Preaching Suggestions for Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion

June of 2015: Healing the Dads

In the month of June, Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion focuses on the wound abortion inflicts on fathers, and the healing available to them. This, of course, occurs in the context of the celebration of Father’s Day, a time to remember, pray for, and thank the Lord for fathers both living and deceased.

Fathers are designed to be protectors and providers of their children and families. Abortion wounds them precisely because it blocks, prevents, and distorts this fundamental orientation. Fathers suffer, first of all, because if they want to protect their child, the law gives them no say in a decision by which abortion would kill that child. Many suffer, therefore, because of the abortion of a child they tried to save. On the other hand, they may suffer because they failed to try to save that child, either by pushing and forcing the abortion, or by just standing idly by and not intervening strongly. Either way, it hurts later.

Many men mistakenly believe that the right thing to do when faced with the possibility of an abortion is to say to the mother of the child, “It’s your choice.” But that is not what she wants to hear. Saying that makes her feel all the more isolated and incapable of dealing with the pregnancy and the child. What she wants and needs to hear from the man is, “I am with you, I will help you and our child, we will get through this.”

Adam was the first man. I will never forget the day I was out in front of an abortion facility, and one of the male sidewalk counselors was calling out to all the men who were leading their girlfriends and wives into that facility to have their child killed. He was also speaking to the ones were sitting in a cowardly way in their cars outside while the mother underwent the abortion procedure inside. Over and over, this counselor, reminiscent of the Genesis passage in which Adam was given the responsibility to guard the garden, cried out, “Adam! Adam! Protect your child! Protect the gifts that God has given you!”

As the links below indicate, the readings of this month give us ample opportunity to preach on these themes, to call men to protect their children, to help them understand they have every right to speak up about abortion, and to offer them the compassionate healing that come from Christ and his church if they have this wound in their lives. For instance, the 11th Sunday speaks about growth and fruitfulness of the kingdom. Fathers reflect this in the nurturing protection they give as their children grow both inside and outside the womb. The 12th Sunday speaks about the unfathomable wisdom and providence of God, which should lead us to limitless trust. Fathers have to instill that kind of trust within their families, being a reflection of the wise and provident Father of us all.

Let us heal the shockwaves of abortion. Let us help the dads, especially this month!

Sunday, June 7, 2015 -- Corpus Christi

Sunday, June 14, 2015 -- Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, June 21, 2015 -- Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, June 28, 2015 -- Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time