Day 32 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

May we come to know that divine life, in relationship, creates human life.

Scripture:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

--John 1:1-3

Reflection:

"In the beginning" was God. Always, before all times, there was God. This particular God -- the God of the Bible, the God of St. John's Gospel -- is different from all other gods. This God is alive and full of life. This God is not the picture of deadness and death, aloneness and isolation. This God is the picture of life, relationship, and unity. For within this God, within this one God, there are three divine persons who live, who love, and who work -- together. This is the glorious mystery of the Trinity. The Trinity means divine life. The Trinity means three, living Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- who relate to each other. The Trinity means mutual love and service among three Persons.

The Word was always with God the Father. This Word was, is, and will be the Trinity's second person. The Word is also the Son of God or, as revealed in time, Jesus Christ. God the Father and God the Son live, love, and work for each other. As one, they create "all things" together: the Father creates all things, including all human life, through the Son.

So the Father, through the Son, creates all human lives. The little one swimming in his mother's womb, the infant smiling in his father's arms, the child crying in pain in a hospital bed, the energetic teen running another mile, the old man gasping for his last breath -- all were created, at their beginning, by the Father through the Son. No exceptions. Divine life creates human life.

Prayer:

O God, may we always be quick to call you Father. And when we call you father, let your Spirit remind us that we, and all people, from their beginning to their last day, are your children. We praise you, Father, that you sent your Son to reveal to the world that all people are His brothers and sisters, that all people are your children. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Rev. Paul Stallsworth
President, Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)

40 Days For Life

"Quote of The Day" - Bart Stupak

“When I’m drafting right to life language, I don’t call up the nuns.”
- Congressman Bart Stupak, D-Mich

posted at Adrienne's Armoire" (Check out her delicious limerick on 'Nuns')

Here's some Nun "Numbers" at Curt Jester.

The Audacity of the Dark Soul of Deception

Anyone petitioning Saint Joseph today, best pray for this woman. She needs brains, a heart and a conscience ... before her time expires. It is a particular insult to Saint Joseph, to invoke his name in aid of an evil healthcare bill. Saint Joseph was protector of Jesus in the face of Herod (who shared Obama's disdain for the value of a human life),and he is the Patron Saint of Families. Only a person without a shred of actual faith God could do such a disgustingly cynical thing. Pray God , that American Catholics are not as stupid as she thinks they are.



Dear Ms. Pelosi,
Perhaps you aren't lying, and putting your soul recklessly in danger of eternal damnation. Perhaps you didn't realize, or hadn't read, that many mamy more Catholic Sisters have denounced your life threatening legislation, than have endorsed it. Perhaps you have not heard the voices of reality and truth that have been correcting your scandalous errors and obfuscations every step of the way. Perhaps you are not cynically underestimating the intelligence of the average American voter.
I doubt it, but just in case....

The health care bill you are proposing has been condemned by the Catholic church as being against its social teaching. With all authority, the Catholic Church has condemned your bill. No faithful Catholic can support your bill in good conscience, because the Church has condemned the evil inherent in your bill. No amount of soft soap, dropping names of well known unfaithful Catholics, or calling on the saints, will change the fact that your bill is going to force Americans to pay for abortions. (BTW, that's not the only thing against the bill...seventh commandment impels us to NOT SPEND MONEY BEYOND OUR MEANS...)

Stop your insane spiral towards Hell. Go to confession. Get a heart, a brain and a soul. (follow the yellow brick road...)
-------------

ArchBishop Chaput "The Captivity of 'Catholic' Witness"

Orthodox Net :

"As a Greek Orthodox priest, I am compelled – in the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus – to rebuke and renounce this Bill as being demonic..."

Model For Fathers - Saint Joseph

(bronze of Jesus and Joseph at the workbench, in Mary, Queen of the Universe Nat'l Shrine, Orlando)

“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelit y until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord’”. (St. Bernardine of Sienna)
via American Catholic

Day 31 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

Pray for opportunities to share with an abortion-minded woman that the newness of life she is seeking is found only in Christ.

