Top photo caption: Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, delivers the homily during the New Jersey bishops’ third annual Mass for Life Oct. 8 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Bishop Chau emphasized the inherent dignity of every human person and encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in their prayers and public witness in defense of life.
Look around, how beautiful you are! ¡Que criaturas más bellas que Dios ha creado! Miren a su alrededor y dile a la persona que está a tu lado “Tu eres una creación maravillosa!” “You are a marvelous creation.”
Brothers and Sisters, we are God’s creation, created in the image and likeness of God. We have been wonderfully made!
This morning we gather from around the State of New Jersey, we embark on a Pilgrimage to Celebrate Life; to REMIND the whole world that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, that ALL lives Matter! ALL Lives are Beautiful and that life is a Gift from God, in case they have forgotten.
Our faith teaches us that human dignity is inherent in every person. Human dignity is the foundation of Human Rights. We are created in the image and likeness of God, created by God and endowed with life out of Love and called to eternal life.
In today’s second reading, Saint Paul reminds us how much every person is loved by the Father. “The Father has rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ, God reconciles all things to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:13–14, 19–20).
Jesus gave his life for all humanity. When we look at the cross, we see how deeply God loves each person. No human being is disposable. No life is without value. Every person is someone for whom Christ died.
Pope Leo in his recent visit to France, met with young people and spoke to the value of life. In response to a young woman’s question regarding her concern about today’s society principles and its disregard for God, the Pope said:
“The fact that many are indifferent to the question of God is, indeed, a problem, but so too is the fact that many are indifferent to the question of humanity. Sadly, how many people show no concern for their neighbors, lead selfish lives, look down on the poor while squandering their wealth on trivial things. How many reject the weak and the infirm, thinking that a person’s worth lies solely in what they produce.”
PRAYER VIGIL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE – ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV “Stade de France” of Saint Denis, Friday, 25 September 2026
His words invite us to examine our own hearts. Do we recognize the dignity of every person, including those whose needs interrupt our plans or whose circumstances make us uncomfortable?
Our faith, my sisters and brothers, convicts us of the value that every person has regardless of gender, social status, Origin, nationality, age, born or unborn, health, intelligence, religion, sexual orientation, immigration status, employment status, successes and failures in life. This conviction propels us to denounce any injustice against human life such as euthanasia, abortion, elder mistreatment, child abuse, Human Trafficking, the mistreatment of immigrants, the death penalty. These actions violate the human dignity of many of our brothers and sisters today.
Sometimes, this mission can be discouraging. We may wonder whether our prayers, our service, or our public witness make any difference. In today’s first reading, we hear Isaiah’s lament that his labor seems to have been in vain. Yet he entrusts his cause to the Lord (cf. Isaiah 49:4).
Perhaps some of you know that feeling. You have prayed, volunteered, accompanied families, and advocated for life, and still the needs seem overwhelming.
But the Lord’s answer to Isaiah opens a wider horizon: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
Brothers and sisters, do not lose heart. God sees your faithfulness, including the quiet acts of love that no one else notices. We may not see every fruit of our efforts, but we can trust the Lord with them. He asks us to keep bringing his light into the places where hope is fading.
I would like to close with the words of Pope Leo XIV at Lourdes on September 27:
“In the face of current trends that seek to redefine the value of human life in illness, suffering and old age, the grotto of Massabielle stands as a place of Christian hope. Here, no one is turned away due to their frailty. Your crutches, your wheelchairs and your hidden tears are not obstacles; instead, they are the very place where you are fully respected and welcomed, and where you can experience a transforming encounter with the infinite love of God. Lourdes is blessed as a place for professing the beauty and sanctity of life, for life is welcomed here as a precious gift from God, and is called to flourish for ever in the love of the Father.”
HOMILY OF POPE LEO XIV, Prairie of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Sunday, 27 September 2026
May our parishes and homes become places where that same welcome is real: where no one is rejected because of frailty, and where every person can encounter the love of God.
As we continue our pilgrimage today, let us carry that love with us. May those who meet us recognize that we are people who cherish life, protect the vulnerable, and remain faithful in hope.
¡Toda vida es un regalo de Dios! Every life is a gift from God.
May we receive that gift with gratitude and defend it with courage and love.
Amen.
