Deacons' Council Diocese of Orlando at 135 Marion Oak Lane, Ocala, FL 34473-2631 US - A Season of Hope

Hope, to desire with the expectation of fulfillment, marks the celebration of Advent. A time when we, as Catholic Christians, center on the promise of God to bring us all home to Him, in Christ. A time to look toward the future as an expectant woman awaits the birth of her child. Our thoughts centered on the possibilities, which every new life holds. During this advent of the Jubilee year, Pope John Paul II calls upon all people of good will to make a new commitment to protect and promote human life. At Advent the image of a pregnant Mary traveling by donkey to Bethlehem leaps into our minds. We could easily believe the Pope is speaking about opposing abortion. Yet the term human life is more encompassing and begs us to broaden our view. To protect human life requires us to actively oppose abortion as well as assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the death penalty. The first is perhaps the easiest for us. It becomes increasingly more difficult as we consider the possibilities of the protracted terminal illness of a loved one, perhaps even ourselves, the burdens of living to a ripe old age, or in the case of the death penalty - perceived justice. Laws prohibiting these would be ideal. Sadly, public opinion tends to support their continuance in our midst - a culture of death. What then is a Catholic Christian to do? Our clue comes in the Pope's call to promote human life. We are called upon to put our energy into looking for ways to ennoble all people. Here too we find serious issues such as the right to work, just wages, quality education, decent housing, affordable food, healthcare, and true equality. These issues have been with us for centuries. During this season we recall an imperial census and taxation, a carpenter and his pregnant wife, an inn with no vacancies, a stable, and an unassisted birth. Some of us may rankle at the governmental system that required people to travel to a city of origin to be taxed. If one was unable to pay - being sold into slavery or placed in prison. Are there not governments in this world today that do the same? Others may wonder how a traveling carpenter earned a living. How many of us would hire a worker without a work history at decent wages? Perhaps there is anger at the innkeepers who turned away a pregnant woman. Are there not innkeepers and landlords today who charge exorbitant amounts for a place to sleep? Some would crinkle their noses at the thoughts of staying in a smelly stable. Doesn't a stable provide more protection than the street? Still others would draw back from the very thought of childbirth without drugs to ease the pain or physicians to guide the birth of a child. How many people face pregnancies and childbirth and other illnesses without the benefit of medical care? Pope Paul VI wrote that if we wanted peace in this world we must work for justice. For us to obtain justice we must promote conditions in our society in which human life in all its stages. We must work to move from a culture of death to one of life. Life that gives hope - the expectation of fulfillment of our potential here on earth and of God's promises for us in heaven.

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