By: Jay Toups
Lafayette, Louisiana
I was blessed to attend the annual March for Life for the first time on Jan. 19, 2018. I honestly cannot recall a moment in my life when I have not been ardently pro-life. As a young man, it was clear to me that the irreparable harm caused by the flawed judgement of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe v. Wade would be felt for centuries to come.
I was blessed to attend the annual March for Life for the first time on Jan. 19, 2018. I honestly cannot recall a moment in my life when I have not been ardently pro-life. As a young man, it was clear to me that the irreparable harm caused by the flawed judgement of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe v. Wade would be felt for centuries to come.
The damaging downstream effect of the loss of over 59 million lives in the United States of America is beyond comprehension. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, that loss is conservatively in excess of 1.3 billion.
We, as a society, are robbed of the joy and pure love that children bring into the world.
The annual March For Life is much more than a “political” or anti-abortion march that members of the liberal media would lead the public to believe. For the vast majority of participants, it has become an annual religious pilgrimage to honor the unborn and those who stand for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Our pilgrimage included prayer vigils at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the March for Life with young men and women singing beautiful religious hymns, large contingents of marchers praying rosaries, a visit to Arlington Cemetery to honor our fallen heroes, the Holocaust Museum and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Shrine.
It was profoundly moving to witness firsthand an overwhelming sense of love at this year’s March, representative of this year’s theme, “Love Saves Lives.” The atmosphere at the March was filled with a love for motherhood, a love for unborn children, a love for mankind, a love for those with an opposing view and a love for each other.
This witness of love is the foundation from which we will build hope for the future. It is no small coincidence that Love (Charity) and Hope are two of the three theological virtues from which all other virtues grow. Along with the virtue of Faith, they could be seen in abundance throughout the March.
The marchers, whose average age was between 16 and 25, brought a sense of urgency and vitality to the cause of Life that I had not witnessed in the past. There was no anger, no hate, no vulgarity, no vitriol spewed at those they disagreed with, only joy, love, kindness and most of all hope
One particular incident will stay with me. I saw a young woman holding a sign with a picture of a beautiful child on it and an inscription. The sign read, “My child was conceived in rape and his life is worth living!”
As I was reading the sign, the mother locked eyes with me. I froze for a second not sure what to do next. God, however, knew exactly what He wanted and pressed on my heart what to do, “Love!” I approached her without saying a word; spontaneously, she hugged me…. With tears in her eyes, she looked at me and simply said, “God Bless you!” I replied, “Thank you and God Bless you too!”
Walking away I thought to myself, “Love does indeed save lives. This mother’s example of pure unconditional love is what saves lives.”
It is abundantly clear that mothers need love and support, not abortion
The March For Life is about Love and Hope. Love for all humanity from conception until natural death and a Hope that springs eternal from that same Love
Thankfully, I now include myself in the multitudes that leave the March for Life with great hope for the future of our country and the world
I would like to thank Maria and her team at Magnificat Travel for their extraordinary talent and patience. I am looking forward to future opportunities to take pilgrimages organized by a team whose mission is to spread the love of Christ through their efforts.