Empowered. If I could sum up the 2023 March for Life in one word, it would be empowered. While the pro-life movement has always been strong in defending life, it has gotten stronger now, rejuvenated by the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is an empowering affirmation for every pro-life advocate in the country.
I felt empowered marching alongside thousands of other pro-life advocates on January 21. I have attended the March for Life three times already, but there was a noticeable difference in the attitudes of those around me. I saw unwavering hope. I saw life-affirming joy. I saw passion for defending every human life from conception until natural death. Witnessing these emotions filled me with hope, joy, and passion for the pro-life cause as well.
However, the most intrinsic and unforgettable aspect of the 2023 March for Life was the presence of God. I will never ignore the centrality of my Catholic faith in the human rights issue of abortion. God is the Author of Life. He is the Creator of Life. And when that precious gift has been stolen tens of millions of times from innocent human beings, it is a grave offense against our loving God who intentionally formed us in our mother’s wombs. At the March for Life this year, the centrality of God in the pro-life issue was prevalent, and I felt such joy to see thousands of people defending life for the sake of our Heavenly Father.
I left the March for Life feeling empowered. I was fortunate enough to attend the National Pro-Life Summit, hosted by Students for Life of America, that same weekend, and felt even more empowered by the reminder that the pro-life generation is unstoppable. As a movement, we still have a lot of work to do. But for now, let us revel in the good that God has done in the past year, and look forward to what He will do in the future.
As we reflect on this historical time, I challenge you to keep fighting for life. Remind yourself that we are all made in the image of God, bestowed with inalienable dignity and immeasurable worth from the moment of conception until natural death.
Defend this truth in all you do, from posting on social media to engaging in conversation. Never stop reminding those around you just how beloved they are to God, and empower them to respect the beloved lives in the womb, in the wheelchair, and on the hospital bed.
Our obligation to protect life never ends, but let us not grow weary, but God is with us. That is all the empowerment we need.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
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Lily Mich is a senior at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downington.
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