While in Houston, I (of course) went to church with my cousin and her family, and heard an amazing homily, centered on the decision in the Dobbs case. I took so many notes I thought I’d share them with you. It was a long homily, so this is just a taste.
Rogier van der Weyden, The Magdalene Reading. The National Gallery, London.
“The government does not and cannot give us rights. Our human rights do not come from the US government, our human rights derive from our humanity, and derive from the fact that we are human….{The Declaration of Independence states that] We hold these truths to be self-evident. We are endowed with those rights by our Creator and these rights are inalienable…
“To enjoy liberty, we must enjoy the exercise of the right to life. There is no pursuit of happiness without life. It’s inalienable…
“Legal does not equal just. We have the obligation to overturn unjust laws and to come to the aid of the oppressed. Slavery, women’s inability to vote, racial segregation and Nazism were all legal.
“We need, as citizens, to participate in the democratic process. There is much more to come. We must pray. Changing hearts and minds is a much more formidable task [that what has just been done]. We must have charity in all things and we need to treat everyone with respect. We must continue to work and build a culture of life. We must care for people, and show the mercy and forgiveness of God to everyone.”