Miserere Nobis!: My Thoughts on the Fall of Roe

Blessed feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to one and all!

I was awakened this morning to the joyous news that Roe and Casey have fallen.

Let that sink in.

We’ve Fought Side by Side for Many Years

I suspect you and I have been in the same trenches on this one for a long time. Remember how we were armed with prayers and tears?

Perhaps you and I crossed paths in the many, many years of bitter cold January days when we marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to peacefully ask our government for a redress of this grave evil. There were millions of us during those days. We’d get to the top of Capitol Hill and turn around to see the throngs streaming up behind us like ants and take comfort that we weren’t alone in an insane world.

Perhaps we crossed paths in the Spirit of Truth as we knelt before the Lord in Adoration and at the Holy Sacrifice begging Him to hear our voices since the tiny victims were denied speech.

Perhaps we crossed paths simply, humbly, and marvelously on our knees at night as we said our prayers and thought of our own kids – how they came into the world in love and how we would die for them out of love – and then thought of those snuffed out because the evil one demands child sacrifice and men choose to turn from love and the opposite of love is indifference.

Perhaps we crossed paths teaching the faith and trying – sometimes with facility and often against great resistance – to convince a few teenagers in a high school theology class that a human child in the womb is 1) human and 2) can’t be anything other than human.

Maybe we said the same things in our prayers. “Jesus, Mary, I love you! Save souls and unborn babies!”

Our politicians didn’t help, except to say they were on our side when they needed our votes. One man promised us justices who would overturn Roe. He gave us those justices. Despite how he pushed a deadly vaccine (and continues to do so), I give thanks for his actions here and pray for him.

Our bishops didn’t help much. In truth, some were more vocal than others; but we totally could have ended this decades ago if they had stood up.

“God is sooooooo good.”

Is this perfect news? Far from it. In my home state killing a baby up to birth is now codified in law. In my new home state abortion is now essentially illegal altogether.

I’ll admit this is not how I imagined this day would go down. I’m genuinely shedding tears as I write this post. So many years… Did any of us believe that evil decision would be overturned? I bet Nellie Gray believed it, and Phyllis Schlafly too. I think my late dad probably thought this day would come. My widowed mom sent me a text. “God is sooooooo good.” She concluded it with a heart emoji because she’s 85 and texts. He is sooooooo good.

Stay Confessed

I know it’s far from over. Satanist groups are planning violence. We must pray harder now and be prepared to protect and defend ourselves and our churches.

As for me? I went to confession. Then I went to mass with my daughter. Meditating on the mystery of Our Lord’s Sacred Heart is so powerful. Lord Jesus, cleanse us with the water from Thy Wounded Side and then bathe us in They Precious Blood! Friends, stay confessed. Go to mass. Pray your rosaries.

And celebrate this moment for what it’s worth. You had better believe there’s a bottle of gin on my bar to be opened tonight. It calms the shellshocked nerves. Brothers and sisters, but especially my fellow Catholic men, NEVER give up this fight.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!