My Body for You: A Life-Affirming Message

Maria V. Gallagher discovers a wonderful resource for those who wish to contribute to the rebuilding of a culture of life.

It was a video that went viral—an epic talk at Google Headquarters, presented by a dynamic young woman from Canada. In a decidedly winsome way, she made the case for the pro-life point of view. I found the presentation to be engaging and entertaining, and I could not wait to put her pro-life apologetics into action.

Now, that same ambassador for life, Stephanie Gray Connors, has written a new book which deftly combines pro-life truths with her own experience of motherhood. The result is a fascinating work which beautifully and boldly argues for the defense of human life in a society that far too often dismisses human life as being too burdensome to be protected.

My Body for You: a Pro-Life Message for a Post-Roe World is a stirring example of how to articulate a life-affirming message in our homes, in our communities, and in the greater world.

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As Connors writes:

Human rights are not grounded in how we currently function; they are grounded in who we are. Pre-born children are human beings with the inherent capacity to behave in human ways. It’s just that they cannot act on those capacities due to their age.

Connors also notes how we as human beings are built for nurturing and sustaining life:

Our bodies are for love. Motherhood and fatherhood are particular identities that, by their nature, call individuals to self-sacrificing love. That love means, first and foremost, willing the good of their offspring.
Protecting one’s baby during pregnancy and ensuring the well-being of that same child postpartum is a physical manifestation of the beautiful and loving words "This is my body given for you."

Connors also makes some wise recommendations on how we can make society more hospitable to the cause of life. For instance, she remarks,

If from our childhood adults didn’t only ask us about our career aspirations or vocation category but also asked us to reflect on the kind of mother or father we are meant to be, I think we could avoid a lot of problems.
From their earliest years, young people would be oriented to think about the proper end of parenthood. This would influence big and small decisions they make and how they interact with others. It would make them spiritual parents early on, and that would not only serve them well in the present moment but also be a benefit to their future, whether they become biological parents or embrace a religious vocation.

My Body for You comes along at a crucial time in our history as a nation. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the tragic ruling which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973. It has been said that the 2022 court decision marked the end of the beginning of the pro-life movement in the United States.

Since the overturn of Roe, numerous states have passed new legal protections for unborn children. The pro-life organization known as National Right to Life estimates that 32,000 children’s lives have been saved as a result. Meanwhile, other states have enshrined legal abortion in their state Constitutions, leaving unborn children and their mothers especially vulnerable.

We need guidebooks to handle these challenging times in which we live and work. My Body for You is a manual for mothers, fathers, and others who want to promote the cause of life in meaningful ways that will positively impact not only today’s children, but future generations as well.

Ask for My Body for You at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Emmaus Road Publishing.

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