I’ve never paid attention to it before, but now I will: September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. 

A little less than three months ago, I underwent surgery and had my prostate removed. A simple blood test saved my life. Today, I’m happily back to preaching and serving at my parish, and will be traveling later this month to resume my speaking schedule — leading retreats, offering parish missions, spreading the gospel however and wherever I can.

For the moment, that includes preaching the gospel of cancer awareness, treatment and prevention.

I wrote extensively about my own journey back in June. You can read it all here. 

Not a day goes by that I don’t offer prayers for the doctors and nurses who cared for me, the parishioners and family members (and even strangers) who prayed for me, and my wife who wore out her rosary beads and ran through a box of rubber gloves taking care of me in the first days after I came home.

I also pray for those cancer patients who have no one to care for them — and those who do not yet know their diagnosis.

Want to know more? Al Roker, another prostate cancer survivor, talked about this extensively when he was diagnosed, and invited his doctor onto the TODAY show to discuss his treatment.

My message simple: you don’t have to die from this. Prostate cancer is more treatable now than ever. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with this cancer at some point, but when caught early, the five-year survival rate is over 98%.

Whether we realize it or not, this is a pro-life issue. Gentlemen: if you’ve been putting it off, talk to your doctor about the blood test. Ladies: remind your husband, father, uncle or son to get checked out. You just might save a life.

Just before my surgery, I preached a homily about the great work God wants us to do. I told the congregation my diagnosis and explained it wasn’t just about me:

This is about you. About all of us. 

This is a message for every husband, every father, every brother, every son who is here – and all the women who love them.

I’ll say it simply: Men, check your numbers. Be vigilant about your health.

I know this is something we don’t like to talk about. But hear me out. In my case, I was in good health. I had no symptoms. But a simple blood test caught this early. Now, with God’s grace, and some great medical care, it will be treated and I can get on with my life.

And that’s what this is about.

This is about life. The gift of life! 

As a church, as people of faith, we are very good at talking about issues like abortion and euthanasia and the death penalty –pro-life issues that we pray about, march for, fight against.

Well, this is a pro-life issue.

This is about caring for the gift of life, treasuring what Pope Leo has called in his beautiful encyclical “Magnificent Humanity.”

It is magnificent, all of it. If we are pro-active about our lives, and care for the lives we have been given, we can’t help but be pro-life.

This is what God has entrusted to us:

To work with him and for him to live the lives he dreamed for us.

To become more than we thought possible.

This September, I have much to be grateful for — and much to preach about when it comes to prostate cancer.

This month, be aware. Be pro-active.

And you will be pro-life.

I’ve leave with the photo below, taken less than a week after my surgery, heading home from my follow-up visit to the doctor. God is good.