Commentary by Judie Brown
For Catholics and many other Christians the world over, March 25, the traditional Feast of the Annunciation, has been a day to celebrate the silent beginning of the life of Jesus Christ as a member of the human race. This date, according to Catholic tradition, is the day on which the angel Gabriel announced to a young virgin by the name of Mary that God wanted her to be the mother of His divine Son, Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:31) In response to the angel's invitation, we learn in Scripture that Mary, though troubled and afraid, responded with a yes, a "fiat" to the angel's request.
Much has been written about this young virgin's fears and her humble obedience to God's special messenger. It is hard to imagine the many questions that Mary must have had for the angel, and yet she trusted that God's will was being manifested to her in a most amazing way. And so her "yes" changed the world forevermore. Yet far too few seem aware of the fact that this was the day that Christ miraculously began His life within the womb of a human being.
However, March 25 has taken on an even greater significance for many of us because of the struggle we have had to endure over the past 34 years while trying to restore protection for every innocent preborn child. We believe that just as Gabriel made his announcement to Mary, so too God, the Author of life, makes His announcement to every expectant couple when He touches them with His gift of a child-a human being whose life begins as a single cell. Each preborn child is a miracle, a manifestation of God's love for all mankind.
American Life League has made this day a special cause for all those who support our efforts to end abortion. We have asked supporters across America to join together in a special novena, setting aside nine days to pray especially for those preborn children in danger of being aborted.
In addition, we are beginning a petition campaign asking President Bush to declare March 25 the annual Day of the Preborn and to take this action prior to March 25 of next year.
The petition sets forth the basic principles upon which the pro-life movement is based; and so I present the full text of this petition for your consideration. If, after reading it, you are as convinced as we are that this date should be a date commemorated throughout this great nation, then please join with us, download the petition, and ask those with whom you worship, members of your family and others to sign on and do something positive to focus attention on the miracle of life.
Whereas every human being's life begins at fertilization, and the Constitution of the United States guarantees the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and
Whereas the 1973 United States Supreme Court decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton deny that right to life to preborn children, more than 47 million preborn children have been put to death by surgical abortion since those rulings were issued, and
Whereas March 25 is the date designated on the Catholic Church calendar as the day on which Christians celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, following the angel's announcement that the Virgin Mary was to become the mother of the Son of God, and
Whereas the concept of the Day of the Preborn was launched in Latin America, with El Salvador's national legislative assembly declaring March 25 as the Day of the Right to Be Born in 1993, and
Whereas Argentina followed suit in 1998 by declaring March 25 the Day of the Unborn, and Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Peru have done likewise and action is pending in Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and
Whereas local churches, pro-life groups and notably the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring individual functions to commemorate March 25 as a day to remember preborn children, so
Therefore it is established that the tradition of celebrating the Day of the Pre-born is gaining momentum as pro-lifers around the world seek to pay tribute to human life and the dignity of life, and.
Therefore it is time for the United States of America to stand strong with the people of all these nations, and the citizens of our own country who are already doing so, and proclaim March 25 of each year as the Day of the Preborn in the United States.
To sign the petition, go to DayOfThePreborn.com.
Release issued: 23 Mar 07
