The Holy Eucharist and Pro-life

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
a PRO-LIFE PARADIGM AND AID
by Mark Douglas, Langley, BC

Mark Douglas, 17 years of age, was the 1st Prize Winner of the students� 2005-2006 Priests for Life Canada �Essay on Life� Contest.

Of all the saints, one in particular champions the pro-life cause and that is St. Michael the Archangel. St. Michael, whose name means �Who is like God� in Hebrew, is the official protector of the Catholic Church and the patron of countless persons, places, communities, and organizations. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim ceremonies and rituals recognize him extensively; he is particularly referred to throughout the Christian Liturgy of the Mass. His title of �Archangel� denotes a higher order or rank of angelic duty or commission than that of other angels. This is attested by the many references to him throughout Holy Scripture; he appears in both the New and Old Testaments. Particularly noteworthy is the great importance that is attached to all his undertakings by both modern and historical people(s). Neither do they do so without reason. Michael has given, and continues to give, credence to humanity�s belief in him and the one whom he serves: God the Almighty, the author of life.

Holy Scripture refers to this angelic warrior four times by name. The first reference occurs in the Book of Daniel, chapter 10, where Michael comes to comfort Daniel after a vision, and promises to be his helper in all things. In Daniel chapter 12, Michael is called �the great prince who stands for the children of Thy people�. In both these references, Daniel wanted his people to understand that God had not forgotten them, and that, even though enslaved, they had a royal champion. In the New Testament (Epistle of Jude): �When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses�, etc., St. Jude alludes to an ancient Jewish tradition of a dispute between St. Michael and Satan. In the Apocalypse, chapter 13, we find the most dramatic reference to St. Michael: � And there was a great battle in heaven. St. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon�. Here St. John speaks of a conflict at the end of time, which also reflects the great battle in Heaven at the beginning of time, when the wicked angels under Satan revolt against God, and how St. Michael, leading the faithful angels, defeats the hosts of evil and drives them out. Because of this victory, St. Michael is greatly revered in Catholic tradition and liturgy as the protector of the Church, as he was once regarded as the protector of the Israelites.

Following from these passages, Christian tradition gives to St. Michael four responsibilities: (1) to fight against Satan; (2) to rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death; (3) to be the champion of God�s people: the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; (4) to call away from earth and bring men�s souls to judgment1.

The Catholic Church honors its defender as a saint. As a member of the church triumphant, St. Michael has a twofold office as both model and intercessor. As in the Scriptural instances mentioned above, St. Michael valiantly fulfills both of these offices. Emulating St. Michael, we should persistently attempt to resist �all the wickedness and snares of the devil� throughout everyday life with love of God as our motive. Nonetheless, this is a battle. To aid us in this ongoing conflict with sin and temptation, we need to call upon the assistance and protection of St. Michael through regular and devout prayer. In 590, a great plague struck Rome. Pope St. Gregory the Great led a procession through the streets as an act of penance. At the tomb of Hadrian (now Castel Sant�Angelo, near St. Peter�s Basilica), St. Michael appeared and sheathed his sword, indicating the end of the plague. Pope Leo the XIII composed the beautiful �Prayer to St. Michael� after a prophetic vision of the coming suffering of the world. So convinced was he of the efficacy of Michael�s intervention that he composed the prayer and decreed that it should be recited at the conclusion of every mass. Vatican II, however, vetoed this obligation. Recently, the late Holy Father, John Paul II, urged the entire Church to frequently pray this same prayer, strongly suggesting that its recitation be reinstituted at the end of Mass. Now, more and more, of the faithful seek intercession and guidance from the renowned saint by way of prayer and contemplation. As surely as he came to David�s assistance (Dan 10:13), St. Michael will certainly not abandon to the relentless torment of Satan those who call on him for assistance. May �the Prince of Light� forever inspire us and intercede for us.

Many have been inspired by the example of St. Michael and thus have honoured him with the dedication of particular entities to his care. This custom is known as patronage. This �advocacy� extends to grocers, police officers, soldiers, knights, the sick, and even Brussels and Cornwall, to name but a few. However, St. Michael is best known as the patron saint in times of war and against temptation due, indubitably, to his most beloved history as victor over Satan.

