Cultura Vitae

Now, more than ever, the world is thirsting for lovers of life. The world wants to find joy and fulfillment, but the culture of death does not fulfill them. True joy is found in loving the life that God gave you and recognizing beauty in everyone’s life, especially the unborn and the elderly. However, being pro-life consists in so much more than being anti-abortion and euthanasia. Recognizing the right to life from conception to natural death for all people is certainly fundamental to embodying the culture of life, but it does not end there. Being pro-life means loving life not only in the face of death, but in all the things we do. It is only when we strive to be true, good, and beautiful in every aspect of our lives that our neighbors will strive to do this as well. When people recognize the joy of life, rooted in Christ, they will not only want it for themselves, but for everyone around them, no matter their age or ability. Our school, Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family, strives to embody the culture of life in everything we do. The goal of this school is to form true, good, and beautiful lovers of life.

Last Friday, the students of Chesterton Academy embodied the culture of life by praying in front of an abortion clinic after school. The witness of dozens of young people spending their Fridays in the cold praying for an end to abortion certainly had an effect on people driving by. But being public witnesses like we were last Friday is not the only thing we do to spread the culture of life; we spread it every morning at Holy Mass, in every conversation in the classroom, and in every smile shared in the hallway. We embody the culture of life when we go to daily mass and recognize that Christ is Who we need in order to lead joyful lives; we embody the culture of life when we have uplifting and engaging conversations about the books that hold the keys to living beautiful lives; we embody the culture of life when we share its joy by smiling and laughing down the hallways, quite frequently, with our friends. In the joyfulness of the classrooms, lunch periods, and volleyball or soccer games, we embody the culture of life. In being joyful we spread the truth that life is worth living by the ways we live our lives.

As a school, as families, and as individuals, let us continue to be lovers of life in all we do. Each one of us is called to embody the culture of life. After all, Jesus came “so that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). By being witnesses to this abundant life, we are fulfilling the mission of Christ on earth. Let not the end of October, pro-life month, be the end of our end of being pro-life. Let us continue to unabashedly embody the culture of life by continuing to pray for an end of abortion, continuing to raise money for pro-life pregnancy centers, and continue to be joyful every day of our lives. By being lovers of life, we will spread truth, goodness, and beauty to this thirsting world.

By Jill Cook