By Susan Ciancio
St. Anthony of Padua taught, “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”
At the Culture of Life Studies Program, we believe wholeheartedly in this philosophy. Our booklets teach pro-life values and help young people build the moral courage that is necessary so that they can go out into the world and evangelize, stand up for those truths, and help build a culture that respects all people—from the moment of creation until death.
We teach these valuable lessons all year long. But once a year, we listen to the voices of your children and students.
Every year during Respect Life Month, we hold our Pro-Life Essay Contest to encourage children and teens to think, to teach them to build upon their faith and formulate thoughts, and then to articulate those thoughts. And we award amazing prizes for those who express their faith with compassion, love, and insight. This year is no different.
You can find all the details about this year’s essay contest at prolifeessay.com, but we want to explain six reasons why your student will benefit from entering our essay contest.
1. The more students express their beliefs, the more skilled they will become at defending them.
Young people today need practice defending their faith with compassion, love, and determination. Conversations with family and the latitude to ask questions and explore different avenues all lead to a deeper understanding of God’s laws. The more skilled students become, the more courageously they will be able to stand for the vulnerable.
2. Writing about their beliefs will help them understand that a love of learning about our faith should never stop.
Our contest, especially this year, requires students to think and to possibly conduct a little research before they begin writing. When we foster a love of learning about God and His teachings, students will see that learning is not only fun but a fantastic way to strengthen their faith.
3. Expressing their feelings and beliefs helps foster a sense of pride.
This year, students have a choice of prompts from each category. Students in 3rd and 4th grade are asked to use a Bible verse to reflect upon and write about human dignity, or they may research facts and write about a preborn baby’s development. Students in middle school (5th-8th grade) will write about the importance of moral courage when defending the vulnerable, or they may research the development of first-trimester babies and discuss ways to protect them. And students in high school can write about treating those who have disabilities with authentic love and mercy, or they can interview parents of a child with a disability and discuss the child’s inherent value.
These age-appropriate prompts encourage children to more deeply examine the truths that all human beings have value.
4. Thinking about the vulnerable and how to help them allows students to build compassion.
We live in a society that doesn’t typically encourage people to see things from another’s point of view. On social media, on TV, and in our streets, people do more shouting than talking or listening. This is a terrible way for society to behave. Listening to others and articulating our thoughts is a skill that we must all develop. Showing compassion does not mean giving up our belief system; it simply means considering how someone else feels. It should mean that we walk with that person rather than walk away from that person as we guide him toward God and toward pro-life truths. And it should mean that we treat each person with the dignity we hope they treat us and others with.
5. Exploring more about these topics helps kids see the beauty of our faith.
At CLSP, we give students, parents, and teachers the tools to help young people not only grow in their faith but to see the beauty of it. This year’s prompts allow them to research pro-life heroes and saints, explore how preborn babies develop and why we should protect them, and see the immense value in those who have different abilities. By examining these topics and really thinking, kids will hopefully come to understand that we are all made in the image and likeness of God.
6. When ideas become tangible by their visibility on a piece of paper, students have something solid to hold onto.
When students take the time to write down—and read over—their thoughts, they feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment. The very act of writing down their beliefs and solutions builds the courage to then speak these truths. The more students practice this, the better they will become at explaining what they believe and why.
Our Pro-Life Essay Contest is a beautiful way to help students grow in faith and to strengthen their beliefs. The contest is open now through November 7, and we encourage all 3rd-12th grade students to enter so that their words will teach and their actions speak.