October is Respect Life Month

October is Respect Life Month. During this month, let us contemplate how precious life is—a gift from God that needs to be respected, protected, and valued from conception to natural death. Life is always sacred; however, a child’s life is especially sacred because of the child’s defenselessness. We see the status that Jesus gives children clearly in the Gospels. 

Children were very important to Jesus. Throughout his life, there are a few instances in which Jesus chastised his disciples. One particular time is when he rebuked the disciples for sending the children that were gathered around him away. “Let the children come to me” (Mk 10:13-16) is one of Jesus’ strongest admonition to his disciples. Jesus continued further, “…don’t hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. And he took them in his arms and blessed them” (Mk 10:13-16).

What must it have been like for these children to be welcomed by Jesus, to be taken in his arms and blessed? Surely, they must have felt the immense love of a God who is love. 

The evangelist Matthew points to another important moment when the disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” To answer them, Jesus calls a child near him, puts the child in front of the crowd that was gathered and says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me” (Mt 18:3-5).

These are powerful words if we take them seriously – to welcome a child is to welcome Jesus! And, to welcome Jesus is to welcome the Father and the Holy Spirit because our God is a Trinitarian God. 

Jesus elevated the place of children in Jewish society with the declarations made in Matthew’s Gospel. These Gospel passages should indicate to each one of us and to our society the position that children must be elevated to, especially the most defenseless. They are to be welcomed, to be loved, and to be protected.

Can we imagine how these children connected with Jesus, knowing that for him, they were the most important ones? Let’s resolve together that beginning this month which has been designated Respect Life Month, we look at each child we encounter, at home, in the hospital, at school, at the supermarket, on the plane, on the field, and on the street, and we see them as Jesus saw them, with infinite love. Let’s resolve to help and protect them from suffering, to do everything to help them feel safe and valued. 

There is nothing that moves a heart more than to see tears in a child’s eyes. We need only to look around us to see that divorce, homelessness, hunger and poverty, forcible separation, illness, and loss affect children in ways that can stay with them long into adulthood.

Let’s imprint in our heart, mind, and soul that every time we welcome and love one of these children we welcome and love Jesus and in him the Father and the Holy Spirit. If we become like little children, obedient and dependent on the Father, we shall enter the Kingdom of God.