One of the things I hate about flying is the discomfort and awkwardness of sitting very close to a stranger for 4 or more hours (the typical length of one of my flights).

I’m an introvert, but I’m not anti-social. I like talking, but I hate small talk – which is what plane conversations often are. (For me, at least)

It’s my luck to always get stuck next to: the creepy, flirty man; the smoker or perfume over-doser who gives me a headache; chatty Cathy who ignores the book in my lap; and many others who have left me with the opinion that I’d rather sit alone.

I often fly on a certain airline where you can pick your own seat. So in order to avoid people picking the seat next to me, I came up with a list.

My hope is that if I do one of these things, it results in me sitting next to big, fat, nobody!

• Read a large newspaper
• “Accidentally” spill coffee on the seat next to me
• Cry
• Sneeze repetitively and blow my nose
• Bring a child
• Gain a large amount of weight
• Look angry
• Vomit
• Paint my nails
• Eat potent food (like Chinese or fish)
• Creatively combine any of the above mentioned

This may seem extreme, but so is my discomfort.

I had to have a serious talk with myself yesterday after I came up with this list. How am I supposed to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world, to show His love, and spread joy, if I’m too busy keeping strangers away from me! I mean, gosh, all my best friends were strangers at one point.

So . . . I hear-by promise (as tempting as it is) to not angrily eat Chinese and spill nail polish on the airplane seat. I will smile, make small talk, and act with love.

Some people are able to strike up a conversation with their flight neighbor. I’ve known people who can even evangelize successfully on a plane. That’s not my battle though. Mine is simply to let Christ love on the world through my smile, kindness, and invitation to “go ahead, sit here if you’d like.”

Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jb 7:1-4, 6-7; Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mk 1:29-39

When you hear the word “abortion” you think of a woman. And rightly so. A woman is the one who carries the child, undergoes the procedure, and loses her motherhood. But men are not numb to what is happening. Just as many men are stripped of their fatherhood by this horror. Those who haven’t experienced an abortion, are still passionate about protecting women and children and are saddened by abortion.

I asked a handful of men some questions about abortion and I was deeply moved by their answers. It convinced me that it’s not just women who are hurt by abortion. Men have strong feelings about it and want to stand up for life. They are affected too.

Read for yourself.

• How do you feel about abortion?
• Are men affected by this issue? How?
• What would you say to a woman who’s about to have an abortion?
• Why do you care what a woman does with her body?
• What can men do to stand up and fight against abortion?
• Why do you think men sometimes pressure women to have an abortion?

How do you feel about abortion?

To me abortion is one of the saddest things that happens in our world. It breaks my heart that we live in a society and in a world where we feel like we can take life away. I think I’ve gained a new appreciation for what it means to have life beginning at conception now that I have a child on the way. – Eric Porteous

I was a public school student and I can remember in 5th grade in “sex ed” I was taught that abortion was one of three equally appropriate actions to take when a child was conceived. Since that’s what I was taught, I thought it was right. Praise God for the gift of my faith and the grace to learn what is true. Especially as an adopted child, I value the gift of life. It would have been easy for my birth mother to “terminate her pregnancy” but she chose to give me life. – Scott Williams

Are men affected by this issue? How?

Absolutely, and I speak from personal experience. 11 years ago my girlfriend at the time told me she was pregnant, but because she already had one fatherless child and I was a drunk and an addict she told me she was going to abort the baby. I was not practicing my faith back then but I knew it was wrong. I fought for her to keep the baby but in the end I gave up.

Eventually we split up, I went to rehab and straightened out my life and found myself working in youth ministry, all by God’s grace. I thought my life was pretty good. But there was something missing. Although I had a lot of joy in my life I felt like there was an emptiness in me that I couldn’t fill.

A few years ago I was driving home, listening to our local Catholic radio station and there was a man talking about abortion. I can’t remember his name or much of what he said, but the one thing I can remember was that he spoke about how men suffer from abortion too. At that moment I realized what the emptiness in my own life had been, it was the loss of my child, the child I gave up on years before.

I had to stop the car and pull into a parking lot. I sat there and thought about all the times certain T.V. commercials brought me to tears unexplainably, how I was never able to talk about that incident and I could go on and on about all the other bad choices I had made. I tried to forget the part I played in the abortion of my child and it was tearing me up inside.

