There is no neutral ground in the battle between life and death, between Christ and the culture that rejects Him.
(LifeSiteNews) -- Welcome to another episode of “A Shepherd’s Voice.” I am grateful you have joined me again. Today’s episode is titled: “He Who Hath the Son Hath Life: The Gospel Against the Culture of Death.” It is a sobering theme, but one that speaks directly to the crisis we face – not only in the world but also, painfully, within the Church.
Let us begin with the words of St. John the Apostle:
“He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son hath not life” (I John 5:12).
This is not merely a comforting truth; it is a dividing line. There is no neutral ground in the battle between life and death, between Christ and the culture that rejects Him.
St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, called this spiritual conflict what it is: a war between the Gospel of Life and the culture of death. He wrote:
“We are confronted by an even larger reality, which can be described as a veritable structure of sin. This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity, and in many cases takes the form of a veritable ‘culture of death.’”
This is no less true now than it was when he wrote these words in 1995. In fact, the culture of death has only advanced, now cloaked in words like “healthcare,” “rights,” and even – most blasphemously - “charity.”
Pope John Paul II went on to say:
“Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead, there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection.
“Laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life proper to every individual.
“To claim the right to abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others.”
Let us consider a recent and grievous example of how even within the Church a culture of death has crept in. Catholic Charities of Chicago has recently come under fire for contracting with a lobbying firm that also represents some of the most powerful abortion providers in the country. That such a partnership could be formed under the banner of “Catholic” outreach is an indictment of how far the Church’s institutions have drifted from the Gospel of Life. It is not charity to assist the poor while shaking hands with those who kill the innocent. It is betrayal.
St. Paul warns us:
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness: but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).
Let me now draw your attention to something that is staggering: Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report has just been released – and it shows a record number of abortions. Despite all the rhetoric of “safe, legal, and rare” the reality is this: abortion has become the currency of a culture that worships autonomy over life itself. In just one year, more than 374,000 abortions were committed under their name. That’s over 1,000 children killed every day under the banner of so-called reproductive rights.
There are many other signs of how the culture of death has taken hold:
For example, the UN recently pushed for universal access to abortion under the label of “reproductive rights,” pressuring pro-life countries to change their laws.
Walgreens and CVS announced they will begin dispensing abortion pills across multiple U.S. states, including some states with strong Catholic populations.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently removed references to fetal development stages from its guidance – a disturbing move to dehumanize the unborn.
Assisted suicide legislation is advancing in states like New York and Massachusetts, with public figures promoting it as “compassionate care.”
And while these numbers rise, what do we hear from many Catholic leaders and institutions? Silence. Or worse – collaboration.
But hopefully the tide may be beginning to turn in some places. Senator John Kennedy has called for a top-down review of the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill Mifepristone. This drug, which was quietly approved years ago with little long-term scrutiny, is now coming under fire as new research reveals it may do far more harm to women that previously reported. Kennedy has ordered the FDA director, Mary Macri, to conduct a full investigation and report back. This is not just a political maneuver – this is a matter of truth and justice. A Catholic advocacy group has joined the effort, demanding that the FDA be held accountable for what it has permitted in the name of “healthcare.”
This is what the culture of death does: IT LIES. It tells women they are free, even as it poisons their bodies. It tells parents they have choices, even as it kills their children. And too often, it does all this with the cooperation of those who should be the very voice of conscience.
Instead of drawing a clear line in the sand, many Catholic institutions now embrace moral confusion. Whether by partnering with secular entities that promote abortion, or by remaining silent while legislation attacks the dignity of life at every stage, too many have become complicit. They have not held to the standard of Christ.
And yet the Gospel remains unchanged:
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Christ does not merely give life. He is life. And to belong to Him is to witness to that life – without compromise.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, who spent her life ministering to the poorest of the poor, said:
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”
It is a poverty of the deepest kind. And yet our world has embraced that poverty and called it freedom. The so-called “progress” of our age demands sacrifices – not to God, but to self. To convenience. To comfort. It is the demonic spirit of Moloch reborn, veiled in medical scrubs and court decisions.
As St. Teresa of Calcutta said: “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion, because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me?”
We must be clear: a Church that makes peace with the culture of death has made war against Christ. The Lord does not tolerate a divided heart.
“No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).
But there is hope. There is always hope – because Christ has conquered death. His victory is not in question. The only question is whether we will stand with Him or fall with the world.
St. Pius V said, “All the evils of the world are due to lukewarm Catholics.”
And St. Catherine of Siena said, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
This is not the time for soft words. It is the time for a clear trumpet.
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (I Corinthians 14:8).
We must become, as Pope St. John Paul II urged us, “a people of life and for life.” This means more than voting or protesting. It means forming our children, guarding our institutions, and confronting compromise wherever it hides.
As St. Vincent de Paul said, “Charity is not about vague compassion or shallow sentiment. It demands action, sacrifice, and truth.”
And it means loving those trapped in the culture of death enough to speak the truth to them. With gentleness, yes – but with courage.
Let us take hold of that hope. Let us call abortion what it is: murder. Let us call euthanasia what it is: despair disguised as mercy. Let us speak plainly, as those who follow the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
And let us remember the words of the Lord to His apostles – and to us:
“Because I live, you shall live” (John 14:19).
That is the promise. That is the hope. That is the Gospel.
“He who hath the Son hath life.” So let us cling to the Son. Let us proclaim Him boldly. Let us defend every human life, from conception to natural death, as sacred – not because of laws or votes or policy, but because each life is a gift from the hand of the Creator, redeemed by the Blood of the Savior.
This is the Gospel. And it more powerful than any lie of the culture of death.
What else can we do, practically, to fight this darkness?
We can do the following:
Pray and fast for the end of abortion, euthanasia, and all attacks on life.
Support crisis pregnancy centers that provide women with real alternatives to abortion.
Educate others, especially young people, about the dignity of life and the truth about abortion and euthanasia.
Boycott corporations and services that fund or support abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
Hold Catholic institutions accountable – ask your bishop and your local Catholic charities where their money goes.
Vote only for candidates who uphold the sanctity and dignity of life at every stage.
Speak up with charity and clarity, especially when the truth is unpopular.
Offer spiritual adoption – praying daily for an unborn child in danger of abortion.
Foster or adopt children, or support families who do.
Form or join pro-life groups at your parish or in your community.
Provide post-abortion healing resources, like the ministry of Rachel’s Vineyard.
“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
In a world that increasingly chooses death – through abortion, euthanasia, the erosion of the family, and the rejection of God’s law – we must proclaim with boldness and clarity: “He that hath the Son hath life” (I John 5:12). This is not a private consolation – it is a public truth with eternal consequences.
The culture of death thrives where Christ is forgotten. It feeds on the silence of shepherds and the apathy of the faithful. But we are not without hope. The Cross of Christ stands as the great contradiction to the world’s darkness – a sign that love is stronger than death, that truth is not subject to opinion, and that life is sacred because it is God-given.
We are not called to blend in. We are called to be witnesses. We are not called to safety. We are called to sanctity. We are not called to despair. We are called to faith.
Let us then be a people who choose life – not only by opposing the works of death, but by living the fullness of the Gospel. Let our parishes, our homes, and our hearts become places where Christ reigns and the dignity of every human person is honored – from the unborn to the elderly, from the weak to the forgotten.
As St. John Paul II reminded us in Evangelium Vitae: “We are the people of life and for life, and this is how we must act.”
The battle is real. The wounds are deep. But the victory is Christ’s.
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5).
Let that light shine. Let it begin with us.
May Almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
This transcript was originally published on Bishop Strickland's Substack.
