April 1

The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. – Catechism of the Catholic Church

Reflection

The word neighbor has a friendly and welcoming connotation, doesn’t it? Who are our neighbors? When God and the Church speak of our neighbors, they do not just mean the people who live down the street. Neighbors, of course, means anyone we encounter as we go about our day. Our Catechism teaches that we must be neighbors to others. That means that we must treat others kindly, respectfully, and in a welcoming manner. And not only that, but we must serve them! We must do good for them and help them when they need it. That’s building a culture of life! And serving them becomes more urgent when we are dealing with the disadvantaged. This could include people who are poor, those who are marginalized, people with disabilities, the elderly, and even the preborn. We must serve them all! Why? Because to ignore them, let them die, or look the other way is a sin. Christ teaches us that we cannot go blindly about our day ignoring those who need our help. Building a culture of life requires that we reach out to people—no matter who they are—and make them feel special, loved, and cherished. Just like you would a neighbor.

Identify people you didn’t consider your neighbors and discuss as a family some ways you can make them feel like a neighbor.

April 2

The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a human right—it is the very opposite. It is a “deep wound in society.” – Pope Benedict XVI

Reflection

The slaughter of innocent babies is absolutely a “deep wound in society.” When a society allows the murder of tiny preborn babies and calls it a “choice” or “healthcare,” we know that something has gone horribly wrong. We all have a fundamental right to life, no matter how we were created, and no matter how old or how frail we are. Life is precious, and as the Author of Life, God is the only one who can give it and take it away. We must trust Him and cherish the blessings He has given us. Not only must we believe this, but we must live it and tell others. Just like a light is no use if we hide it under a blanket and never share it, so is our knowledge. We know and we understand that, from the moment of conception, a human being is alive. It is a sin to hide that knowledge in our houses and never stand up and proclaim this truth. Building a culture of life takes moral courage and strength. It’s not easy to post something on social media, to speak up when someone says abortion is a woman’s right, or to be the only one in the room advocating for those who are sick or dying, but we must be their voices. They cannot do it for themselves. Part of building a culture of life includes teaching others that every single person matters.

Look around at the deep wounds created by the devaluing of human life. Talk with your family and devise three ways that you can combat the culture of death.

April 3

As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live. – St. John Paul II

Reflection

We cannot emphasize this enough. Building a culture of life begins in the home. The family is the foundation of society, and a breakdown in families leads to a breakdown in society. Aside from our faith, our families should be our number one priority. Always make sure that you treat them as such. Cherish your children and teach them the importance of families loving each other, caring for each other, supporting each other, and praying together. Children don’t need the superfluous material things that society claims they need. They need the love and support of their parents. They need your time. They need a solid foundation in their faith so that they can grow up and do the same not only for their children, but for others. When you live a culture of life and teach that all human beings have dignity and deserve respect, your children see the world differently than secular society. They see a pregnant mother and smile. They see an elderly person and rush to hold a door open. They listen as grandparents speak. And they befriend the child with disabilities. They do all these things because they know that everyone has dignity and that what we can or cannot do has nothing to do with our value as a person.

Look your children and your spouse in the eye today and tell them how much they mean to you. Tell them that you thank God every day for the gift of your family. And then take time to play a game or just talk.

April 4

Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. – 1 Peter 4:9-10

Reflection

This Bible verse uses the word hospitable and instructs us to do things for others without complaining. However, you cannot truly be hospitable if you do complain. That goes against the very nature of the word. Yes, we can begrudgingly do things for others, but that would not be considered hospitable. Building a culture of life means that we must serve others with a joyful attitude. It is with this joy that the recipient of your kindness feels worthy, valued, and special. People are not burdens, and the things we do for others should never be done with an air of annoyance, disgust, or frustration. This devalues the person and trivializes his need for help. Sometimes we use our unique gifts when serving others. Sometimes we don’t even realize we have a specific gift until a situation arises in which we have to use it. And sometimes our gift can just be the gift of our time. Regardless of the gifts we possess, we must hone them and use them for the good of others. Just like anything we must learn to do well, serving others is one of those things. We must practice serving others with kindness, with patience, and with a happy heart. It’s not always easy, but our humanity demands that we serve others in this manner.

Think about a person in your life whom you can serve. What can you do for this person? What does he need the most? Make a plan and then serve him with a joyful heart.