A few months later I heard about a Rachel’s Way retreat for women and men suffering from the loss of their children. It was there that I learned more about how and why women and men suffer from abortion and how to deal with it. I was also given a special grace from God. As we watched a video of men and women sharing their stories, I heard a small voice. It was the voice of little boy. I heard it clear as a bell, he said “Joshua, Joshua, my name is Joshua.” I knew it was my son and that God had allowed me to hear him so that I could grieve his death and begin the process of healing.

Today I still regret my lost fatherhood, but I’m able to share that with others. I still cry when I think about Joshua, but I pray for him and ask that he prays for me. The hurt is still there, but the emptiness is gone. – Bert Hernandez

When one hurts, we all hurt. If a woman is hurt, that is our mother, sister, daughter, or friend that is hurt. God has a plan for us all. We can’t pretend that if one life is gone, the world will be the same. – Michael Grothem

As a man, I want to be able to support the woman I love as much as I can. That means that when a woman becomes pregnant, the father needs to be there just as God is there for his bride, the Church. Just as Joseph was there for Mary. Men are affected by this issue because having children means accepting responsibility. Agreeing for a woman to have an abortion is saying no to the responsibility that has been given to the man. – Andrew Jones

Absolutely. We’ve lost a whole generation of children. That affects us whether we’re men or women. It breaks my heart personally because life is something that should be treasured and sacred. We’ve lost millions of people that could be doing amazing things in this world and we’ll never know. Suppose one of those babies could’ve come up with a cure for cancer, suppose they could’ve been a great priest, or the next pope, we’ll never know. And that has an impact on all of us. - Eric Porteous

Men are certainly affected by abortion. Some men don’t outwardly show their emotions, making it hard to spot or it is often quickly dismissed because it’s “not their body” and shouldn’t concern them. While walking across the country, promoting the pro-life movement a man came up after we did a speech at mass with tears rolling down his face telling us a woman he conceived a child with had an abortion without him knowing. He pleaded with us never to let someone go through the same misery he has. He still suffers the loss of his child to this day. – Scott Williams

What would you say to a woman who’s about to have an abortion?

You are beautiful and loved. You matter. God has chosen you to be a mother, to bring a life into this world. You can do this. God has trusted you with this child. He gave you this child for a reason. You can change the world. – Michael Grothem

Clearly, this is a decision that weighs heavily on any person. When people are faced with such dire decisions, meeting these with anger and legalism doesn’t change hearts or minds. Explaining that there are options like adoption, and programs, both Church supported and secular to support mothers who need help can create an environment of love where fear is trying to take hold. Replace fear and doubt with love and support. – Adam Eichelberger

I’d talk to her about the life inside her and the beauty of parenthood, but more than anything else I would try to convince her that she’s not alone. I believe a large percentage of women who get abortions have been convinced by the industry that they can’t do it; that they can’t give their child a good life. I think many just need to be told that they can do it. That there are people who can and will help them be great parents. – Rey Guevara

Why do you care what a woman does with her body?

The claim of pro-choice goes beyond a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body. When the leading atrocity being executed in our country and across the world is played out from our very own hands it’s not a claim of rights or choice for the mother. It’s a claim of liberty for the beating heart in the depths of her womb that is being silenced beyond it’s already limited stature. Our voices must rise in resounding shouts of love in defense of the very breath we take for granted each second. – Cristopher Matthews

Blessed JPII said that every man has the duty to uphold the dignity of every woman. Unfortunately too many men think more about what a woman can give him than what he should be providing for them. Men are built to protect, it part of our nature. – Bert Hernandez

I care because she is a daughter of God and deserves the truth when all she’s been hearing are lies. I care because she is my sister in Christ and I care a great deal about my sisters and want only the best for them, and the best is God’s will. – Bryan Kujawa

Because she is a child of God. As a servant of God, I have the right to stand up for God’s creation. This stands for both the child in the womb and the woman who carries that child. – Andrew Jones

What can men do to stand up and fight against abortion?

