40 Days For Life - Day 8

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"We pray for a renewal of our zeal to offer generous help to the unborn and their families."

Day 8 Devotional

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40 Days For Life - Day 7

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"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."

-- Ephesians 4:31-32

Day 7 Devotional

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40 Days For Life - Day 6

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"And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."

-- Luke 1:41-44

Day 6 Devotional

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Madonna and Child

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Child number nine (of ten). A photo of my Mom and my brother Paul. When I started university, my friends got so used to my 'daily Paul' reports they used to mime taking a wallet of photos out and pointing to different pictures as I regaled them with Paul's latest acts of genius. So I brought in some pictures.. which they kidnapped and then posted a ransom note in the student lounge...

40 Days For Life - Day 5

"Abortion, the deliberate killing of the unborn, is the shedding of innocent blood. Surely the blood of millions upon millions of innocent children cries out to God."

Modesto,CA

Joe and Mercedes Nunes of Turlock also were there, carrying an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, pregnant with Jesus. "It's the grace that we bring," said Mercedes Nunes. "We're all the same family — those working in there and us out here. Some of us are suffering. We're here for our brothers and sisters who are suffering."

Day 5 Devotional

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40 Days For Life - Day 4

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Syracuse, New York

A record crowd of 120 turned out for the kickoff of the fifth 40 Days for Life campaign in Syracuse.

Coordinators noted that the Planned Parenthood facility in Syracuse was the first freestanding abortion center in the United States.

It opened for business on July 2, 1970 — 40 years ago (abortion was legal in New York prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling).

“We are thrilled to be here and do God’s work and bring His light and love and mercy to this darkest corner of our city,” Jeannie, one of the coordinators, told the crowd.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand."

- Ephesians 6:12-13



Day 4 Devotional

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What the West Can Learn from the Chinese...

The secret of our success, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Studies is ...

“The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this.”

Naturally we are trying to eradicate this advantage as quickly and thoroughly as possible, in our self-immolating effort to be more 'tolerant' of every less successful culture in the world.
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A Note From The Pope

I think this message given by the Holy Father to the clergy in Rome, may be particularly relevant to the detractors of LifeSiteNews, some of whom had the opportunity to hear it in person..

[Pope Benedict] implored priests to show “full-time” fidelity to their vocation as priests, “being with Christ and being ambassadors of Christ.”

The Pope also called on priests today not to shrink from proclaiming “the entire plan of God.”
“This is important,” said the Pope. “The Apostle does not preach Christianity 'a la carte,' according to his own tastes, he does not preach a Gospel according to his own preferred theological ideas; he does not take away from the commitment to announce the entire will of God, even when uncomfortable, nor the themes he may least like personally.

“It is our mission to announce all the will of God, in its totality and ultimate simplicity. But the fact that we must instruct and preach is important - as St. Paul says - and really proposes the entire will of God.”

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

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Not A 'Friend' of the CBC

SDA encourages those who have a good grip on reality and economic efficiency to respond appropriately to the latest 'save the cbc' blather...

"To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. " - Thomas Jefferson

I don't expect PM Stephen Harper to admit to knowing anything about sin, and he doesn't seem that perturbed about tyranny (in Canada)... What exactly is in his 'area of interest'?

40 Days For Life - Day 3

Rockford, Illinois

On Wednesday, the first day of the 40 Days for Life campaign, a young woman pulled into the abortion center’s parking lot. “She and a friend sat in their car for over 20 minutes,” wrote James. “The young mother kept looking over at the pro-lifers praying.”

She would look at the sign with a picture of a baby in the womb — and then cover her eyes.

"As time went on, she kept looking over at the people praying and she would look for a longer period of time,” James said. “Finally she rolled down her window and listened to a counselor speak to her of the love and help available."

On a typical Wednesday, this facility in Rockford performs 15 abortions. “Today, because of the power of prayer,” said James, “that number was cut in half to seven.”

