This Sunday we celebrate Respect Life Sunday. As Christians, we are called to promote the Gospel of Life. God is the Creator of all life, and all life is precious in His sight; not just the lives of those who make the cover of magazines; not just those who receive the Nobel Peace Prize or the Academy Award; not just the famous musicians; not just the accomplished athletes; not just those with big salaries or advanced degrees. In the Kingdom of God, it is the poorest, the smallest, and the most forgotten who are truly important. In our own community, we know that the elderly, the physically and mentally challenged, and the unborn are not impersonal statistics. They are flesh and blood human beings. They are in a sense our brothers, our sisters, our children. They are precious in the sight of God. They deserve our love and support. That is why we are encouraged to promote the dignity of all human life from conception until natural death. Pope Francis recently has spoken about the dignity of all human life.

Earlier this year, he has strongly criticized a “throwaway culture” that places too little value on human life. He said, “Unfortunately what is thrown away is not only food and disposable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as unnecessary.” He stressed the need to respect the dignity of the most vulnerable and marginalized in society.

This Sunday we are invited to join the people of the Archdiocese of Atlanta to proclaim our appreciation for the precious gift of life. There will be a series of “Life Chains” which will be conducted throughout the Archdiocese. We are invited to participate in the one that will be held between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Old Alabama Road in an area which will include the space in front of our Church. The “Life Chain” will be a peaceful, public witness concerning the dignity of all life, especially the lives of the unborn. We will pray for our nation and its people and we will be exercising our responsibility to speak out on behalf of the value of life.

Our Bishops have called on us to be voices for the voiceless, to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are challenged to follow the example of our Bishops, and commit ourselves publicly to the protection of all human life from conception until natural death, as we strive to enhance the moral integrity of our great nation. If we cannot be at the “Life Chain” in Johns Creek this Sunday, we are invited to speak for the most vulnerable in prayer in the silence of our hearts. May God bless you and your families for all you do to embrace a culture of life.