Marching for Life

I think there are many things which we do of which we cannot fully understand the significance while we are yet on this earth.

This past Monday found me and a good majority of my fellow seminarians from Old College on the streets of Washington D.C. There we joined our classmates from Notre Dame and Holy Cross, men from Moreau Seminary, and several Holy Cross priests together with tens of thousands of concerned citizens from across America. We were joined to show our support for the dignity of human life by participating in the 38th annual March for Life event, marking the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Some of us arrived early Saturday morning and had the opportunity to participate in pro-life events over the weekend, including a Mass Sunday night at the National Basilica. Others, like me, came in the night before by bus. Before reaching the National Mall on Monday morning, those of us in the Notre Dame group celebrated a special Mass with Fr. Jenkins CSC, to support by prayer what we would carry out in deed. As we later gathered on the National Mall preparing to march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court building, we were joined by an awe-inspiring number of people. Once we got to the Supreme Court building, wishing to acknowledge our completion of the march, we did the quintessentially Notre Dame and sang the Victory March and the Alma Mater.

Many things could be said about our trip. It was fun, yes. But for many of us it was all too short and certainly tiring. And in some ways it was frustrating, because it is so difficult to know how much of a difference I really made by my presence. Did I do anything given I’m one among thousands at an event that gets very little press coverage and fight for a cause which doesn’t seem like it has moved forward in nearly forty years? As much as I am humbled by this, I take confidence knowing that God can take our most feeble attempts and turn them into something powerful. This experience also reminds me why we need to rely on each other. It is my presence multiplied by the presence of thousands of others that does make a difference. I may have only done the smallest thing, but I know I did something to make this country more just. Change will come in God’s time. Until then I will keep working and more importantly praying so that it may come quickly.

In Holy Cross,

Benjamin Rusch