ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ CALLS ON FAMILIES TO WIDEN ‘CIRCLE OF LOVE’ DURING ONELIFE LA 2021 VIRTUAL CELEBRATION
January 23, 2021  |  By:   |  Uncategorized  |  

OneLife LA participants gathered virtually to celebrate the “The Joy of Life” raising $4,000 for nonprofit serving unhoused pregnant women   

Archbishop José H. Gomez was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual OneLife LA today celebrating the beauty and dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. This year, due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the celebration was virtual and livestreamed on OneLifeLA.org and facebook.com/lacatholics so families could join the celebration safely from their homes. The celebration will remain online on OneLifeLA.org for those who missed it live.

“I think all of us in this time, have come to understand, in a beautiful way, that human life is precious. Also, that life is fragile and brief,” said Archbishop Gomez during the keynote. “How we live, how we love, how we care for one another — this is what truly matters. This is what we celebrate each year at OneLife LA. The sanctity and the dignity of every human life, especially the weak and vulnerable.”

OneLife seeks to promote a culture of life, where every human life is dignified, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized. This year’s celebration themed “The Joy of Life” aims to unite communities and inspire positive action that promotes the beauty and dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. Even though many things look and feel very different this year, the virtual program honors those who continue to serve even during these difficult circumstances.

The Archbishop reminded participants of the words of Pope Francis in his latest book not to “stay silent when over 30 to 40 million unborn lives are cast aside every year through abortion.”

“The Holy Father is wise. We cannot be silent. We cannot draw limits to our circle of love. We need to speak for every person in our society who cannot defend themselves. And prenatal human life is truly the most innocent, and the most vulnerable in our society,” said the Archbishop. “Harvest Home, one of our community partners, is a beautiful example of our service to mothers in need and their children.”

During the virtual celebration Harvest Home received the second OneLife LA Service Award of $10,000 which supports its mission of transforming the lives of homeless pregnant women and their children by providing housing, support, and programs that equip women to become great mothers. Participants of the virtual celebration were challenged to give to Harvest Home raising $4,000 for the organization that has provided aid to more than 550 homeless mothers and their children.

Traditionally, OneLife LA is hosted at the Los Angeles Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles, where thousands of people from all backgrounds in Southern California come together after a mile walk led by Archbishop Gomez beginning at the birthplace of the city at Olvera Street.

“So we try to live with joy, with simplicity. We try to widen the circle of love around us – beginning with the way we love and treat one another in our families and homes,” said Archbishop Gomez. “But our circle of love must always be growing. Real love means always moving beyond our narrow concerns and opening ourselves to the needs of others. Each one of us needs to make our love real in walking with the poor, with those who have been cast out, with the least of our brothers and sisters.

OneLife LA 2021 speakers and performers included Christopher Duffley, a 19-year-old musician, inspirational speaker, and podcaster who was born prematurely and is blind as a result of Retinopathy of Prematurity; Damon and Melanie Owens,international speakers and evangelists for over 20 years and founders of  joytob a teaching ministry dedicated to proclaiming the joy of being made in the image and likeness of God;Gloria Purvis, leading Catholic voice on racial justice and the pro-life movement who aims to connect the dignity of the human person to the issues of racism and abortion. The full program is available on OneLifeLA.org.

The celebration culminated with the 26th annual “Requiem for the Unborn” Mass celebrated virtually by Archbishop Gomez on OneLifeLA.org and facebook.com/lacatholics. Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron for the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese served as homilist.

“From its earliest days, the Church has fostered and protected human life,” said Bishop Barron during the homily. “In fact, the ancient Christian community’s radical unwillingness to tolerate assaults on life was a key factor in attracting people to the new movement. This is why, even today, the Church stands against any attempt directly to attack human life at any stage of its development.”

During the Mass, candles were lit to remembrance of lives lost to abortion today in Southern California.

Following is the full text of Archbishop Gomez’ keynote address as it was prepared (video is available on https://onelifela.org/).

Friends, thank you for welcoming us into your homes for this special presentation of OneLife LA.

I am sorry that we cannot be together “in person” this year.

We are still living in the middle of this pandemic, as we all know. I pray that you and your families are safe and healthy, that you have been spared the sickness and death.

I think all of us in this time, have come to understand, in a beautiful way, that human life is precious. Also, that life is fragile and brief

How we live, how we love, how we care for one another — this is what truly matters.

This is what we celebrate each year at OneLife LA. The sanctity and the dignity of every human life, especially the weak and vulnerable.

What we’re trying to do with OneLife LA is to build a culture of conscience, compassion, and care.

This movement we call OneLife LA is a spiritual movement. We believe that our God is a God of love, and we believe that he creates us to love and to be loved.

So we try to live with joy, with simplicity. We try to widen the circle of love around us – beginning with the way we love and treat one another in our families and homes. 

But our circle of love must always be growing. Real love means always moving beyond our narrow concerns, and opening ourselves to the needs of others.

Each one of us needs to make our love real in walking with the poor, with those who have been cast out, with the least of our brothers and sisters.

And my friends, I want to urge you: we can never forget our “roots” in this effort.

We hold this celebration each year at this time to remember one of our nation’s saddest days — January 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court of the United States made abortion legal in our land.

Abortion is not “convenient” to talk about. But, my friends, as Pope Francis says in his latest book, “I cannot stay silent when over 30- to 40-million unborn lives are cast aside every year through abortion.”

The Holy Father is wise. We cannot be silent. We cannot draw limits to our circle of love. We need to speak for every person in our society who cannot defend themselves. And prenatal human life is truly the most innocent, and the most vulnerable in our society.

Harvest Home, one of our community partners, is a beautiful example of our service to mothers in need and their children.

So friends, let’s never stop until our society sees that new human life is not a burden but a beautiful gift. Let’s keep working — with sensitivity and compassion —to end abortion, to care for women who are pregnant, to heal the wounds of women who have suffered abortions.

The saints teach us that in the evening of our lives, everything else falls away, and we are judged by our love.

The saints also teach that, “Where there is no love, put love, and you will draw love.” That is the way for us to live. To bring love to every situation where there is no love. And as we know, where love is, there is God.

This movement of OneLife LA calls us to be models for a new way of life — a life of love and compassion and concern and respect for the sanctity and dignity of others.

So let’s keep working to live that way — the OneLife LA way! And let’s build an America where it is easier for people to love one another.

God bless you all! And next year, I hope to see you all “in person” for OneLife LA!

####