This Weekend we celebrate Respect Life Sunday. It is a time for us as a Church and individually to celebrate and renew our commitment to defending God’s great gift of life. Our First Reading from the Book of Genesis tells us about God’s creation of woman. The Reading teaches us the lesson that God is the author and creator of all life. We live in the midst of a world that does not always value this great gift that God has given us. As a Catholic People, we are called to defend ALL HUMAN LIFE from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. In the midst of our disposable society, we sometimes view life as disposable. We terminate inconvenient pregnancies under the banner of choice. We devalue the poor, the homeless, and marginalized of society. We treat the migrant visitors in our nation as being less human or important as American citizens. We are called to renew our commitment this Sunday to defend and treasure all human life as a gift from God. May we work to enact laws in our nation that defend life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death! This Sunday I will be blessing pets at St. Vincent de Paul Church at 12:00 noon. This special Pet Blessing is a great way to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and to thank God for the gift of our furry friends in our lives. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!! Father Jim