoles en la Última Cena, justo antes de Su muerte en la Cruz. Él está confirmando que ellos experimentarán una angustia como la Suya – no sólo en Su muerte, sino también más tarde en la vida, cuando todos ellos excepto Juan el Amado se convertirían en mártires.

Y seguramente, cuando Nuestro Señor pronunció estas palabras, Él también estaba pensando en Su propia Pasión. En pocas horas, Él estaría en el Huerto de Getsemaní, suplicando al Padre de rodillas que dejara pasar la copa del sufrimiento. Y luego la aceptaría. En las veinticuatro horas siguientes, Él sería traicionado por uno de Sus amigos más cercanos, sentenciado a muerte en lugar de un rebelde asesino, azotado y coronado burlonamente, conducido por las calles en vergüenza, y crucificado entre dos criminales, abandonado por todos Sus Apóstoles excepto Juan.

Cristo sabía todo esto, y sin embargo aceptó voluntariamente el cáliz de su Pasión, porque nos ama desesperadamente, y su alegría al salvarnos supera su dolor. Estuvo angustiado durante su hora, pero me pregunto si, como una mujer en labor de parto, Él también “ya no recuerda el dolor” debido a la alegría que experimenta cuando incluso una sola alma elige amarlo y seguirlo. La suya es una alegría que perdura más allá de todo dolor. Y Él promete lo mismo para nosotros.

“Amén, amén, les digo” (en la Misa la traducción dice “Les aseguro…”) La palabra “Amén” significa “así es” o “que así sea”. No “espero que así sea” o “me gustaría que así sea”. No, la palabra “Amén” trae consigo una certeza que casi no tiene paralelo en ningún otro idioma. Y Cristo lo dice dos veces aquí, indicando la grandeza de su promesa: la promesa de alegría duradera.

“[L]os volveré a ver, se alegrará su corazón y nadie podrá quitarles su alegría”. Una promesa triple: Cristo vendrá a sus fieles, ellos se alegrarán, y experimentarán un gozo inquebrantable.

Seguirlo significa seguir el camino que Él siguió. Amarlo significa sufrir como Él sufrió. Experimentaremos un gran dolor en esta vida, pero la historia no se acaba allí, y esa es la clave: “su tristeza se transformará en alegría”. No “podría ser”. Así va a ser. “Amén, amén, les digo…”

Ésta es la esperanza infalible del cristiano. Nuestro gozo no proviene del éxito mundano y ni siquiera del consuelo espiritual. Incluso si nuestras vidas no son más que dolor aquí en la tierra, eso no determina nuestra eternidad. Nuestro gozo proviene de la promesa de Cristo. Si lo seguimos, surgiremos no en el dolor sino en su gozo. Habrá dolor, y ese dolor se convertirá en gozo. De esas dos cosas podemos estar absolutamente seguros, y la segunda parte es infinitamente más importante. Es la promesa de la eternidad con Él.

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When the disciples are tasked with feeding five thousand men across from the Sea of Galilee, they are understandably dumbfounded: How can they feed so large a crowd with no food of their own, not much money, and five barley loaves and two fish? Yet, they do not bat an eye when Jesus tells them to prepare the crowd for a meal. Instead of relying on their own intuition and arguing with Jesus about the absurdity of feeding over five thousand people with such a small amount of food, they simply do what He says, knowing that He will provide for His people.

The disciples understand our Gospel acclamation, that “one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). They have no idea how to approach the situation, but they have learned to trust in Jesus’ direction, even for matters of physical survival. His direction is better than anything they could come up with, even if it seems absurd at the time.

This outlook complements that of the psalmist, whose sole aim is to dwell in the house of the Lord rather than in other, more familiar places. And in our First Reading, we see Gamaliel saying something similar: “If [the gospel message] comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). He does not want to resist something that might come from God, even if he does not understand it.

Gamaliel, the psalmist, and the disciples see the point of remaining fixed on God, trusting in His direction even when it is difficult. They know that if God ordains something, guiding it with His hand, it cannot fail. If He gives direction, it will not be followed in vain. To dwell in His house is better than all else.

This is a profound trust that we need to adopt in our own lives. There is a subtle self-reliance that creeps in when we spend too much time seeking security by our own efforts alone. We plan far ahead, without consulting God concerning what He wants for our lives and for our loved ones. Inevitably, our best laid plans fail, and we make new ones, which fare no better. If we are not used to consulting God and trusting that He truly has things under control, we rely on worldly methods to maintain security, prestige, and wealth, so that we can have everything necessary for a good and peaceful life. Seeking easy steps to success, we look to social media and popular wisdom to solve our problems. If these solutions are divorced from spirituality, they never bring us the peace and security we seek.

Ultimately, we need to trust in what God has already told us through readings such as these. Even and especially when things look confusing and hopeless, God is in control. We must listen to Him and seek His will in these moments through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, and spiritual direction, trusting in what He tells us, even if we cannot understand the reasons for it. We cannot expect to fully understand the ways of God, but that does not mean that they are inferior to the ways we can come up with on our own. Dwelling in His house is the goal, and His direction and protection are best for us in all situations.

