Life Reflections™

Distracted by Illumination

On a recent Saturday evening at the Antietam National Battlefield, the Fifteenth Annual Memorial Illumination was held "in honor of those soldiers who fell during the Battle of Antietam...23,000 candles, one for each soldier killed, wounded or missing at Antietam". In these Maryland cornfields on a single day, September 17, 1862, this battle took place with an overwhelming loss of human life—the ultimate sacrifice of "the other" so we can live in freedom.

To experience this event, one must maneuver through this driving tour while looking out onto the battlefields where 23,000 candles glow silently in the dark. Consider, however, how easy it would be to get distracted by the artificial illumination itself, its sheer beauty, instead of reflecting on the sacrifice of these brave men.

This emotionally-stirring experience cannot be lived—vicariously through candlelight— without considering"the other" on this critical day in our great nation's history. This awesome illumination represents spilled human blood in Maryland that cries out from the ground each and every time personal free will is used to damage and/or destroy the freedom of another. How does illumination relate to "choosing the good" of an action emanating from a rights-focused perspective, irrespective of the damage to the common good and innocent human life? A personal rights focus at the expense of "the other" creates damage to the common good—which recent history in Maryland has shown to deepen the choice of its "good" over time.

My fellow Marylanders, will we be distracted by the artificial illumination of the "good" of self-rights at the expense of innocent human life or will we look out, recognize, and contemplate the authentic illumination for building up the common good of all?

Are you interested in helping us move our culture to an innocent life focus sooner than later? Beginning in January 2005, and during the entire legislative session, we can use all the willing help available to us to assist with an organized team approach to protect innocent human life. After an office break-in in Bowie, we have moved our offices to Annapolis, and are staging the most active campaign for innocent human life since the early 90ties. But we need your help.

Please visit our website at www.prolifemaryland.org and bless us with your time and energy, talent, and/or resources. Sign up for Life Reflections™ to keep abreast of our efforts and/or give a donation online. The status quo in Maryland can be so no longer. Innocent human life continues to be snuffed out. With your help, and with our pro-life friends and legislators, we will win and move the culture in Maryland to an innocent life focus.

Prayer of the Faithful
Almighty God, all of us working for and with Pro-Life Maryland ask for your divine help in the urgent and enormous task of changing the current culture in Maryland to a Culture of Life. Please illuminate our minds and strengthen our wills to achieve our mission. Please help us accomplish our critical and urgent work with purity of heart and intellectual integrity as we pursue truth—in communion with others—to provide paths, to the Road-to-Jericho Continuum, for protecting and saving innocent human life by softening hearts. Amen.

Anthony R. Souza, MTS
President & CEO