To Live Witness

This past weekend at the March for Life I expected to be sleepy.

Turns out, I was struck.

Over and over again my faith was reaffirmed by witnesses. 

• First, the teens and our adult volunteers.  Their attentiveness during the weekend.  Their questioning and applying their observations to their lives.  Their desire to sacrifice sleep and showers and hot food, to witness for life.  Their faithfulness struck me. 
• Second, the seminarians and priests.  There were so many.  What hope.  The vibrancy of the Church is young.  That is awesome.  I was joking with one of my college friends, who is now in seminary, before the basilica Vigil Mass about his cassock and being part of "the show."  A 40 minute procession really is a show.  It shows us hope.  That is its purpose.  
• Finally, the bishops and their message of Christ.  To be pro-life is not a passive stance, nor is it an abstract one.  It is not a legal issue.  It is a matter of the heart.  This places the burden of responsibility, the work, on us.  How will we respond to Christ?  How do we respond to the one who gives us this gift of life?  More importantly, how do we respond in the mundanity of our daily lives?  How do we respond in ordinary situations at home, at work, at school, etc.?  

This weekend called me to conversion and encouraged me in my faith.  It showed me the importance of witness.

"For to me to live is Christ."  Philippians 1:21