By fr. Reynaldo Rafael Chang, OP

From the point of view of faith

It is a good question to begin to analyze the situation that aims to tear – to end - life from shortly after conception. This first question could be complemented with the following question: What would happen if the laws had supported the opposite decision? Since not only the “committing a crime” would be considered but the consent and support of the laws to commit that crime.

“She” is not more than our mother and each of the mothers who have “decided” to continue with the pregnancy instead of resorting to an abortion.

When I was the university, I took a subject that I consider the most interesting, because it is closely linked to life, the planet, each unicellular and multicellular organism, rocks and minerals, a subject dedicated to The Creation and the evolution of Species: Environmental Education.

My teacher: a person without equal; my classmates: the best. At the end of the semester, we came to the topics related to reproduction and population. For the first class of this subject the teacher reproduced a video comparable to the saga “Saw”: they were the most atrocious and bloody 30 or 45 minutes of the semester; finished the video - the carnage and the bloodshed - our teacher read a text that was entitled “letter of an aborted child to his mother” (easily available online). After reading the letter, the teacher dismissed us, even though there were 2 hours left until the end of the class. I guess because there was nothing more to say, clarify, explain, discuss... the images spoke for themselves... Now I want to ask: if for someone who only sees a video about abortions it is a terrible experience, how will it be to decide and practice an abortion?

When I began my vocational discernment one of the biblical texts that were recommended to me is: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jr. 1:5). Once I was accepted in the postulancy of the Order of Preachers, in one of the philosophy classes I studied the Aristotelian concepts of “the act” and “the power”. Keeping in mind these aspects of faith and reason I will ask again what would happen if she had made another decision?

Now I invite you to think about the mothers of the most prominent men and women of the world: people of faith, leaders of the Church, leaders of religious movements of any kind, scientists, doctors, researchers, politicians, philosophers, artists, police, firemen, in short, countless people who have dedicated their lives so that others can live better. Let us think about “ordinary” people like us, like the members of our families, our friends, like the destitute who begs on the corner, people around the world whose existence we do not know and they ignore ours, but who play an important role for very simple that is, like ours ... What would happen if our mother or his had made the decision to abort us?

Once I discussed with a friend about the stance of science and its apparent control over the life of the human being. “Who does decide who lives and who dies?” was the controversial question, we laughed a lot when we saw how stupid each idea was, one more absurd than the other, but this mental exercise helped us to understand that the problem is not the science itself, it is the human being that needs to be re-educated and learn to respect life, from its beginning (unicellular) and in each of its forms (biodiversity).

The relearning process will be slow and painful, I am sure of that, but this seems to be the only answer we can find to not destroy The Creation. The following quote is taken from the Encyclical Letter “Humanae Vitae” (1968) “Call to the attention of educators and people in charge of the good of human coexistence on the need to create a favorable climate for the education of chastity, triumph of freedom over debauchery, through respect for the moral order.” For 50 years, Blessed Paul VI has invited us to take up positions in favor of life.

Life is defined as the “property or essential quality of animals and plants, by which they evolve, adapt to the environment, develop and reproduce.”

Living organisms evolve. The human being, as a living organism, also does so, but on two levels: the natural one that has caused him to lose body hair; and the intellectual who has led him to discover and master knowledge.

Life is the “property or essential quality of […] plants ...” How many times have we sat on the grass in a beautiful park to talk with another person and at the same time(conscious or unconscious of it) we start to tear off the lawn? A detail that is considered insignificant, but that does justice to the definition quoted, at tearing off the grass we end with that essential property called life.

We feel like having a new table. Why not make it out of cedar? The coffin in mahogany, the furniture set in pine, the doors in walnut, the maple floors ... do not the trees also have this property that we call life?

As we climb the evolutionary scale and we find tigers, leopards, jaguars, snakes, crocodiles, all of them with a raw material par excellence for the manufacture of coats, purses, and belts... and how is it to be missing among the ornaments of the house a mountainous landscape carved in the tusk of an elephant? ... Dressed in fur, sitting on the pine furniture, we can contemplate the aforementioned mountainous landscape carved in the tusk of an elephant while we eat, at the cedar table, our soup of shark fins and «foie gras» as a luxury dish... with these examples I consider that I make myself understood. What are we doing with The Creation? Pope Francis in his encyclical letter “Laudato Si’” explains it in a very correct way.