Top photo caption: Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, delivers the homily during the New Jersey bishops’ third annual Mass for Life Oct. 8 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Bishop Chau emphasized the inherent dignity of every human person and encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in their prayers and public witness in defense of life.
Look around, how beautiful you are! ¡Que criaturas más bellas que Dios ha creado! Miren a su alrededor y dile a la persona que está a tu lado “Tu eres una creación maravillosa!” “You are a marvelous creation.”
Brothers and Sisters, we are God’s creation, created in the image and likeness of God. We have been wonderfully made!
This morning we gather from around the State of New Jersey, we embark on a Pilgrimage to Celebrate Life; to REMIND the whole world that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, that ALL lives Matter! ALL Lives are Beautiful and that life is a Gift from God, in case they have forgotten.
Our faith teaches us that human dignity is inherent in every person. Human dignity is the foundation of Human Rights. We are created in the image and likeness of God, created by God and endowed with life out of Love and called to eternal life.
In today’s second reading, Saint Paul reminds us how much every person is loved by the Father. “The Father has rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ, God reconciles all things to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:13–14, 19–20).
Jesus gave his life for all humanity. When we look at the cross, we see how deeply God loves each person. No human being is disposable. No life is without value. Every person is someone for whom Christ died.
Pope Leo in his recent visit to France, met with young people and spoke to the value of life. In response to a young woman’s question regarding her concern about today’s society principles and its disregard for God, the Pope said:
“The fact that many are indifferent to the question of God is, indeed, a problem, but so too is the fact that many are indifferent to the question of humanity. Sadly, how many people show no concern for their neighbors, lead selfish lives, look down on the poor while squandering their wealth on trivial things. How many reject the weak and the infirm, thinking that a person’s worth lies solely in what they produce.”
PRAYER VIGIL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE – ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV “Stade de France” of Saint Denis, Friday, 25 September 2026
His words invite us to examine our own hearts. Do we recognize the dignity of every person, including those whose needs interrupt our plans or whose circumstances make us uncomfortable?
Our faith, my sisters and brothers, convicts us of the value that every person has regardless of gender, social status, Origin, nationality, age, born or unborn, health, intelligence, religion, sexual orientation, immigration status, employment status, successes and failures in life. This conviction propels us to denounce any injustice against human life such as euthanasia, abortion, elder mistreatment, child abuse, Human Trafficking, the mistreatment of immigrants, the death penalty. These actions violate the human dignity of many of our brothers and sisters today.
Sometimes, this mission can be discouraging. We may wonder whether our prayers, our service, or our public witness make any difference. In today’s first reading, we hear Isaiah’s lament that his labor seems to have been in vain. Yet he entrusts his cause to the Lord (cf. Isaiah 49:4).
Perhaps some of you know that feeling. You have prayed, volunteered, accompanied families, and advocated for life, and still the needs seem overwhelming.
But the Lord’s answer to Isaiah opens a wider horizon: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
Brothers and sisters, do not lose heart. God sees your faithfulness, including the quiet acts of love that no one else notices. We may not see every fruit of our efforts, but we can trust the Lord with them. He asks us to keep bringing his light into the places where hope is fading.
I would like to close with the words of Pope Leo XIV at Lourdes on September 27:
“In the face of current trends that seek to redefine the value of human life in illness, suffering and old age, the grotto of Massabielle stands as a place of Christian hope. Here, no one is turned away due to their frailty. Your crutches, your wheelchairs and your hidden tears are not obstacles; instead, they are the very place where you are fully respected and welcomed, and where you can experience a transforming encounter with the infinite love of God. Lourdes is blessed as a place for professing the beauty and sanctity of life, for life is welcomed here as a precious gift from God, and is called to flourish for ever in the love of the Father.”
HOMILY OF POPE LEO XIV, Prairie of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Sunday, 27 September 2026
May our parishes and homes become places where that same welcome is real: where no one is rejected because of frailty, and where every person can encounter the love of God.
As we continue our pilgrimage today, let us carry that love with us. May those who meet us recognize that we are people who cherish life, protect the vulnerable, and remain faithful in hope.
¡Toda vida es un regalo de Dios! Every life is a gift from God.
May we receive that gift with gratitude and defend it with courage and love.
Amen.