The first reading from Malachi asks, “Have we not all one Father? Has not the one God created us?” This theme is echoed in the Gospel’s teaching, “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.”

In a culture of death, the worldview is that we are responsible only for those for whom we choose to be responsible, and that this choice is a purely individual, private matter. Such a culture would have us believe that someone’s decision to abort a child is “none of our business.”

But if we all have one Father, then that makes us brothers and sisters, and means that our lives are entrusted to one another’s care. We are responsible for each other before we choose to be. The abortions that others have are our business, because those children – as well as their parents — are also entrusted to our care, in the one family of God. Ours is the business of love, to care as much as we can for all our brothers and sisters.

Homily Helps and Petitions

Today’s scripture readings focus on spiritual leadership… Many of our leaders today deny the impact of climate change. Meanwhile, wildfires, storms, and floods destroy people’s homes and livelihoods – and even their lives. Corporate leaders make false claims about their efforts to address climate change, and some have even promoted climate- change denial. Despite this, a majority of Americans now consider climate change a serious problem.

Now is the time to stress the urgency of working to combat climate change, to challenge errone- ous assumptions presented by today’s leaders. Let us do what we can to convince them to take action.