I recently attended the March for Life in Washington, DC. In all my years, I have never attended the March for Life, so I was very excited to be marching for the first time to show my support of life. I was so blessed to be traveling with a ministry called, Mission Love and Life. This youth-focused ministry has a mission to promote love and life and to live as Jesus intended, with respect, dignity, faithfulness, honor, and integrity. Then, we are to go out and spread this message of love to bring life to all those we meet.
My adventure to the March for Life as a chaperone for 100 high school students was a beautiful way to experience the March for my first time. I was so edified at the commitment and vitality of these young people who were standing up for this basic right to life. Our first stop was Life Fest, sponsored by the Sisters of Life. In this enormous venue, I heard speaker after speaker share stories and give testimonies of unplanned pregnancies, with some who chose abortion and some who did not. I witnessed the beautiful reverence for God in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for which I counted 4 bishops and over 60 priests on the altar, as well as hundreds of religious sisters and brothers who were in attendance. It was such a blessed morning and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist gave us all the strength we needed to bear the cold weather and withstand the elements during the 3-hour outdoor March ahead of us.
Arriving at the March, we bundled up, prepared our signs, and headed to the starting point. There was an obvious joy in the crisp air. People were laughing, smiling, enjoying themselves, and not at all bothered by the chilly temps. The crowd was poised to begin the March after some fiery speeches and words of encouragement on the hill from pro-life speakers such as Governor Ron Desantis, pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton, President of Live Action Lila Rose, Vice President JD Vance and even a zoom in from President Trump. This all helped to fuel the crowd of excited pro-life supporters, ready to begin our trek. Once the March began, I was so overwhelmed by, not only the vast crowd of marchers, but the sheer happiness of them all. There was music, cheering, life chants, color-coordinated group hats, a plethora of amazing signage, women, men, babies, old people, young people, walkers, wheelchair riders, people from every walk of life, coming together in a united and peaceful way to promote the gift of life. I felt as if Jesus, Our Lady, Joseph, the angels and all the saints were marching alongside us and interceding for us on this beautiful day!
Jesus provided for us a gorgeous, clear, sunny day which did not feel nearly as cold as the thermometer was proclaiming. He brought many hundreds of thousands of His brothers and sisters to demonstrate their support for the most basic and beautiful gift of life. He kept our March peace-filled and washed in His love and I witnessed what it means to be fully alive! Looking into the faces of these marchers filled me with such a sense of His Presence. The gift of His very life, given to us on the Cross, was so present to me and my heart was filled to overflowing with the conviction of this reality. The Bridegroom is life and He needs me to witness to this life by, not only marching on this day, but by the way I live my existence day to day… promoting life in my words, actions, and thoughts; by the way I treat others, think about others and lead my Christian life of blessings.
I spoke and prayed personally with a lovely woman who had been fed the lies of the culture that abortion is no big deal and would solve her problem without any lasting effects. She confided in me that she had been using abortion as birth control and had suffered four abortions over the years and even now, so many years later, she is still affected by her choices. She marches every year to share her story of heartbreak, misguided trust, lack of education, and regret. But, more importantly, she marches to show the power of Christ’s forgiveness, the gift of His unfathomable mercy, and the amazing healing power of His incredible love for her as his beloved.
Hearing such a heartfelt story was something I had not expected. I was so shocked and yet so moved by her courageous sharing and I felt that the Lord was really healing this broken and beautiful woman through the gift of His grace. She spoke with confidence and poise in a way that was so filled with Christ that I was, of course, moved to tears… not only for what had happened and the lives that had been lost, but for the beautiful way that Jesus swooped in and brought her to Himself – not in judgement or condemnation, but in answer to the cry for help from her heart. Our Bridegroom is LIFE and life meant to be lived to the fullest. In this gift of life, we are each called to greatness. We are each called to step out in faith and in trust that Our Bridegroom, the Bridegroom of Life, desires our integrated hearts, minds, bodies and souls for Him, to glorify Him.
What an amazing experience in the fullness of life! I was so filled when we walked back to our hotel after the March. I don’t even remember a second of being cold, and for me, that’s a miracle! I may just have to make the March, and this encounter with the Bridegroom of Life, an annual adventure!
“The glory of God is man fully alive!” St. Irenaeus
-Nicky Verna
