From the Pastor’s Desk
In today’s Psalm, we pray: “God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.”
God truly does take care of the poor—by our hands! As the Body of Christ on earth, we are being made perfect whenever we invite the poor, the lame, the suffering, and the excluded to share in the spiritual and material blessings we have received.
We don’t have to look very far to find people who are struggling and suffering. In fact, nearly everyone suffers from want at different times in life, especially in today’s world.
In that light, the bishops of California have made a commitment this year to support women, children and families in need… and we all have a role to play.
These days, most of us have noticed that the overturning of Roe v. Wade has generated a lot of sensationalized reactions across our state. The political camps and media interests are doing everything possible to divide, anger, and scare us into supporting their agendas. On the other hand, the Gospel calls us to respond to this new landscape with a spirit of unity and loving-kindness.
Whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, we can all agree that an unexpected pregnancy can be disorienting and frightening. We can also agree that no woman facing an unexpected or difficult pregnancy should ever be left to feel that abortion is her only choice, due to economic circumstances or social pressure. Our society does not always give vulnerable women the support they need to choose life, and that is where we come in. Our message to them is: “Support Changes Everything!”
Today I would like to introduce a specific way we can all help fulfill our bishops’ commitment to women, children, and families in need. In fact, our own bishop, Cardinal McElroy, is asking us all to prayerfully consider supporting an organization called Options United.
All twelve dioceses in our state have endorsed Options United to provide the critically needed point of contact for women in need—a single phone number they can call from anywhere in the state. Trained staff will connect them to over 170 local service providers who are ready to accompany women facing challenging pregnancies and in the early years of parenthood.
The new funding is required to expand staffing for the call centers and promote the service online, through billboards, posters, and other media. That is where you come in. None of this can be accomplished without ongoing financial support from people of goodwill. In today’s Gospel, our Lord promises that we will be blessed in ways that cannot be measured when we share from our bounty with them. So please visit the website at OptionsUnited.com, and look for the announcement in today’s bulletin for more info. Together and with God’s help, we will take steps to ensure that all women in California have equitable support to choose life without coercion or fear. Truly, We Were Born Ready for this!
Fr. Sam Nasada, OFM
– Adapted from the California Catholic Conference
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