Scripture:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

-- 2 Corinthians 5:17

Reflection:

An unexpected pregnancy is perceived by many young women as the end of their life as they know it. News of an unexpected pregnancy pulls the rug from under her well laid plans. Sadly, these women may choose abortion as a matter of self-preservation, believing that an abortion will help return life to normal and give them opportunity to start anew.

They don't see abortion as killing a child, but rather as saving their own life. Of course, abortion will not bring the newness of life they are seeking, but instead will bring death to their child, lifelong regret, and unexpected -- possibly devastating -- consequences to their own life. But abortion will be the choice made if we don't meet them at the crossroad between life and death with a better way.

Almost without exception, these young women are looking for love, acceptance, and to be valued. In their efforts to have those needs met, they have become promiscuous. Most, if honest, will admit the needs were only met momentarily, if at all, during their brief encounter, and afterward the needs returned unmet.

The truth is, only Christ loves them unconditionally with an everlasting love. Only Christ will accept them as they are, and only Christ sees them for their true value in Him. He has a perfect plan for each woman and her child if only she will allow Christ to transform her life as she surrenders to Him. No, an unexpected pregnancy is not the end of life, but rather can be the beginning of two beautiful lives if God's plan for them is given opportunity to unfold.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you give us a new song, a new purpose, a new direction, a new perspective. You remind us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Give us boldness to share this Good News with those who are at the crossroads and may they choose life for their children and enjoy newness of life in You. Because of Christ we pray, amen.

Carmen Pate
Co-host, "Point of View" Talk Show

40 Days For Life

Last Call - To Stop The Bill...

Now's the time... the only time left to call your member of Congress.

At National Review Online , find a listing of who voted how last time, and how to call them...state by state. Go to it!

Day 30 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

Let us pray that pastors may not be distracted from the priority of caring for human lives.

Scripture:

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

-- Acts 6:1

Reflection:

More folks learning left some yearning.


It is the dawning of a new day. There is much excitement in Jerusalem. Many who dedicated themselves to the faith became disciples (the word disciple means "learner"). The unprecedented church growth was miraculous and undoubtedly brought much satisfaction to the new leadership. The apostles, however, were about to experience growing pains in their master plan of evangelism.

Projects that engage the community, especially those that are evangelistic in nature, are high on the list of priorities for every duty-bound pastor. Church attendance is a constant concern for every pastor and often his or her worth is measured by it. Unfortunately, just as the original twelve pastors in Acts, they can be so focused on getting people in that they inadvertently end up pushing some people out.

Murmuring is a deplorable deterrent to a harmonious fellowship, yet God used it to get the disciples attention. Those that needed daily attention due to their age and social status were being neglected. This neglect of the Hellenist widows during the daily distribution of food was causing undue grief and needed to be corrected by the leadership. By God's grace the problem was dealt with, but the lesson remains.

And during these 40 days, let us pray that today's church not make the same mistake of forgetting the contributions of our seniors, or the needs of the weakest among us, the unborn.

Prayer:

Father, in the Church's desire to engage our communities with the gospel let her not disengage from those who need their care and company the most. Let us gain wisdom from those who have gone before us and cherish their experiences and perspectives. Help us to appreciate every soul in the body of Christ and minister properly to everybody. Amen.

Rev. Clenard Childress
LEARN (Life Education and Resource Network)

40 Days For Life

(photo of Fr. Richard Ho Lung, M.O.P.)

"Count This Woman Out"

Kathryn Jean Lopez - NRO :

This morning, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi held a no-boys-allowed session of Democratic congresswomen on “economic advantages to women in the health care bill.” One of the women not invited, Republican congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, tells National Review Online: “It was probably a pretty short meeting, because those advantages do not exist...

Shamrocks

From Catholic Cuisine we have...

A Shamrock Bouquet!

Armour of God

"The Breast-plate of St. Patrick"

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the
Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession
of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who
shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose
my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of women [any witch] and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning, against drowning,
against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right,
Christ on my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length,
Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the
Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the
Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Sons of Saint Patrick

by GAIL BESSE, NCRegister

St. Patrick’s Day in Boston: noise and beer. Green-haired Irish wannabes pack bars and compete for bragging rights as the last “pub crawl” survivor left standing.

Sons of St. Patrick, a band of Boston College undergraduates, should easily blend into this overindulgent crowd, right?

