Abortion: The "Dark Sacrament"

"Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour." -- I Peter 5:8 (NAB)

I have heard abortion referred to as a "dark sacrament" of the evil one. When you consider it in terms of the sacramental vision of the universe, the term takes on an even deeper meaning.

Abortion kills a child in its mother's womb, or in some cases even partially out of the womb. In a similar way, the evil one is trying to kill us, prevent us from being born into the kingdom of Heaven. Abortion is, in a sense, a visible sign of this invisible reality.

There's a key difference, though. A child cannot do anything to protect itself from being killed through abortion. Mortal sin, which kills the soul by separating it from God, requires that the action be seriously wrong (i.e., "grave matter"); that we know that it's seriously wrong; and that we freely choose to do it anyway (cf The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1857ff.) In other words, we have to cooperate in our own destruction.

But God has provided a remedy by sending His Only Son, Jesus, Who, like the innocent pre-born child, suffered death at the hands of the evil one. But three days later, He came to life again, victorious over death, and He now offers to share that victory with all of us who, unlike the pre-born child, have cooperated in our own destruction. He will restore us and raise us to life again with Him. All we have to do is cooperate in our resurrection to life by saying, "Yes" to Him.

My dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for Your indescribable Mercy. Please help us, and all people, to never despair, but to always turn to You for new life. Amen.