What Do the Crosses Hanging on the Pergola on the East Side of our Church Mean?

10-21-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Robert Aliunzi

Dear Friends,

For a little over a week now, you have seen our crosses hanging on the pergola on the east side of our Church as they did for the first time last year. For those who are wondering what those crosses mean, well, here at our parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which is a pro-life parish, each year, we join the entire Church in dedicating the month of October to celebrating the sanctity of life as I mentioned in my article two weeks ago. During this month, we are asked to pray each single day for an end to abortion through saying special prayers, prayer intentions, posters and through symbols such as those crosses, I have mentioned.

We do this because, as Catholics, we believe that we have an inherent dignity given to each one of us by God who made us in His own image and likeness from the very moment of our conception till natural death. Sadly however, this dignity and treasure is constantly under attack through our culture of death. Those many crosses hanging out there not only represent those children whose lives were cut short by abortion, but also any life that is deliberately taken before its natural end through euthanasia, assisted suicide, capital punishment and so forth.

Specifically, however, the number of crosses hanging here in our parish represent the current number of abortions of over 2,000 per day that take place in the United States alone. To comprehend the magnitude of this evil better, it is estimated that 511,000 abortions took place in 36 states where abortion is legal during the first six months of this year 2023. In our own state of Arizona, it is estimated that over 12,000 abortions take place each year. If this is not tragic, I do not know what it is.

As Catholics, we believe that no matter the circumstances under which a woman gets pregnant, God has a purpose and a plan for that child. We also strongly believe that God will always bring good even out of evil situations, such as rape and incest.

It is our hope, therefore, that as people see all these crosses and the banners, they may take a moment to pray, thanking God, not only for their own lives, the lives of their families and friends, but also for the souls of all those who were unable to experience life because it was unjustly taken from them before its time, through abortion. We also take time to pray for all those mothers as well as those who are deeply wounded by their participation in the act of abortion, that the mercy and tender love of our loving Father will heal their wounded souls…for indeed, they too are deeply wounded by this act. Will you join me now in praying for an end to abortion and respect for the dignity of the human person?

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that You have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all including the unborn, through Christ our Lord. Amen!

I love you!