With having such a rich legacy, tradition, and significance within the Catholic Church, it is not difficult to understand how St. Michael relates to its pro-life mission. Human Life International is the largest pro-life organization in the world that the Roman Pontiff, John Paul II, specially recognized. In one of its publications, HLI intentionally chose St. Michael to be its patron in its fight against �the evil forces of the Culture of Death�2. The same article proceeds to identify with St. Francis de Sales, who once wisely commented, �Veneration of St Michael is the great remedy against despising the rights of God�. What greater right does God reserve than that to create and take life as He desires? Therefore, St. Michael uniquely relates to the pro-life cause as a powerful help to those concerned with advancing it. +

God became man, Jesus, Emmanuel, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. We cannot help but observe the contrast in our present contraceptive society that we live in. We see the �death culture� that strives to suffocate and eliminate human life, whereas the �pro-life culture� respects and gives thanks for God�s gift of children - new life. In our time we have seen the industrialized world embrace contraception as the way to eradicate poverty, lower the birth rate, and guarantee freedom for women. It has not worked. God�s plan to multiply and fill the earth has been cast aside by many who think they know better. Many follow man�s law rather than natural law (God�s law). The situation is critical.

We are not being pessimistic but realistic when we are faced with the consequences of contraception: widespread promiscuity, divorce, transmitted diseases, single-parent households, legal same-sex marriages, abortion, and the threat of euthanasia. Abortion is used as a solution to failed contraception, bringing with it a host of its own problems: post abortion-trauma, sterility, increased risk of breast cancer, etc. Supporters of abortion admit it is not a good choice and turn to birth control as the answer to the problem of unwanted pregnancy. A closer look reveals this is not the answer. It is a large part of the problem. The statistics show that 54% percent of women who have abortions report that they were using birth control at the time they became pregnant (Contraceptive use among U.S. women having abortions in 2000-2001, Jones, RK; Darroch, JE; and Henshaw, SK; 2002 Nov-Dec; 34(6): 294-303. What we observe is that contraception advocates an anti-child mentality. It attempts to separate marital intimacy from procreation and seeks to turn sex into a recreational activity rather than an expression of love and commitment. Contraception is the evil taproot of abortion. Let us say no to contraception and yes to Natural Family Planning.
There is good news. At a recent national conference held in Chicago (September 2006), at which I was fortunate to be present, the theme of which was �Contraception is not the Answer�, over 250 people gathered to condemn artificial birth control. Experts and leaders from the various national pro-life organizations raised their voices in assailing contraception on the grounds that it devalues children, harms relationships between men and women, promotes sexual promiscuity, and leads to falling birth rates and social ills.
It is clear that there is some major thinking going on about the contraception issue, especially among young people, who are disenchanted with the sexual revolution. There is a new concerted attack on contraception. The strategy will involve nationwide prayer power. It will mean applying pressure to cut back on access to contraceptive services. It will mean a push to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill birth-control prescriptions for reasons of �conscience�. It will mean getting serious about opposing and denying Planned Parenthood Federation funding on all levels. They must be held accountable for this contraceptive mentality.

The truth is that �chemical contraception� doesn�t prevent abortions - it causes abortions. Contraception changes sex from an unconditional gift of self to a conditional act that turns away from God�s gift of children. When people use contraception, they are not interested in lifetime relationships and often end up disappointed and divorced. Contraception is the core issue today. Many believe we will not solve the problem of abortion unless we deal with contraception. Abstinence and chastity is the way to take aim at contraception. Being a faithful and loyal follower of Jesus is the way to go.

There is no room for contraception - a deception in our lives. This contraception deception is the primary force behind the attacks against the contra-contraception message. Let us be strong in our beliefs and honor our Saviour. Respect life all the time. +

In many high schools, students assist with opening announcements and prayers. We encourage you to say the following prayer in your school.