Men can do a lot to fight against abortion and stand up for women and unborn children. They can start by living lives of holiness and virtue. They can start by truly seeking to honor women in all of their interactions with them. They can show women that they genuinely care about them. They can realize that their actions have consequences and think about these consequences before doing anything. They can seek the truth and educate themselves so they may be better informed when asked about tough topics. They can live holy and chaste lives. – Bryan Kujawa

First, understand what being a man really is. Realize that the gift of creating life is set aside for the bond of marriage between a wife and husband. When we choose to pursue selfish pleasure rather than the true embodiment of love, we become the problem. So much of the problem that we have made when it comes to women feeling cornered into ending life, if we respected life as men and honored women with true, selfless love, there would be no need for abortion.

Second, stand for life. Be unafraid to lovingly stand for life. Don’t engage those who are facing such a hard choice with anger or frustration. Remind them of the power of love by being an example of love. Show love not only in how you speak, but how you act. Invest time, be kind, realize how vulnerable and conflicted women who face abortion are. – Adam Eichelberger

Why do you think men sometimes pressure women to have an abortion?

Fear and misunderstanding. There is a generation of men who grew up without someone to tach them what a it means to be a man, so men have misunderstandings about the role of the man. Society has portrayed men as either womanizing playboys or incompetent dolts. So naturally, thats what most men have become. When a man find out he is going to be a father they fear the responsibility that comes with a child. They are afraid of their inability to provide for the child or afraid of change of lifestyle that happens when you have a child. – Bert Hernandez

Because it’s so easy. It’s not our body. It’s not our choice. It’s not our life on the line. And yet this is the argument the pro-choice people use as well. It’s not our body, it’s not our choice. We, as men, have to act like the men God wanted us to be. Protectors. Redeemers. Counselors. And yet so many of us panic. We freeze, like Adam froze in the Garden. We blame it on Eve. When ultimately it is our fear that outweighs our responsibility to protect the new life that God has breathed into the wombs of our women. – Steve Gonzales

Men don’t pressure women to have an abortion. If a male pressures a woman to have an abortion, he doesn’t deserve the right to be called a man. A man’s role is to love, protect, provide, and grow chest hair. When males pressure women to have an abortion, it is because unfortunately, they lack what it takes to be a man, to be a father. – Scott Williams

When faced with fear people tend to act courageously or cowardly. That’s not to say there isn’t a time for the fight or flight instinct, but it would seem in the case of a man faced with an unplanned pregnancy he’s reaction is either one of courageous nobility or cowardly fear. Thus, the latter results in seeking to eliminate the inconvenience in order to remove the internal angst. – Cristopher Matthews

I’ve been thinking about life a lot lately. Mostly my own, really. This past weekend I celebrated my birthday.

It was an awesome day. How could it not be great? There was a Boston Cream Pie cake, calls from all my favorite people, and Facebook notifications endlessly popping up on my phone from wall posts.

I can’t help but thank God over and over again for the gift of my life, especially at this time of year with so much talk about abortion. A lot of our generation never made it out of the womb, let alone into their 20’s. Why me?

I’ll never forget one of my professors in college telling my class that for each of us, our chance of being alive is less than the chance of us winning every single lottery in the whole world.

It’s crazy to think about.

I am so unique and I wouldn’t exist if my Dad didn’t marry my Mom, and if my Grandparents didn’t marry each other, and if my Great Grandparents didn’t meet . . . and on and on for thousands of years.

If I’m so unique there must be a reason I’m here, right? God wouldn’t line up all of my genealogy to lead to me just by chance. I can almost feel the weight being laid on my shoulders when I think about that responsibility. It means a lot.

The “reason” I was born probably isn’t so that I can waste hours on Hulu. Or sit around judging people. Or any of the other negative attitudes and actions that take me away from God. Some day I won’t have any more birthday’s. Time runs out for every single one of us. We all want to do something tremendously different and extraordinary with our lives . . . but what is it?

This year, I just want to live with more passion, joy, hope, and selfless love.

Not many people know the exact “reason” God put them here. And I’m not sure either. There’s one thing I’m sure of though: Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (John 13:34) I need to write that on my hand in a permanent marker.

After more than 20 years of being alive, I’m pretty sure the reason I’m here isn’t to be the astronaut I thought I was going to be at age 5. But if I could just live out God’s love day after day, that’s all I really want. Is that “extraordinary” enough?

It is to the “One” who matters.

Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jon 3:1-5, 10; Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

Readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42