My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are thirteen (13) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not kill.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2319.
The Fifth Commandment “You shall not kill” not only prohibits murder, it also calls us to value human life as a sacred duty and responsibility. Here, we consider four aspects related to the Fifth Commandment.
All human life is sacred. Human life is sacred because it is a gift and part of God’s good creation. To be “sacred” is to be “holy.” All holiness comes from God. When human life is not respected or safeguarded the Lord and the giver of life, namely God, is disrespected.
Human life begins at the moment of conception. What some disparagingly call “the product of conception” is a human being whose DNA is distinct from that of the mother and the father. The newly conceived human person has a DNA which is human DNA. The enemies of life and of God try to postpone assignment of human dignity to “implantation” in the uterine wall or birth or even some years latter.
God wills each human person into existence. From all eternity Almighty God has known when, where and how each of us would be conceived. This is part of the mystery of God and of life. God’s ideal plan, of course, is that each of us are to be conceived and born from the love of our parents, safeguarded by the bonds of Holy Marriage. But even when sin sadly interferes with God’s ideal plan, He is never the less able to bring good out of evil. Shakespeare’s rhetorical question “To be or not to be…” is answered in the affirmative, in favor of life, regardless of the circumstances of the actual conception (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1). It is better to be, to exist.
The reason it is better to exist is that each human person reflects the image and likeness of the living and holy God. We reflect the image and likeness of God, not only thanks to the Incarnation, but also because of the human rational soul and its powers. Our ability to know and to love, our intellect and will are thanks to the human rational soul. Even if no “higher mathematics” or other grand cognitive exercises are carried out in the womb, the assimilation of nutrition and hydration occur, which are also powers of the human soul. The unborn child can feel and resist pain and harm as able thanks to the powers of the human soul. Those of us who have been born and allowed to grow further retain not only the vegetive and sensitive powers of our souls but also develop our further powers to know and understand. The human dignity and value remain no less in those who are near the end of life on this Earth who may loose their mental faculties.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr