The strength of life surprises us
«The strength of life surprises us. “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8,36) ». The theme proposed by the Italian Bishops for this year's National Day for Life combines expressive essentially with breadth of content and anthropological-spiritual depth.
Like the words love, dignity, peace, the word life often appears in our minds and on our lips poor in strength, content and value. Life, however, is a true miracle; it is the wonder in which we are plunged, and to which we belong, but its reality is not always recognized by our mind, its beauty fails to arouse our admiration, its goodness our appreciation and the commitment to welcome it, love it, protect it. For this to happen, let us help ourselves, as our Bishops suggest, by drawing on the various natural, biomedical, and human sciences.
It thrills me to consider the complexity of human development in the embryonic stage. I am amazed by the laws of nature and human genius, applied in every field. The mystery of moral awareness, the complexity of human relationships, the depth of philosophical reflections light up my mind and heart. I understood that only by cultivating an attitude of wonder can we enjoy the life we live. We can love it first and foremost in ourselves, respect it and take care of it in any condition, initial and final, in health and in illness. “If we are able to overcome ideological visions – say the bishops in the message – it becomes clear that every life, even the most marked by limitations, has immense value and is capable of giving something to others”. It is necessary to remember that life is the paramount good, without which we cannot enjoy any other good. It is also necessary to remember that personal dignity is based on our human nature, and therefore it can never diminish or be lost.
Each of us, in our human uniqueness, is that wonder that we can marvel at and feel its strength.
The second sentence of the proposed theme is an evangelical quote, but, consistently with its spiritual meaning, it can also be applied firstly to the earthly dimension of life and to the aspects considered so far. In fact, there are currents of thought that do not recognize the unconditional value of human life; a utilitarian and hedonistic attitude is widespread, which pursues merely material and immediate well-being. We are seduced by a nihilistic culture, which, considering its fragility, imperfection, and finiteness, belittles every objective value and life itself. "Beyond the many experiences that cast doubt on hasty and interested denials, life has solid reasons that always attest to its dignity and value."
On the other hand, man, who knows how to read both the world and his own interiority in depth, can also recognize his own transcendent vocation, that is, the irrepressible need to go beyond the earthly and temporal horizon, so that life finds its own dimension, meaning and achievement. No material gain will be enough to give flavor and meaning to life. It must be admitted that without God everything is flimsy, fleeting, and paltry. At the same time, we must not forget that, in the Christian vision, eternal life is not opposed to earthly life as if they were foreign realities; indeed, to gain the former we must safeguard and take care of the latter.
Let us still be surprised by life, so that nothing hides its core and beauty from us. Nothing prevent us from enjoying every sterling aspect and every moment of life. Let no one extinguish in us the desire and search for its transcendent, full realization.
