I stood there with my ‘graphic’ abortion sign, near the ‘Eternal Flame’ on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where I protest daily against abortion. I was approached by a Jewish man, one of ‘God’s Chosen People’. He was holding, with a fatherly, loving care, his three month old baby.
As he approached me, he held out his hand to shake mine, while saying in a very heartfelt manner, “Thank You”. He wished to give me his sincere appreciation for my pro-life ministry on Parliament Hill. As we engaged in conversation I learned that this baby was his ‘ninth’ child! Upon hearing this I quickly responded: “God bless you!”. He replied: “God should bless my wife.” I answered: “When she arrives on the ‘other side’ she won’t be ashamed, and neither will you.”
A half hour later, when the ‘changing of the Guard’ was over, his whole family was together for photos. I quickly asked if I could take some photos with my cellphone. He obliged.
They left, with him in the lead, with his eight young children in tow behind him with his wife keeping a watchful motherly eye from the rear. As he passed by me, I commented on the beauty and size of his family. He looked at me very kindly and said these unforgetable and sobering words:
“You are responsible for so much more.”
Later, as I reflected on his profound statement, I said to myself: “He and his wife are fulfilling their marriage vocation extremely well and obeying God’s command in Genesis 9:1: ” God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” As a married couple, they are ‘responsible’ for raising their large family of nine children according to God’s laws, as Jewish people.
And myself, I am responsible, as he said “for so much more”. This is in the context of my ministry on Parliament Hill, as a pro-life advocate, meeting people from all over the world. My mission is to try to change minds and hearts of people who are pro-choice, who believe in abortion, and in doing so, to save the lives of unborn babies from aborterrorism.
As I wrestled with this sobering statement “You are responsible for so much more” I was reminded of a scripture, “The Parable of the Talents found in Mathew 25:13-30:
[13] Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour. [14] For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods; [15]And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.
[16] And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five. [17] And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two. [18] But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord’s money. [19] But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. [20]And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.
[21] His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. [22] And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two. [23] His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. [24] But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not strewed. [25]And being afraid I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine.
[26] And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strewed: [27] Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. [28] Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents. [29] For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away. [30] And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In this life we are all called to a mission from God. We are expected to fulfill it to the best of our ability, with the ‘talents’ (gifts) God has endowed us with. The important question is this:
“Are we fulfilling our mission to its maximum or are we letting ‘the fear of man’ stiffle our efforts. Are we ‘going with the flow’, being ‘politically correct’ because we are afraid to speak out the ‘Truth’ about the ‘Gospel of Life’ (c.f: Encyclical “Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae, 1995) by Pope John Paul II) in this heinous ‘Culture of Death’ represented by the birth control ‘Pill’, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, same-sex amrriage, pornography, etc.
Are we afraid of persecution? This is what I meant by ‘burying’ our talents. Let us not be caught in the situation of the servant who buried his one and only talent. Whether we be married, single, a religious, a Priest, a Bishop, a political leader, or a school Trustee, we will all be held to account on our personal ‘Judgement Day’. Will we be accused of being inactive and silent in the face of human injustices such as ‘aborterrorism’ or will we be found to have been good servants of the Master, fearing no man in this great and fierce battle between the ‘Culture of Death’ and the ‘Culture of Life’ ?”
Let us never forget: Each one of us is responsible “for so much more”.
Donald Andre Bruneau
Pro-life advocate, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
August 13, 2012
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