Now the central point of this essay: the human being leads the evolutionary scale, is the most beautiful creation of God: “You made him a little less than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor, and you put him on the works of your hands.” (Heb 2: 7); we are endowed with intelligence to manage (dominate) the planet's natural resources and even scientific knowledge. In “Humanae Vitae” Blessed Paul VI affirms that "The Church is the first to praise and recommend the intervention of intelligence in a work that closely associates the rational creature with its Creator, but affirms that it must be done respecting the order established by God.” 

It is not absurd to say that the human being has not been able to respect the life of the “lower organisms”. The thought evolves, changes, develops, rises in level, often becomes arrogant, selfish and seeks to dethrone the Wisdom itself; therefore it is logical to think that if we are doing away with plants and animals, abortion is no exception. It seems that wars, the number of biological and chemical weapons, terrorism, environmental pollution or diseases to end the human race are not enough. It seems that something more radical was needed: to destroy the life of a human being who does not yet have the strength or the means to defend himself.

The central question in this text is linked to the decision of a woman and this is totally true because it is the woman who has and will always have the last word when it comes to successfully carry a pregnancy or choose abortion. It is in the body of the woman that the biological and psychological processes of pregnancy occur and she suffers at the moment of birth, to the point of, many times, putting her own life at risk when complications arise.

On Facebook^®I found a picture of a protest in favor of the legalization of abortion, a woman holding a poster with the following inscription: “with my uterus, I do what I want”. Undoubtedly I support the idea expressed in the poster: it is that woman's body in particular, as she says “it is her uterus”; now the question is: the life that is developing in “her uterus” to whom it belongs? Each one of us is the son of his mother, biologically and legally speaking, but our mothers are not the owners of life. The word mother is defined in the dictionary as “Woman who has had one or more children, or female animal that has had one or more offspring.” Similarly, the word owner is defined as “Person who exercises control over a certain thing or person, or has power over it.” At no time are these definitions equivalent, or even similar.

When considering the idea of an abortion it must be taken into account that this new being that is being formed (in act) can be (in power) the one that develops the vaccine against cancer, the one that brings peace to the Middle East, the one that achieves the unification of all denominations of the Church, the one that brings happiness to the home, the one that saves the life of another in danger, the perfect donor of bone marrow, the one that will close your eyes when death comes. If abortion is the chosen alternative, then there is the possibility that the vaccine against cancer will never be developed or postponed, that peace never reaches the Middle East...

Another topic that can be considered for analysis is that motherhood (and fatherhood) is assumed as a heavy responsibility in the first place, then as the restriction of freedom and finally as an economic commitment. This problem is solved when we realize that being a mother or father is a received grace, a privilege that we do not deserve but that God in his infinite mercy has granted us. To have a child is to be co-creators with the Creator, it is to continue his work on earth, and it is to guarantee the continuation of life and its development. Paul VI tells us “Human life is sacred; from its beginning, it directly commits the creative action of God.” (Cf. HV, 13). How to despise being co-creators? How to reject a gift or a privilege as such? Why not change the words “responsibility” for “total surrender”, “restriction of freedom” for “being available to those who need it” and “economic commitment” for “investment”? Is it that the purpose is for human life to end with our generation? 

The third and last element is the use of abortion as a new “contraceptive method”. Apparently, family planning is failing, sexual education has disappeared and sex has become a promiscuous and irresponsible physical exercise, being the causes of “unwanted pregnancies” which have as an easy solution the practice of abortion. Part of the re-education to which I refer has to do with understanding that abortion is not and never will be a contraceptive method. 

St. John Paul II (1983), recalled that God “calls husbands to responsible procreation.” That means “discerning the rhythms of human fertility and guiding your paternity according to these rhythms.” With these words, he reaffirmed that “the doctrine of the Catholic Church admits the limitation or regulation of births only with methods based on the biological rhythms of fecundity or non-fertility of women, but rejects contraception” or direct intervention to prevent the conception. 

Finally, among the 10 Commandments, we find “you shall not kill”. Abortion presupposes a direct intervention to end an innocent life and incapable of defending by himself. That governments support legal initiatives that regulate, encourage or accept the practice of abortion is the first step towards legalization to justify the termination of life, this time not of a “fetus”, but of any human being regardless of his age. To accept and support abortion is to abrogate the right on the life of every human being because each one of us could be that human being aborted by our mother's decision and with the approval of the laws of our country. Abortion is also to end the possibility of evolution and improvement of the human species. It is to eliminate the joy of the world.

