By Susan Ciancio
The Bible is the greatest book ever written. Why? Because it’s the only place we can read and hear the word of God. So it was fitting that, as we thought about Lent and the reflection booklet we wanted to create for this year, we would incorporate into it teachings from the Bible. In the past, we used scripture verses with some of our other booklets, and they turned out great. But this year, we challenged ourselves to do something even more exciting!
We searched the 73 books of the Bible for gripping and inspirational stories of courageous acts, of kindness toward our fellow man, of self-giving love, and of unwavering devotion to God and our faith. And we found some fantastic ones! We put them together in a downloadable booklet entitled Culture-of-Life Voices of the Bible: 40 Days of Stories and Reflections for the Entire Family.
This booklet takes you on a spiritual journey through the Bible and introduces you to 40 characters who helped build a culture of life in their homes or communities. The men and women mentioned in this booklet were sinners, just like you and me, but their stories remind us that everyone can take action to care for others and to live their faith.
After we tell their story, we offer a reflection, some questions to help you think deeper about the story and about your own actions, and a quote from the Book of Wisdom to fill you with inspiration.
We expect that many of these stories will resonate with you. And we expect that you will find some new spiritual friends. You may already know some of these characters, and some you may have never even heard of before. But one thing is certain: Their strong voices serve as examples for us, as we strive to learn from them, emulate their actions, and understand that we too can make a difference in our world.
We desperately need to hear these culture-of-life, or pro-life, voices today. Make no mistake: They are around, but they are often silenced. TV shows and social media tend to portray anyone who stands up for pro-life values as bigoted pariahs who only want to oppress others or who are filled with hatred. It’s so hard make ourselves heard and believed over their loud and often angry voices. Many people don’t understand that true freedom doesn’t come in doing whatever you want or doing whatever feels good in that moment. True freedom only comes in following the creator of the universe and His laws as we walk the path to heaven.
Think of it this way. If you were dropped in the middle of the desert with only a car and no GPS and told to go wherever you wanted and do whatever you wanted, you would likely feel a bit panicked. I venture to say you would feel lost, alone, and scared.
Where will you go? What will you do? How will you ever find your way?
Is that the kind of freedom you want?
We need guidance in life, and God knows that. So He gives us the only GPS we need; it’s a trifecta called the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Church tradition. God is the truth, the way, and the light. With Him, we need not be afraid, and we will not feel lost. His word tells us where to go and how to get there.
It’s not always easy, and sometimes we choose to stay silent amidst all the worldly chaos. Maybe it’s because we’re afraid to offend someone, we fear confrontation, or we aren’t as confident in our knowledge of our faith. These are normal feelings and fears.
That’s why we need to emulate strong individuals and saints, such as those in this booklet. Their stories—like Daniel in the lion’s den or the three young men who sang praises to God as they were thrown into a white-hot furnace—give us courage to stand up for our faith. They give us advocates in heaven who will champion our efforts as we work to become more faithful and teach others about God. And they help us live as Christ commanded when He told His disciples to go evangelize to all the nations.
So as you think about Lent and what you will do to grow closer to God over these six weeks, take time each day to reflect on the stories of people who have suffered for their faith, taught about Christ, and worked to protect those around them from evil. And as you read these stories, remember that your voice is powerful, your actions matter, and your roadmap to heaven is paved with your personal actions and how you treat others.