A Jacksonville priest recently encouraged Catholics to focus on human life and the responsibility to protect and defend it. 

The Rev. Amar Nagothu, pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Jacksonville, wrote about respecting life, especially during the observation month of October, in his column published in the Oct. 4 parish bulletin. 

He noted that Catholics need to commit to protecting the right to live. 

"The Holy Father expressed that if we fail to protect life, no other rights matter," he said in his column. 

Nagothu recalled that just 11 months ago bishops in the United States announced that even though other serious threats to human life— such as racism, poverty and the death penalty— could not be ignored, they reiterated taking a stand against abortion remained a top priority. The reasoning behind their stance was because abortion "directly attacks life," and it has done so in untold numbers. He also reminded parishioners that Pope Francis once said abortion was a human rights issue. 

Nagothu also noted the story of the vineyard that didn't produce like its owner had hoped is a prime example that we don't always live up to what God expects of us. 

"We don't always harvest the grapes of life in ways that give life— things like respect, honesty, purity, decency or virtue like we should," Nagothu said in the bulletin. "Sadly, we often use our energies in producing grapes of wrath: things like jealousy, envy, indifference, hatred, violence and injustice."

Even though we know what God wants of us, sometimes our selfishness takes over. Luckily for us, Nagothu said, God continues to have faith and hope for humankind and does so by inviting us into his kingdom of heaven. 

"Though we are nothing, he still treats us as being 'little less than a god,' respecting to the end the gifts he has given us," Nagothu said.