Saint Dominic fought against the heresies in the south of France, once founded the Order of Preachers the first task entrusted was to study for the preaching of the Gospel, to believers and non-believers, as the result of contemplation. The situation of abortion is comparable to the heresies of the thirteenth century. Friars, nuns, and tertiaries who live according to the example of our Father Saint Dominic, once again we are being called to preach the Gospel of Life for the life of all those who have not yet been born. 

I would like to insist once again that the solution lies in the education of the masses on time and out of time, against the odds, with the help of God, who has given us the means, the intelligence and the ability to fight against this new evil. Let us help mothers, fathers, and families to make the right decision, a decision in favor of life: the essential property of each organism and the greatest gift we have received from our heavenly Father. 

 

By Fr. Fausto Gómez, OP

After we are born, we often hear around us: “He or she is the most beautiful or smart, or less perfect than his brother or sister or classmate or playmate. Many of us were educated at home, in school, in other communities on the need to be better than others by comparison. 

When I was a young priest, I often used the lyrics of the popular poem Desiderata for my reflections with young students. One idea I repeated to them: “Do not compare yourself with others.”Is comparison a positive or a negative trait?

WORDS FROM A PSYCHOLOGIST

We live in a very competitive world. Through life, we compete with or against others, we compare - and the world around us compares us - with others. We are all equal. Still, some are more equal than others. There are rankings!

Some months ago, I read an interesting and enlightening article by Isabel Serrano Rosa, a psychologist, entitled Why Do We Compare with Others?”(Isabel Serrano Rosa, ¿Por qué nos comparamos? EL MUNDO, Abril 4, 2017). Let me share her main ideas on the matter.

We are told that when we are about one year old or a bit later, we see ourselves in the mirror and love our image. This is essential for our self-esteem. Sometime later appears the image of the other whom the adults surrounding us examine and compare with our own image. We may be told by them: “You are better than your brother or sister, or you are like your brother and sister, or your brother or sister is better than you; you have to be better than your cousins in school.” Hence, the comparison with others is usually born at home, and continues in school, in the profession – in the world. “If the comparisons are positive, they provide a valuable information on who we are and to where we can lead ourselves. If they are negative, then our identity will be wounded.”   

Enemies of our authentic self-esteem are: comparing ourselves with others instead of pursuing our own objective; focusing on our weak points which make us insecure; envy that sees the other as one who possesses what we want and lack; the “narcissist comparison” that shouts “I am the best and you are nothing.”  Comparing ourselves with others we admire may be beneficial. Beneficialcomparisonis a positive admiration that urges us to action (“If he can I can too”). Likewise pro-active comparison: the tendency to improve oneself by comparing oneself with oneself and try hard to do better. 

GUIDANCE FROM THE BIBLE

As Christians, we always go to the Sacred Scriptures for guidance and encouragement. The Holy Bible teaches us that envy is an enemy of beneficial and positive comparison. When a young boy complained to Moses that two other elders were also prophesying outside the Tent, and asked him to please stop them, the patriarch answers him:  “Are you jealous on my account? If only all Yahweh’s people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit!” (Nb 11:29). In Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) two brothers are presented to us: the prodigal son and his elder brother, who is resentful of his Father. Why? Because he considers himself better than his lost younger brother, who wasted his inheritance on wild living, but his Father treats his brother much better: giving a great banquet in his honor upon his return! The elder brother does not want to go in to celebrate because of him, who was always an obedient son, was never given a banquet by his Father. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son or Merciful Father, the elder son compares with his prodigal brother and feels proudly righteous while for him his younger brother is a great sinner.

Pride is another great enemy of true compassion. The Psalmist prays: “And from the pride preserve your servant, / never let it be my master. / So shall I be, without reproach, / free from the grave sin” (Ps 19:13). The Pharisees and scribes considered themselves better than the ordinary people. They compared themselves with others and felt superior: they were self-righteous - “holier and wiser than thou.”

The apostles James and John asked Jesus to let them sit in his glory one on his right hand and the other, on his left. The other ten apostles resented it: they also wanted to occupy the best seats near the throne.  Jesus says: “Many who are first shall come the last, and the last shall come first” (Mk 10:31: cf. Mk 10:17-31); “Whoever wishes to be the first will be the slave of all.” He added: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (cf. Mk 10:35-45; Mt 20:20-23, 25-28). 

ETHICS OF COMPARING WITH OTHERS

Comparison to be ethical and Christian must be humble, not proud, loving, not envious.  