Not on your Blarney Stone.

“I warned them that around here that name sounds like a drinking club,” said Father Paul McNellis, a BC philosophy instructor who moderates the four-year-old fraternal group.

Sons is not an official BC organization. It’s a grassroots “society of Catholic gentlemen,” according to its mission statement.

Its hundred or so members really aim to imitate the patron saint of Ireland and Boston by leading virtuous lives and evangelizing. They want their actions, “particularly in their interaction with women, to reflect an understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.”

Founded on the pillars of faith, fortitude and fraternity, the Sons of St. Patrick is “dedicated to fostering a community of virtue, character and faith amongst our peers and surrounding society.”

But St. Patrick’s Day surely doesn’t go unobserved, said junior Max Bindernagel of Cleveland. Of course there’s a party: music, food, a bit of Gaelic prayer, Irish step dance and “a Guinness on hand for those of age, but that’s it,” he said.

On Valentine’s Day, the group hosts a dinner for Gratia Plena, a BC women’s prayer group. They’ve run an Oktoberfest, movie nights and other events where “blacking out” isn’t a concern, explained senior Grayson Heenan of Detroit.

He said the group was founded by men hungry for socializing without morning-after regrets. Like many undergraduates, the seven founders struggled with temptations and “pressures to take part in a heavy-drinking culture, the hook-up scene, etc.,” Heenan wrote in a recent BC student newspaper article.

They became “dissatisfied living a life of compromise and contradiction, and they knew a fraternal group could withstand the tide. They were right,” he wrote. “We are not a secret society. We are not an exclusive cult. And most of all, we are not ‘holier than thou.’ Sons is not a group of saints. It’s a group of sinners who want to be saints.”

Members commit to daily prayer, Mass once a week in addition to Sunday, and monthly confession.

They hold a weekly meeting with Evening Prayer and a talk by a guest speaker on a topic relevant to life at BC. Usually 35 to 40 members attend. On Fridays, some venture into Boston to distribute sandwiches to the homeless.

Father McNellis said those students who gravitate to leadership mainly come from solid faith backgrounds. But for all freshmen, there are temptations to jettison their values that first year on campus.

“This group says, ‘Not so fast. You don’t need to forget about what your parents told you,’” he said.

Heenan’s experience in joining was typical. Raised Catholic, he had decided to “appropriate the faith” as his own in high school. But at college he became distracted — “moving almost imperceptibly further and further from the center.”

“When I went on a 48-hour retreat during winter of my freshman year, I acknowledged this interior cooling and resolved that something had to be done,” he said. So he attended his first Sons meeting and found himself “warmly welcomed into a group of between 10 and 15 guys enraptured with the Catholic faith, all encouraging and looking out for one another.”

“With this group, my faith life (and the rest of my life as well) gradually became stronger, richer, more serious and more centered,” Heenan said. more...

Its a challenge. Sending our carefully raised Catholic sons and daughters off to college and feeling that they are going to a 'good' place, is not easy - even when they go to 'Catholic' colleges.

The Cardinal Newman 'list' is helpful in finding those colleges that actually strive to maintain a faithful Catholic ethos , but what if your progeny chooses somewhere else (to play rugby for instance ...)?

Sons of St. Patrick, and Gratia Plena are examples of where our children's hearts are. Many campuses, Catholic and secular, have Newman Societies. Most campuses have access to a Catholic priest through Campus Ministries. Some student unions still allow student pro-life groups.

When we send off our college students, we pray and offer sacrifice for their continued and growing relationship with Christ through their church - our church - the Catholic church.

The rest, ultimately, is up to them.

Day 29 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

We pray for the grace to be strong when others ridicule or oppose us.

Scripture:

Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

--Luke 14:27

Reflection:

To stand up for what is right means we stand against what is wrong, and that means that those who love what is wrong will oppose us, just as they opposed Christ. Taking up the cross means we continue speaking and standing for the right even when that opposition comes.

We experience this, in particular, when we are out on the streets, where people are not expecting the pro-life message and where they did not go to hear it.

