The recent announcements by Facebook and Apple that they would include among employee health benefits the option for young women to freeze their eggs for future use at a cost of up to $20,000 has been greeted with numerous objections by bioethicists and pro-life leaders. Unlike normal medical procedures intended to restore health to a person with an illness, this proposal offers "risky technology" to otherwise healthy young women, noted Jennifer Lahl, president of the California-based Center for Bioethics and Culture. "This is still an enterprise that has a very high failure rate," she said, and no one yet knows the long-term health effects of the medications and other chemical agents that are used in the processes of retrieving and freezing eggs. It's amazing to her, Lahl said, how little attention "these very smart people" at the tech companies are paying to "human biology 101," which knows that advancing maternal age always carries risks, and she said she wonders what benefits will be offered to women and children who suffer adverse effects. "It's very hard on women's bodies to retrieve eggs to freeze," and very unnatural, Jeanne F. Monahan, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, told Catholic News Service. The Catholic Church views in vitro fertilization as immoral and contrary to natural law.
In the quiet, dusty corners of our hearts, we often harbor blueprint drafts of how we think our lives should unfold. We carefully map out our timelines, hoping for a smooth path, and it is only natural to feel a bit lost or weary when a sudden storm alters our course or a door we prayed would open remains closed. Yet, our Lord does not stand at a distance during these moments of uncertainty; He is a tender Shepherd who walks beside us, gently whispering, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" ( Jeremiah 29:11). When our own plans crumble, it is not a sign that He has abandoned us, but rather an invitation to fold our hands, release our grip on the pen, and offer our own quiet fiat—letting Him guide us into green pastures we could never have found on our own. Placing our trust in His loving providence allows us to breathe deeply and find rest, even when the road ahead is shrouded in mist. E...