From the Gospel of John, Chapter 17:14-23 (New Jerusalem Translation)
“I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.”
Last week in the New York City Council, we were directed to an overflow room, not terribly large, and had the hearing’s proceedings piped in. There we were, the leaders of the pro-life movement and the abortionists and their deathscorts, literally sitting next to and across from one another, waiting to testify for and against the pending legislation intended to gut the effectiveness of crisis pregnancy and pregnancy resource centers in New York City. There are over 2,300 such centers nationwide, and the pro-aborts sat commenting on how they intend to take this legislation nationwide.
Many sat and taunted the pro-lifers, hoping to elicit some reaction that would redound to our detriment. Nobody took the bait. However, the evil, the malevolance was so palpable that one could have cut it with a knife. That’s a remarkable statement coming from me, as my spirituality is of the very quiet and reflective sort. I’m a Charismatic Renewal washout from the ’70’s. It never took with me. Only a few times have I ever sensed evil, true evil. I was never wrong.
There was a great temptation to hate these people who were fighting to shut us down and claim those babies for themselves. But as the hours rolled by, all I could do was return in my mind to this beautiful prayer of Jesus to the Father in John’s Gospel. It was the leading of the Holy Spirit.
These people next to me were not Satan, nor were they his angels. They are humans. Horribly lost, swimming in misery, raging against the sacred. They are not the Evil One. They are our brothers and sisters who are in the Evil One’s grip. Jesus’ prayer to the Father offers us a direction:
“I pray not only for these{Apostles, Disciples} but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.”
As does this verse, which ought to be on the coat of arms of every scientist:
“Consecrate them in the truth”
Indeed, the truth of the scientific data has been badly mauled, especially the abortion/breast cancer link. Fellow scientists have turned to deception, rather than the truth. This was prominent in the Council hearings, as we were accused of “misleading women” with information that has been “roundly rejected by the scientific community”. Brinton, Beral, Rosenberg and Palmer knew what they were doing when they held their sham workshop in 2003. They represent a minority opinion in the research community dealing with abortion and breast cancer.
And that returns me to the purpose of this blog: Consecrating them in the truth. The truth of science is synonymous with the truth of God, as science is the human endeavor of discovering the truth of God’s creation (Nature). Significant illness has derailed my ABC project, but as I return to health, that will be back up and running this week. Also, sometime in mid-winter, Coming Home will begin a systematic exploration of the scientific literature dealing with the psychological/psychiatric post-abortive sequelae. We shall also further explore the roots of the eugenics movement with readings from the main eugenists of the Twentieth Century.
As we proceed, it’s good that the Church gives us this season of Advent, a time of introspection and penance. It is the best medicine for those who are tempted to hate the opposition. This Advent, John 17:14-23 will be the central theme of my meditations, as well as a reminder of this blog’s organizing principle. It is well that we focus on our own sins for a time while we go about our life’s work of addressing the monstrosities of others. It won’t keep me from being the irascible Brooklyn native that I am, but it keeps me praying for those whom we are mandated to consecrate to the truth.
Coming Home 
I recall going to a Pro-life event on Kansas University’s main “mall” walk area. It was pro-life week so I was there as a representative for the Archdiocese of Kansas City to represent the Project Rachel programs. I also ended up talking about NFP because I happen to be a CCL promoter as well. Right next to us was representatives for a local abortion clinic. I remember feeling the hate emanating from them. Whenever someone came up to talk to me, I could hear them over to my right, trying to talk over me, sniping at everything I said. They got violently angry with us when I took chalk to write “Just say no” to their sidewalk chalk comment of “Teach respectable sex education at all levels.” and another one of the pro-life students took chalk to write “What about the girl babies and their bodies?” as a response to the pro-abortionist slogan of “A woman’s right, a woman’s body, a woman’s choice.” And when I say violently angry, they were shouting obscene words, throwing paper, their faces were turning red… I mean they looked as if it was taking every fiber of their being to not physically attack me and a few of the students.
I had to pray constantly and I swear I could hear St. Michael fighting, because that’s what it was. It truly was a spiritual battle. The pro-abortion folks ended up taking their table and leaving after about two hours when they realized we kept getting people over at our table. The feelings were palpable too because the people at our table, or even just coming up to talk, were joyful, full of life, full of smiles and sincerity. At the other table, you could feel the anger simmering, the hatred, you could see how they stalked some of the obviously pregnant students when they walked by. It was horrible.
Anyway… to make a long story short… thank you for this post. What you described just jolted this memory of mine and I remember blogging about it. What a great testimony you are to the truth and thank you beyond words for fighting the good fight! God endowed us all with special armor for specific fights, and you know what and where yours is! So thank you for willing to fight!!!
God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving season! And God bless you this Advent season!!!
Science doesn’t prove there is no God. It is proving everyday that that God is.
Beautifully humble, Gerry. If you can love the members of the City Council, you are really getting the message of the Gospel. Who knows, they may be the next Dr Bernard Nathason?