We must remember to never take the opposition personally. When people ridicule or yell at us, we might get a guilty feeling or be tempted to think we did something wrong. We did not. The insults are not being hurled at us personally, but rather at the truth of what we are standing for, and at the demands of the moral law.

There are many who are trying to run away from those demands, or who have managed to tuck the abortion problem away into a distant corner of their minds where it can no longer disturb them. By standing publicly for the cause of life, we have short-circuited that denial and frustrated those efforts to ignore the issue. Therefore, some will be angry, perhaps not fully realizing why.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the grace of being pro-life, and of standing strong when others may ridicule or oppose me. During this 40 Day campaign, may your peace fill my soul, especially when I may endure the opposition of others, and may I become more like your crucified and risen Son. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and President, National Pro-life Religious Council

40 Days For Life

Day 28 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

Pray that those standing in peaceful vigil will extend mercy and grace to others as they remember that Christ did not treat us as our sins deserve.

Scripture:

You have heard it was said, 'you shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

-- Matthew 5: 43-44

Reflection:

Perhaps it is obvious by now that not everyone thinks this campaign is a great idea! In fact, those on the front lines standing in peaceful vigil are perhaps being cursed and hated for what God has called you to do. Because we are all fallen creatures, our natural response may not be as Christ-like as we would hope it would be.

So, how do we keep our natural response in check, while allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us to love, bless, do good, and pray for those who hate us or would do us harm?

Consider first the Holiness of God. It seems that sin has clouded our ability to think clearly about God's nature. We simply don't have a clue of how outraged God is by our sin, what an insult sin is to His person, or how sin fires the flames of His wrath. Praise God that He didn't leave us in our depravity destined for His divine wrath!

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, made us alive together with Christ; by grace you have been saved."

Because of God's mercy and grace towards us, we who receive Him receive eternal Hope. Those who curse you, hate you, spitefully mistreat you and persecute you need that same Hope. That is the only way we can ever expect them to behave differently. Ask the Holy Spirit to love them -- through you -- so they are drawn to the Hope that is in you, that is Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, may we reflect your character of grace and kindness to those who hate us and curse us. Guard our hearts and our tongues as we respond in love to words and actions meant to rile us or cause us harm. Let others see the Hope that is Christ in all we say and do. In His precious name we pray, amen.

Carmen Pate
Co-host, "Point of View" Talk Show

40 Days For Life

Stay Tuned : USCCB vs CHA

O.K. Here goes...

USCCB issues statement strongly opposing the proposed Health Care bill.

'Catholic' Health Assoc. issues statement supporting same Health Care bill.

Cardinal George (Head of USCCB) issues 'urgent memo' refuting CHA support for HC bill.


Other 'Catholic' supporters of the HC bill (and opposers of the USCCB, apparently):
(via Catholicvoteaction.org)

* Patrick Whelan MD PhD, Suzanne Morse, Lisa Schare and Steve Krueger of Catholic Democrats are sending out emails this week saying “Now is the time to pass health care.”
* Chris Korzen and James Salt at Catholics United are telling the bishops to “get behind” health care reform
* Morna Murray, Stephen F. Schneck, Lisa Cahill, Nicholas P. Cafardi and many others at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good argues with the bishops that this legislation is actually pro-life and “supports pregnant women”
* Michael Sean Winters at American Magazine is more transparent when he writes: “Is the USCCB Right” (he presumes they aren’t)
* Megan Sweas and Bryan Cones at U.S. Catholic continue running interference for Democrat leadership in their partisan, loaded approach to the issues in their blog

(linked by me)


WOW! So many people calling themselves Catholic, and yet, somehow... it reminds me of this:

(rat terrier/lapdog)

Day 27 - 40 Days For Life

Intention:

We pray for the gift of openness to children.

Scripture:

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

-- Genesis 1:27-28

Reflection:

God's intention is that we multiply and fill the earth.

One of the most pernicious lies that sociologists have foisted off on the public is that the earth is becoming overpopulated. What kind of a sadistic god would create the earth and human creatures on it, only to have them literally reproduce themselves into oblivion? The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our divine Creator, has commanded us to multiply and fill the earth and far from letting the population get out of control, He has, in fact given his human creatures a dominical role over all the lesser creatures. The "birth control" movement, which had its beginnings with Margaret Sanger in the early years of the last century, has led, in many parts of the world, to a birthrate that is drastically below the normal replacement rate.

