Pro-Life Hymn

As the March for Life and other commemorations of the iniquitous Roe v. Wade decision approach, I thought I would repost this hymn that I wrote two years ago:

I suggest the tune Beach Spring
1. At the dawning of creation, God divided light from shade,
And He made us, male and female. In His image we were made.

(Refrain) And the life that God created we will honor and defend
From conception to the heavens; from beginning to the end.

2. God the Father called a people, and He drew them by the hand
And He led them through the desert and into the Promised Land.

3. In His saving Incarnation, Jesus bore a human frame
To restore the sacred Image hidden by our sin and shame.

4. And He walked among the people, healed the sick and raised the dead,
And the poor rejoiced at hearing the appealing words He said.

5. On the Cross, our gracious Savior Jesus laid His body down,
Dying as the Man of Sorrows; giving humankind a crown.

6. And He sent the Holy Spirit for forgiveness of our sins.
Even now God dwells among us; even now, new life begins.

7. When we share the Holy Myst’ries in the Eucharistic food
We are filled with life eternal: Jesus’ Body and His Blood.

8. When He comes again in glory, all the dead shall rise again,
And our human eyes shall see Him in the splendor of His reign.

c. 2008 by Kathleen Pluth. Anyone may use this hymn freely.

Stop. The. Madness.

May this year be the last.
"Breathe for me," they haunt my prayer
with infant dreams of drawing air.
I shrink from sharp and sudden fear.
I shrink because the knife is near.
I feel a light initial blow--
but to the death my dreams don't go.

If you could only hear and see
the interest group that lobbies me--
whose privacy is not a right,
whose lives will end before tonight--
how quickly you would mark the ruse:
a woman's right to plan and choose.

A century beyond our own
will marvel at the evil done:
the terror and the salt and blood
in clean suburban neighborhoods;
the killing of one child in five
while you and I were here, alive.

Pro-Life Hymn

As the March for Life and other commemorations of the iniquitous Roe v. Wade decision approach, I thought I would repost this hymn that I wrote last year:

I suggest the tune Beach Spring

1. At the dawning of creation, God divided light from shade,
And He made us, male and female. In His image we were made.

(Refrain) And the life that God created we will honor and defend
From conception to the heavens; from beginning to the end.

2. God the Father called a people, and He drew them by the hand
And He led them through the desert and into the Promised Land.

3. In His saving Incarnation, Jesus bore a human frame
To restore the sacred Image hidden by our sin and shame.

4. And He walked among the people, healed the sick and raised the dead,
And the poor rejoiced at hearing the appealing words He said.

5. On the Cross, our gracious Savior Jesus laid His body down,
Dying as the Man of Sorrows; giving humankind a crown.

6. And He sent the Holy Spirit for forgiveness of our sins.
Even now God dwells among us; even now, new life begins.

7. When we share the Holy Myst’ries in the Eucharistic food
We are filled with life eternal: Jesus’ Body and His Blood.

8. When He comes again in glory, all the dead shall rise again,
And our human eyes shall see Him in the splendor of His reign.

c. 2008 by Kathleen Pluth. Anyone may use this hymn freely.

Pro-Life Hymn

Walking along the March for Life, one is struck by the silence. In a way this is most appropriate: there is a silent witness, such a peaceful presence. But I can't help but wonder if we shouldn't have a song book for the journey.

A few years back I wrote more of a poem. It's good enough in its own way but not very singable.

So here's one idea for a marching song. It combines the pro-life cause with a survey of salvation history, with a special emphasis on the unity of body and soul that we find in the Bible. God desires to save every human person as a whole, with dignity of body and soul, and every person is worth the honor and protection of every other.

To the tune of Beach Spring

1. At the dawning of creation, God divided light from shade,
And He made us, male and female. In His image we were made.

(Refrain) And the life that God created we will honor and defend
From conception to the heavens; from beginning to the end.

2. God the Father called a people, and He drew them by the hand
And He led them through the desert and into the Promised Land.

3. In His saving Incarnation, Jesus bore a human frame
To restore the sacred Image hidden by our sin and shame.

4. And He walked among the people, healed the sick and raised the dead,
And the poor rejoiced at hearing the appealing words He said.

5. On the Cross, our gracious Savior Jesus laid His body down,
Dying as the Man of Sorrows; giving humankind a crown.

6. And He sent the Holy Spirit for forgiveness of our sins.
Even now God dwells among us; even now, new life begins.

7. When we share the Holy Myst’ries in the Eucharistic food
We are filled with life eternal: Jesus’ Body and His Blood.

8. When He comes again in glory, all the dead shall rise again,
And our human eyes shall see Him in the splendor of His reign.