FOR
CLASS
DISCUSSION

Situation: The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic church indicates:

498. What are immoral means of birth control?

2370-2372

Every action - for example, direct sterilization or contraception - is intrinsically immoral which (either in anticipation of the conjugal act, in its accomplishment or in the development of its natural consequences) proposes, as an end or as a means, to hinder procreation.

For Class Discussion: Discuss why the Catholic Church would take this position as written in the Catechism section titled: �You shall love your neighbour as yourself�.

THE PRIZES:

STUDENTS:

SCHOOLS:

POSTERS:

CONTEST RULES:

LAST YEAR'S WINNING ESSAYS:

For more information about the Essay on Life Contest, contact:

Priests for Life Canada

at:

toll free: 1-888-300-2007

Ottawa are: (613) 834-2226

or E-mail:

essay@priestsforlifecanada.com

Students:

If you are a student in grade 9 through high school,

write a Pro-life Essay of up to 1,500 words in length

on one of the following four topics:

CHASTITY

EUTHANASIA

CONTRACEPTION

STEM CELL RESEARCH

Winning Prizes

1st Place: $500.00 to the writer and $500 to the writer�s school*

2nd Place: $250.00 to the writer and $250 to the writer�s school*

3nd Place: $100.00 to the writer and $100 to the writer�s school*

All contestants will receive a �Precious Feet� Lapel Pin.

* Entries from home-schooled students who are at the same grade level are also accepted in which

case the winner may designate the recipient�s home-schooling association.

Contest Rules

Eligibility: Students must be attending a school in Canada or participating in a school recognized correspondence program*. Students must be in grades nine through high school at the contest deadline.

* Entries from home-schooled students who are at the same grade level are also accepted in which case the winner may designate the recipient�s home-schooling association.

Deadline: The postmark deadline for contestants for the 2006-2007 Essay on Life Contest is June 30, 2007. Winners are notified by October 1, 2007. Entries are accepted anytime up to the deadline. Priests for Life Canada and/or its agents will be the sole judge of winning entries.

The Essay: Your name and your school�s name must not appear anywhere in the essay. This information must be provided on a separate sheet of paper stapled to the essay.

Your essay should be well-organized, well-reasoned, and no more than 1,500 words. Points will be deducted from essays exceeding the 1,500-word limit (Citations and bibliographies are not included in the 1,500-word count). The essay can be written in English or French. Essays on other topics will be disqualified.

The Criteria: Judges will select winning essays based on focus, organization, originality, and style.

Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of Priests for Life Canada are not eligible to participate.

Where to Submit: Email your entry to Contact us or mail to Priests for Life Canada, P.O. Box 43, Cumberland, ON K4C 1E5

Submit your essay by June 30, 2007 to:

Priests for Life Canada

P.O. Box 43

Cumberland, Ontario K4C 1E5

or e-mail your essay to:

essay@priestsforlifecanada.com

SCHOOLS:

The winner's school gets a cash prize equal to the winner's prize.

Registering for the contest: It is not necessary to register your school for the contest but we would appreciate knowing if you will be participating. Students do not need to register for the contest.

Submitting the Essay: Students can send in their essay by June 30, 2007 via postal or Email (see Contest Rules above). The school may prefer to collect student�s essays and send them collectively.

POSTERS:

You can also print your own posters by clicking here (pdf files):

Letter size:

Colour

Black and White

Legal size:

Colour

Black and White

Or contact Priests for Life Canada to have posters post mailed to you.

essay@priestsforlifecanada.com

For more information about the Essay on Life Contest, contact:

Priests for Life Canada

at:

toll free: 1-888-300-2007

or E-mail:

essay@priestsforlifecanada.com

2005-2006
(contest ended June 30, 2006)

1st Prize: $500.00
Winner: Mark Douglas, Langley BC.
Topic: St. Michael the Archangel,
a Pro-life Paradigm and Aid

2nd Prize: $300.00
Winner: Gabriel Ferri, Pembroke ON.
Topic: John Paul II, Vicar of Christ,
Defender of Life

3rd Prize: $150.00
Winner: Sara L�vesque, Prud'homme SK.
Topic: Bienheureuse M�re T�r�sa

All those who entred receive a
�Precious Feet� lapel pin.