Hope, Nihilism and the Rosary on the Coast

It's been a while since I posted, mainly because I have found it quite impossible to think of anything Church related without it becoming an occasion of sin. Church related, the institution not the people, because politics infects everything and as far as I can see, never in a good way.

The politics of life has been shoved into the spotlight, with the vigils at abortion centres being demonised, and because of a baby and his parents. They both actually concern the same thing, who holds the power. Who is it who decides who lives and who dies, and how, who is worthy of being given chances - hope- and who is denied because they are considered inconvenient, not economically viable or burdensome to the state, which in my book is nihilism.

So in the last week we have seen mothers who did not go through with abortions trying to help other women who may be being coerced into abortion, or believe there is no other option for whatever reason, being denied the opportunity to provide hope. We have seen parents denied the opportunity to give their child hope in the face of the NHS juggernaut and the courts, who are manifestly power tripping. My own experience of the NHS is that if you are taking too long to die, they really will 'help you along', especially if you are dying from an infection contracted there in the first place. Watching someone being sedated and dehydrated to death is almost intolerable. Knowing that you are powerless in the face of it all and you are somehow failing that person is awful. The updates on  Alfie Evans have been equally intolerable to read. Intolerable and absolutely anger inducing. I am almost speechless at the hubris of the NHS. 

Now I know that death by dehydration is a softener - it's so awful, wouldn't it be better to just give them a nice heavy sedation, put them out of all this suffering quickly, nothing then to have to watch, or wait for. Clean and tidy. Except it is neither. I won't go into organ harvesting.

So we are culturally in this dreadful place, two seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints, womb to tomb vs utilitarianism. In our grand 1984 world we are led to believe there is no place for miracles, no place for hope, compassion, dignity. The appearances of Our Lady at Quito and at Fatima show us clearly that we are to expect this. The family really is the battle ground. The Rosary on the Coast, which I look forward to tomorrow, very much denies this hopelessness, because She has won us the victory already. In spite of all society's pressures, its negativity, mockery, and condescension, I choose to hope.