Today is the Feast of the Annunciation.
For many of us this has been a very retrospective and introspective week. The cause of life — the fight to make ours a country that values the unborn, the aged, the infirm – seems to have been hit a body blow.
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards wasted no time before gloating with her supporters over the millions of dollars that would flow into their coffers by means of the Healthcare legislation passed Sunday. And we know that millions for Planned Parenthood means millions for every other anti-family, anti-life, anti-marriage, and anti-chastity group out there.
But today is the Feast of the Annunciation and it is worth considering the simplicity and worldly poverty of Mary. Arrayed against her, against the coming of the Messiah, was every earthly power intent upon maintaining domination.
Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us”
…
I will tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, “You are my son,
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2: 1-3, 7-9).
All Mary did was say yes to life. And it was the defeat of all earthly power.
It’s hard to see when we suffer political defeat, when we are betrayed by false friends, when the work of years seems to evaporate before our eyes. But yes to life still works. Even this week babies were being saved by the steadfast witness of 40 Days to Life.
The future, we must remember, belongs to those who show up. Saying yes to life is a territorial imperative in the battle we are waging here on earth. But regardless of the setbacks, we can be encouraged.
Because today is the Feast of the Annunciation.
Today is the beginning of our salvation. Today is the beginning of the end of sin – including the sin of abortion. Today is the day when yes to life was yes to Life. And so it always is.
And in the end, yes wins.