God's Word assures us that children are a blessing, that they are a reward of faithfully trusting and serving God and that they are the crown of their parents' old age. The spread of the contraception mentality that has so permeated our culture is, undoubtedly, a factor in the ready acceptance of abortion. God's commandment to multiply and fill the earth has never been withdrawn. May He help us to accept the gift of children and give him thanks for every baby who is born into the world.

Prayer:

Father of mercy and grace, we thank you for the gift of our children. Grant that every fiber of our being may rejoice when a new baby, our own or any else's, is born into the world. Help us to welcome them as we would welcome you, for whenever a new baby is conceived, another life to bear your image and another voice to praise and worship you, is beginning. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Rev. Ben Sheldon
President Emeritus, Presbyterians Pro-life and National Pro-life Religious Council

40 Days For Life

Desperate Socialists - Sweden

How can you tell that a country is desperate to maintain 'think' control over the populace?

They outlaw home schooling.

LifeSite News:

The government of Sweden is taking a hard line against homeschoolers, proposing a bill that will only allow home education under “extraordinary circumstances,” reports the Home School Legal Defense Association. The bill is expected to pass in the Swedish parliament, following a review by the Supreme Administrative Court, and will allow for homeschooling families to face criminal charges.

The court has asked only for the government to specify the definition of “extraordinary circumstances.”

Jonas Himmelstrand, president of the Swedish Association for Home Education (ROHUS), said the situation is changing rapidly for the worse for homeschoolers in the country.

“Just two years ago my family and many others received the permission of local municipal school boards to homeschool.”

Himmelstrand continued, “Last year we won our court case at trial, but the appeals court sided with the government against our homeschooling. The school year was over before the school officials could bring another case. This year the authorities are being much more aggressive. Families are being fined and the new law would allow for the imposition of criminal sanctions.”

The news of the socialist government’s hardening attitude toward homeschoolers comes following the state seizure eight months ago of seven year-old Dominic Johansson, whose parents were educating him at home. Since the removal of Dominic by police from a plane the family had boarded with the intention of moving to India, Christer and Annie Johansson have been allowed to see their son for one hour every five weeks...

Meanwhile, in Sweden, the socialist government has done quite a bit to break down the largest impediment to total control - the family. Taking away the parents' God-given right and responsibility over their children is just the latest desperate measure.

Coercive Utopia
Swedish Daycare

Here's an interesting article by the OECD, wondering why gov't welfare programs designed to increase the birth rate, have not succeeded.

Perhaps turning mothers into careerists, who for extra benefits, also give birth to children the state takes care of was not that appealing an idea ? Maybe?

If you're not Swedish, don't feel smug. What has your (Canadian/UK/Euro) government been doing for your family lately!?

Day 26 - 40 Days For Life

Dan Lacey



Intention:

Pray that we fully recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves to care for them.

Scripture:

Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."

-- Genesis 4:8-10

Reflection:

After Cain committed the first murder in human history, God asked him, "Where is your brother?" He replied by saying, "I don't know."

In 1973, the Supreme Court was asked the same question, and gave the same answer. Unable to admit that the unborn children are our brothers and sisters, the Supreme Court said in its Roe v. Wade ruling, "We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins." Boil all that down to three words, and it's, "I don't know."

The question, "Where is your brother?" will be asked at the final judgment. Each person will answer it and be judged by it. May we be judged to have recognized and loved all our brothers and sisters, born and unborn.

By participating in the 40 Days for Life, we have been answering that question each day, going to where our brothers and sisters are killed, and proclaiming that we have a responsibility to them. By all the pro-life work we will continue to do, we likewise answer that question which reaches from one end of human history to the other.

Prayer:

Father, today we hear your voice, and we respond to the question you ask each of us: "Where is your brother?" We recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves today to care for them. Yes, Father, you have entrusted us to the care of one another. We rejoice that you have given us the grace to respond. As we work to renew our culture, we look forward to the great day of the coming of your Son, when every eye will see him, even of those who pierced him, and every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and President, National Pro-life Religious Council

40 Days For Life