By Susan Ciancio
When Mary, pregnant with Baby Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth knew immediately that Mary was carrying the Son of God. Elizabeth greeted her with these words: “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.”
This beautiful scene between two holy women—one the holiest of holy—makes us almost want to leap with joy as well, doesn’t it? Imagine Mary carrying Baby Jesus—so tiny, so fragile, and so helpless—for nine months. Imagine Mary traveling many miles to see a cousin, also carrying a very special baby, and hearing the words that will one day become part of the Hail Mary.
This is our faith.
And we know that these two very special babies were alive from the moment they were created.
This is the truth.
We impart this truth and this knowledge to our children, and we hope that they will “get it.” We hope that they will then be able to spread this faith to others—and to live this faith as they grow. That is one of the most important things we want as parents and as teachers.
We’ve spent years teaching them. We listen to them. We read them Bible stories. We take them to Mass. We talk about our faith. Now it’s their turn to show us what they know. It’s their turn to teach others!
Pro-Life Essay Contest
Our Pro-Life Essay Contest for 3rdgrade through 12thgrade is in full swing, and we have gotten some great essays already! We cannot wait to read them all. We want your child and students to enter too!
You may be wondering why your child or students should enter. You may even think you don’t have time. We know; there’s a lot to do, especially this time of year. But your child will greatly benefit from our contest. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. This is a great way to help build a culture of life!
The words that we say and ideas we write about can greatly influence other people. As a person reads an essay, he is forced to think about what he is reading. All of our winners and honorable mentions will be published on our website. The amount of people your child will influence and the amount of hearts possibly changed is immeasurable! And those words can never be erased!
2. Students have the chance to articulate the pro-life message.
Your child can use his words to show others that every person—including preborn babies—has dignity and value. This will not only help your child in the future as he learns to navigate in our secular world, but it will build his confidence and give him the ability to speak Christ’s truth about the sanctity of each and every human being.
3. Students can practice their writing skills.
Writing intelligently and coherently takes practice! Writing so that others understand and see something in a new way or something that they had never seen before is a gift—a gift that must be honed. So any opportunity to write is a learning opportunity and a blessing.
4. This is a great way for you, as the parent or teacher, to really see what your students think about being pro-life and to find out how well they articulate those beliefs.
Sometimes the most pro-life students have the hardest time articulating why they believe what they believe. When young people are raised in pro-life families, it’s easy to assume that they just “get it.” After all, they’ve watched you be open to life, they’ve perhaps participated in some form of activism, and they’ve very likely prayed to end abortion. But do they know why they are pro-life? Could they defend their position if confronted? Could they charitably convey the truth to a peer who believed that abortion was okay in certain circumstances? Reading what our students think can open conversations that will help us see where they may need some extra encouragement as they prepare to become the ones who will build a culture of life. And it’s a great way to start conversations!
5. Students can win some great prizes!
Just wanting to win cash and cool pro-life gear is not reason in itself to enter, but it is really awesome to be recognized for having done something well. Plus, your child or teen can take pride in wearing our comfy pro-life shirt or sweatshirt, knowing that he not only earned it, but that he’s continuing to build a culture of life as other people see his shirt and read what he stands for.
There are just over 2 weeks left before the deadline. Visit prolifeessay.com for details on how to enter!
