When you have a lot of stuff, you have a lot of stuff to lose. The fear of losing what we have spills over into a fear of sharing what we have. The population warfare we bankroll in many parts of the developing world is an expression of that fear. In a culture which exalts the self, all selves are finally in competition. Community is based on a shared past, a shared memory, shared principles which are larger than the individual self, and a shared commitment to the future.
Competition becomes conflict, and conflict creates violence and more anger.
Abortions and all the other acts of violence against human dignity which Catholics work so hard to prevent begin right here in this trinity of pride, fear and anger. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Sounds easy, but it s not. It s accomplished in the hard, daily struggle with ourselves to wake up from the culture of death which our own selfishness has helped to create. We need to pray for humble hearts, because humility is the beginning of sanity.