Pride is a human failure and a fault against God and neighbor. Like every serious sin, it is a betrayal of love. It is the queen of capital sins and a heavy stumbling block to happiness and holiness. Pride is the worst “I” problem, the fat ego: I, me, mine! The journey of happiness entails continuing unselfing, emptying oneself of oneself to give space to God, to the neighbor – to silence. One begins to be happy when he or she goes out of himself/herself to encounter the other, who is a brother or a sister. Rick Warren, the author of the bestseller The Purpose Driven Life, writes:  “Pride builds walls between people; humility builds bridges.”    

Wanting to be number one, that is to be above others, may lead to selfishness. Steve Wilkens says that “to look out for number one” inspires living selfishly (Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics).  The longing for excellence is a natural longing, and a sound longing for excellence drives us to do the best we can with what we have: to do better today than yesterday – and not necessarily better than the neighbor. A pro-active comparison is healthy.  

The medicine against pride and selfishness is humility. Humility is the virtue that inclines us not to humiliate anyone, not to exaggerate our self-importance but to realize our need of others – of God. I remember the writing on the wooden door of the simple room of a Franciscan brother in Calbayog (Philippines): “When you feel perfect, try walking on water.” The classical saying in Latin says it well: Homo humus, fama fumus, finis cinis'– “Man is dust; fame is smoke; the end is ashes.” 

In the Christian perspective, what matters is not comparing and competing against others but comparing and competing with oneself, in humility, while appreciating and praising the gifts of others too. One may compare with himself or herself: “I will be better tomorrow than today.” Nothing wrong with trying to imitate the good qualities of others, who may be our model-persons types from whom we may learn! A believer may compare with Christ, who is the Way and the perfect one, to imitate him who is “meek and humble of heart.”  (Parenthetically: to award achievements, to receive an honor may be fine as long as it is deserved and helps us improve our own selves – and not our pride but our humility) 

Envy, sister of pride, is a failure against the love of neighbor - and source of sadness and anger.  Pope Francis writes: “The power of domination or competition… destroys love”; “The logic of domination and competition about who is the most intelligent or powerful destroys love” (Amoris Laetitia, AL98). Love of neighbor includes rejoicing at the success of others while comparing with others “secretly rejoices in their failures” (AL109).  

Positive comparison, then, may be helpful while negative comparison, harmful. The appropriate text from desiderata I mentioned at the beginning advises us not to compare ourselves with others: If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself…

Words to ponder!“No individual among you must become filled with his own importance and make comparisons to another’s detriment. Who made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why are you boasting as though it were your own” (I Cor 4:6-7). (FGB)

Someone said that “people are not bad; they just suffer.” People – most people – are good, and treat others with kindness and gentleness. Being “others friendly” in our daily life does not make it to the front pages of newspapers or TV newscasts, but it is worthwhile to practice: events, experiences, encounters that contribute to making our life meaningful and joyful. Let me share with you a few little stories which happened to me. 

In Macau, I take the bus almost daily (it is free for the elderly). I would say that ninety-eight percent of the time someone offers me his or her seat (I am young at heart!). Sometimes, particularly after five in the afternoon, I resist because I see people are tired and my distance home is a few stops only. No way. I remember one time a middle-aged lady offered me her seat. I tell her that I am getting off the next stop. No way: “Please, sit.” Amen – and thanks!

The following story happened last summer. A young lady offered her seat to me in the Metro or subway of Madrid. As I was sitting, I stepped on the left foot of another young lady. I said thank you to the first and sorry to the second, who did not say a word but gave me a truly sincere smile. Both made my day!

Another little happening. Some weeks ago, I was waiting for a taxi in Jardim de Flora, Macau. A young man was ahead of me, so he stopped the first taxi that passed by, opened the door and … called me – I was about three meters away from him. He asked me to please get on the taxi. I told him: “Please, you take it. I am in no hurry. I wait for another.” He just smiled at me and showed me the open door with an inviting gesture of his right hand. People are good!

Once I bought a daily newspaper on a street stand. This time in Madrid. After paying, I said to the man who handed me a copy of the newspaper: “Thank you,” and added: “May you have a good day.” I think he was surprised and reacted late. I was already meters away from him when he shouted: “Señor, sir, “and you too; may you have a good day.” I still smile when I remember him.