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Cuando los discípulos tienen la tarea de alimentar a cinco mil hombres al otro lado del Mar de Galilea, se quedan estupefactos: ¿Cómo pueden alimentar a una multitud tan grande sin comida propia, sin mucho dinero, cinco panes de cebada y dos peces? Sin embargo, no se inmutan cuando Jesús les dice que preparen a la multitud para una comida. En lugar de confiar en su propia intuición y discutir con Jesús acerca de lo absurdo de alimentar a más de cinco mil personas con una cantidad tan pequeña de comida, simplemente hacen lo que les manda, sabiendo que proveerá para Su pueblo.

Los discípulos entienden nuestra aclamación evangélica, que “No sólo de pan vive el hombre, sino también de toda palabra que sale de la boca de Dios.” (Mt 4,4). No tienen idea de cómo abordar la situación, pero han aprendido a confiar en la dirección de Jesús, incluso en cuestiones de supervivencia física. Su orientación es mejor que cualquier cosa que se les haya ocurrido, incluso si parece absurdo en ese momento.

Esta perspectiva complementa la del salmista, cuyo único objetivo es morar en la casa del Señor y no en otros lugares más familiares. Y en nuestra Primera Lectura, vemos a Gamaliel diciendo algo similar: “si lo que se proponen y están haciendo es de origen humano, se acabará por sí mismo. Pero si es cosa de Dios, no podrán ustedes deshacerlo. No se expongan a luchar contra Dios” (Hechos 5:39). No quiere resistirse a algo que podría venir de Dios, aunque no lo entienda.

Gamaliel, el salmista y los discípulos ven el punto de mantenerse fijos en Dios, confiando en Su orientación incluso cuando sea difícil. Saben que si Dios ordena algo, guiándolo con Su mano, no puede fallar. Si orienta a alguien, sus indicaciones no serán seguidas en vano. Morar en Su casa es mejor que cualquier otra cosa.

Esta es una confianza profunda que necesitamos adoptar en nuestras propias vidas. Hay una autosuficiencia sutil que se cuela cuando pasamos demasiado tiempo buscando seguridad solo con nuestros propios esfuerzos. Planeamos con mucha anticipación, sin consultar a Dios sobre lo que quiere para nuestra vida y la de nuestros seres queridos. Inevitablemente, nuestros planes fallan y creamos otros nuevos, y no nos va mejor. Si no estamos acostumbrados a consultar a Dios y confiar en que realmente tiene las cosas bajo su control, nos apoyamos en métodos mundanos para mantener la seguridad, el prestigio y la riqueza, para que podamos tener todo lo necesario para una vida buena y pacífica. Buscando pasos fáciles hacia el éxito, recurrimos a las redes sociales y la sabiduría popular para resolver nuestros problemas. Si estas soluciones están separadas de la espiritualidad, nunca nos traerán la paz y la seguridad que buscamos.

En última instancia, debemos confiar en lo que Dios ya nos ha dicho a través de las escrituras, como las lecturas de hoy. Incluso y especialmente cuando las cosas parecen confusas y sin esperanza, Dios tiene todo bajo control. Debemos escucharlo y buscar su voluntad en estos momentos a través de la oración, la Escritura, los sacramentos y la dirección espiritual, confiando en lo que nos dice, aunque no podamos entender las razones. No podemos esperar comprender completamente los caminos de Dios, pero eso no significa que sean inferiores a los caminos que podemos encontrar por nuestra cuenta. Morar en Su casa es la meta, y Su orientación y su protección son lo mejor para nosotros en todas las situaciones.

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“When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.”

The Apostles were so convicted by their experience of Jesus Christ, that they continued to tell his story even when those in power wanted to put them to death. Let that sink in for a moment. They wanted them put to death. And the Apostles did not stop. 

We live in a time when we are taught not to discuss religion and politics. We have witnessed people shamed and brought down for standing up for their convictions. It is a time of “political correctness” and “cancel culture”. 

This hits home hard for me. It is hard for me to even write these words. I am ashamed to admit that there have been times in my life when I have not brought up my faith because I was afraid it would make for an uncomfortable dinner conversation. I have neglected to share the grace I have received, because I wasn’t sure how the person would react, they might think I was weird or worse. I had a job once where I was cautioned to tuck in my crucifix because I was around people who didn’t like Catholics and I complied. No one has threatened my life, but there have definitely been times when I didn’t tell the story of Jesus Christ and the wonders he has worked. For that I am ashamed. 

A personal encounter with Jesus Christ has the ability to transform us. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ is able to take us outside of ourselves and move us into meaningful encounters with others. It is our mission to go out into the world and tell the story of Jesus Christ and his mercy. We are not to tell it once and then go back home, we are to tell the story over and over. More than that, we are to live the story. We are to live in such a way that mercy is our hallmark; where telling others how much they are loved is part of just who we are and how we operate. 

So I will take comfort from John’s words in the Gospel. “He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.” As I bend my will to conform more and more to God’s will, I can trust that God will not ration his gift of the Spirit so that each day I can start anew and along with the Psalmist “bless the Lord at all times.” Even when it feels uncomfortable. 

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