St. Frances Cabrini Knights

                                                              
                                 Such a Blessed Miracle
As baby Gabrielle nested securely in her mother's womb, she had no idea that her little
life was in peril.  Her mother came  to Women's Choice Pregnancy Clinic intent on aborting
her child.  She didn't want stretch marks.  She didn't want to quit her partying.  She wasn't
ready to be a mother.  She met with Sandy, a lay councelor.  Sandy had gone through her
own crisis pregnancy years before.  She shared her story and the truth about abortion, yet
Martina left still committed to abortion.  For some reason, Martina felt a connection to Sandy
and came back again and again.  But her plan to abort her baby hadn't changed.  The
clinic staff prayed, Sandy talked and the mother's heart slowly softened. Today, Martina
could not imagine life without her precious daughter.  She still goes to the clinic for parenting
classes.  Baby Gabrielle now has her whole life ahead of her- all because pro-life people cared.
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                                                 RESPECT LIFE

The terms "right to life", "Pro-life" and "Respect Life" immediately turn our thoughts to the fight for the unborn child in the womb. But there is another serious aspect of each of these that many times is forgotten or not thought about until we may be faced with the situation personally, ourselves; that is, end of life issues.

Increasingly we live in a culture that diminishes, or even denies, the value of human life. When I was in college I had a professor who firmly believed that everyone over the age of 65 should somehow be put to death because they were no longer productive and would become a burden on society. I wonder how he felt when he reached that plateau himself. In recent years there has been a controversy over Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his assisted suicides.

There is a debate that has been prevalent for the past several years over physician assisted suicides and euthanasia that should cause all of us to pause. The church has a rightful place in this debate because the issues surrounding death are not only medical and legal; they are also religious and moral.

Our faith should shape our attitudes towards sickness and death. The Gospels are filled with examples of Jesus healing ministry and how he cured every kind of ailment and disease; giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansing lepers, casting out demons and raising the dead back to life. Jesus' care and compassion for the sick and infirmed sets the example for all of us to follow.

The U.S. Conference of Bishops wrote, "For the Christian, our encounter with suffering and death can take on a positive and distinctive meaning through
the redemptive power of Jesus' suffering and death. As St. Paul says, we are "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of
Jesus may also be manifested in our body" (2 Cor 4:10). This truth does not lessen the pain and fear, but gives confidence and grace for bearing
suffering rather than being overwhelmed by it. Catholic health care ministry bears witness to the truth that, for those who are in Christ, suffering and
death are the birth pangs of the new creation. "God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there
shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away" (Rev 21:3-4). (Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic
Health Care Services, Fourth Edition)"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

We believe that life is good, that it is a gift from God and that we are created in His image and likeness. We believe that as Jesus taught us to love one^! another as I have loved you" He made everyone a neighbor worthy of our charity and care. And we believe that we are redeemed by Christ and called to <
share eternal life with Him. In death, life does not end but it is changed. It is these convictions that guide the church's teachings on euthanasia and
physician assisted suicide.

If I may quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "the Church condemns absolutely any act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering" (# 2277).

Euthanasia occurs when a doctor or medical practitioner administers a lethal dose of medication with the intention of killing the person. Assisted suicide Occurs  when a doctor or medical
practitioner prescribes a lethal amount of medication with the intent of helping a person commits suicide. The patient then takes the dose or turns the switch.  In either case death is induced before time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The church draws a distinction between proportionate and disproportionate means of treatment to preserve life. Proportionate means are medical                                               
treatments that offer a reasonable hope of benefit and do not involve an excessive burden. Disproportionate means are medical treatments that either do
not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or imposes an excessive burden. We are not obligated to use disproportionate means to maintain life. To forgo
them is to accept natural death.

When my own father was diagnosed with cancer several years ago my brothers and sister and I had to make the decision on his treatment. We chose to have the doctor keep him as comfortable and as pain free as possible without doing anything that would unnecessarily prolong his life. Fortunately he passed away very quickly and relatively pain free.

We can have a voice in our own end-of-life care and treatment by having a "Living Will" and by legally granting someone Durable Power of Attorney to make health care decisions for us in the event we are not able to make them for our self. Those decisions should be made according to the living will we made when we were more in control of our faculties.

It is extremely important that a living will be kept as up-to-date as possible so that it reflects any changes in the health and health concerns of the individual. It is equally important that a person with Durable Power of Attorney is constantly apprised of these same changes so that proper health care decisions can be made for those who are no longer capable of making these decisions.

End-of-life issues will impact each of us at one time or another. Health care decisions must be made fully respecting the dignity of the human person, made in the image and likeness of God.

Deacon Bob Anderson


                     Life is sacred.

                                                 
                     Jesus Weeps