Three years ago I had a student in Moral and Spiritual Theology. He was an atheist. He came to love the class and the exchanges among the eight students in the class. One of the questions of the final exam was on how they found the class – positive and negative points. This student was happy he enrolled: he learned to read books and present them in class, and, above all, he said he learned something essential for his life: “Though this class is about religions and I do not have beliefs in religions, I believe the essence of all religions is love; therefore this class is also teaching me how to love. Thank you very much.” He opened his answers to the questions of the final exam thus: “Dear professor. Here are my answers. God bless you.” I remember with joy and gratitude my atheist (?) student who asked God to bless me!  And I know he meant it. 

I have a friend who is a doctor of medicine and very kind. She answers emails right away. I think she believes that gratitude should not just walk but run – like the Father of the Prodigal Son! The majority of people answer emails or WhatsApp after some minutes or hours or days; some, much later, and a few, almost never, or until one asks them: “Did you receive my email?” I remember Charlie Brown the kind master of Snoopy and friend of Linus and the rest of the lovely Peanuts Family. Before Christmas, Charlie sent a Christmas card to all his friends. Some did not answer so he called them up and asked them: “Did you receive my Christmas card?” They answered him: “Yes, thank you very much.” Charlie Brown: “It is good to help people say the right thing.” Did you receive my email?

A religious sister told me this story. She was given a free trip to Lourdes, France. She was happy. She wanted to ask Our Lady of Lourdes to heal her from her constant pains and aches, especially her crippling arthritis. When she arrived at the Shrine she forgot her petition: “Seeing so many people ill – some very disabled, others in a wheelchair, others limping, still others crying… -, I did not mind my request.” Instead of praying for herself, she prayed for all those brothers and sisters who went to visit Our Lady in search of a miracle, or just peace of soul. How beautiful! To forget ourselves to connect with others and try to help them. For believers, every person is a brother or a sister in Christ - the Crucified and Risen Christ; God is the Father of all. 

A few years ago I traveled to Matsuyama with another brother Dominican. We had to stop at Osaka Airport. We had time for lunch so, not knowing much of the rich Japanese cuisine, we opted for MacDonald. We checked the different kinds of sandwiches and their corresponding amount in yens. I was greatly surprised by the price of the last item in the list: zero (0). I checked what it was: Smile! I was indeed joyfully surprised - Smile: 0!St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata, who practiced the apostolate of the smile, said: “Perhaps I do not speak your language, but I can smile.” 

In December of 2016, and walking on my way to the house of the Missionaries of Charity in Macau, a woman was shouting at my back. I turned around and saw her:  she was young, a teenager. She kept talking in Chinese and pointing to my cap (from Rosaryhill School in Hong Kong). I realized she was a bit mentally disabled. I made signs trying to tell her if she wanted my cap. She answered moving her head up and down. So I gave it to her. She was so happy. And I was very happy. She made my day – and some more.  

Walking one day with a friend, under the Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain, a middle-aged woman approached us and asked for some money to feed her children. We gave her some amount. Her answer: “Many thanks, and may God give it to you in another way.” That was wonderful and true: Jesus pays well, St. Teresa of Avila says. I remember the words of St. Peter Chrysologus: “Give to the poor and you give to yourself.”

The icon of kindness, compassion, and tenderness is the mother, our mother. Best images are mother and child, or mother (grandmother) and father (grandfather). I remember the words of St. John of Avila: “The most beautiful thing in the world is to see in Bethlehem a young woman with her child in her arms.” What a joy for me to watch the little children going to school with their parents and or grandparents: some parents talk with their children, others listen to them, and still others just smile to each other. So much love and tenderness and joy! I thought: the future is in good hands. With these uplifting images, one understands better what Jesus says:  “Let the children come to me… If you do not become like children you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

When I see a needy person, the following well-known story comes to my mind. There was a little girl – hungry, dirty, fragile, poor – shivering in a cold winter morning. A priest passed by and felt some kind of pity for her. So at night before going to bed, the priest asked God: “Why don’t you do something about the little girl, your child?” He asked the same question for a few nights in a row. God kept silent. Finally, one night God answered him: “I did something. I created you.” There are many in our world like the little girl, perhaps not far from us, who need an act of kindness, a piece of bread, a smile.  I am sure of this: we will never regret helping some needy children, women, and the elderly.

Little acts of kindness or courtesy to others enrich us all. Courtesy, St. Francis of Assisi tells us, is the little sister of charity or love. St. Therese of the Child Jesus invites us to practice her “little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile, or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship” (Pope Francis). These little acts of love, of courtesy, of kindness and gentleness are truly refreshing for the giver and the receiver.