What’s weighing on your mind today? A vacation, work conference, or maybe your child’s college applications? Or is it about how to provide food for yourself or your family, worries about home heating, or affording health care for the kids? The disparity of daily concerns strikes at the heart Church’s teaching on Respect for Life, says Glenmary Brother Joe Steen.
“There’s a terrible imbalance in society. For many folks, securing basic needs are very pressing questions. We’re supposedly the wealthiest country in the world. We’re blessed in so many ways, and yet, we often forget so many people are suffering because they don’t have the necessary means to sustain life — evidence that we’re very much in a culture that doesn’t respect life,” continues Brother Joe.
At the same time, the secular world attempts to define what it means to be poor or rich. “We put all these false images up for people without realizing that taking care of life is what’s important. It’s not so much about what we accumulated in life, but the basic appreciation for that gift of life that defines respect for life,” stresses Brother Joe.
He also reminds us that respecting life from birth through natural death, and protecting human dignity are basic to the Catholic faith. Brother Joe goes on to say that, “Sometimes Right for Life is narrowly focused. I often think that abortion is very much an issue of convenience for people.”
Given the shortage of professionals in specialties such as medicine, education, and other fields, Brother Joe asks, “how many kids who were aborted would have pursued a career in those fields?”
Another equally important question is, how many people are unable to pursue those careers due to a lack of resources, or access to a decent education? “We’re losing out. Everybody doesn’t have the same opportunity for life, and everybody doesn’t have the same opportunities in life. There’s an irony in [the United States] being number one in so many things but lagging way behind in prioritizing basic needs for all members of society,” says Brother Joe.
Brother Joe currently resides in Rutledge, Tennessee where he assists with the Glenmary volunteer program at the nearby Glenmary Farm on Joppa Mountain. He also works in area parishes visiting the elderly and homebound. “When you talk about respect for life, our culture doesn’t do a good job of taking care of older people. Society believes as long as you’re productive, you’re valuable. But if you’re not as productive, you’re not that valuable.”
Over the years, Brother Joe has attended Right to Life Marches in Washington, D.C. and ministered to families in various parishes. “If you’re in a hopeless situation, it’s hard to see hope for your kids or family.” Respect for Life necessitates promoting a culture of support to help families move from poverty to self-sufficiency, he believes. “One pope after another has stressed this.”
-Mary Ellen Pellegrini