                                                                                                                           clevelandpregnancyhelp.org

Day 3 Devotional
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GOOD VS EVIL

                               Painting on the wall of Moldovita Monastery, Romania

Lifesite News: Charity Answerable to Truth

LifeSiteNews seems to provoke venemous attacks from quarters that should be allied with them. Last week's National Post editorial is an example of such:

“At best, the activity of LifeSite is a form of unthinking activism akin to a shooting gallery. Now and then they hit a target,” [Fr. Rosica] said. “More often, however, they leave a vast trail of collateral damage, character assassination and destruction of reputations of good people, including Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious and community leaders.

LifeSite's editorial response is very charitable in comparison:

The open secret is that much of the talk about “civility” we hear nowadays is too often only a ploy to silence, dismiss, and ultimately condemn those with whom one happens to disagree. We saw this clearly in 2009, when Fr. Rosica chastised many pro-life and Catholic leaders for the position they took on the grandiose Catholic funeral given to Senator Ted Kennedy.

There was, of course, plenty of room for legitimate disagreement on the issue. However, in almost the same breath that Fr. Rosica lamented the loss of “civility, charity, mercy and politeness,” he labeled those who had criticized the public funeral for the late pro-abortion senator as “not agents of life, but of division, destruction, hatred, vitriol, judgment and violence,” and described them “as little children bullying one another around in schoolyards - casting stones, calling names, and wreaking havoc in the Church.”

Vatican Archbishop, now Cardinal, Raymond Burke had an opposite view to that of Fr. Rosica towards those who sincerely saw that there was scandal in the way the Kennedy funeral was conducted. Archbishop Burke went so far as to say, “One sees the hand of the Father of Lies at work in the disregard for the situation of scandal or in the ridicule and even censure of those who experience scandal.”

I feeel sorry for clergy who have difficulty discerning enemy from friend, and will continue to pray for faithfulness and charity in all our clergy and of course, in the entirety of the pro-life movement.

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Saint Joseph Novena

The Saint Joseph Novena, prayed for all husbands, begins today, leading up to the Feast of Saint Joseph on March 19.

St. Joseph is a powerful patron. He is, as John Paul II called him, the Guardian of the Redeemer. He humbly accepted his role as guardian, husband and father in the Holy Family. Therefore, St. Joseph’s intercession has been sought for centuries.

St. Joseph was clearly very close to our Lord and so we come to him with this novena with a sense of humility because of his great humility.

Pray More Novenas has an e-mail 'reminder' service .

Let us pray for all husbands, that they attain the virtues that will help them be faithful and holy guides and guardians of their families.

(h/t John-Paul Deddens)
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40 Days For Life - Day 2

(photo by tiare scott )



Missoula,MO:

...Kuennen said Wednesday that she appreciates how low-key and peaceful the vigil began, because the clinic is occasionally picketed by very vocal abortion opponents carrying pictures of aborted fetuses.

"I understand and appreciate that their values are different," she said. "It makes sense that they need to express that. I'm not always thrilled with the way it gets expressed."

Rotering said the Bible commands Christians to be peaceful.

"That's God's way," she said. "He's in charge."

Prayer will ultimately defeat the practice of abortion across the world, Rotering said.

"You want power? You start praying," she said. "You'll see power."

Kuennen knows the prayers will be uttered for the unborn and for the clinic's clients. She hopes a few are reserved for one more group.

"Hopefully," she said, "all of us, too."

Shane Higoe,Sydney:

The first Sydney 40 Days Lenten campaign last year most significantly captured the hearts of many young adults and it was quite remarkable that at any one time you could turn up at 40 Days corner in Surry Hills and see fresh faced 20 something’s praying and giving witness to the sanctity of life.
You could see the objectionable glares from people were often muted as their eyes caste around the vigilers observing that there were a number of young women not standing for the false pernicious slogan of ‘choice’ but giving heartfelt witness to life for the unborn and a genuine womanhood based on Christ and His Church.

Day 2 Devotional

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Until Abortion Ends - How About You?

I've decided to join Bryan Kemper and Jason Jones in the campaign to perpetually sacrifice 'something' until abortion ends. I've decided to give up ice cream. Totally. We are very big consumers of ice cream in this household, so I'm sure I will have many, many opportunities to offer up prayers for the unborn.

How about you? Can you sacrifice something Until Abortion Ends ?

40 Days For Life Spring 2011 - 247 Cities in 9 Countries

MARCH 9 - APRIL 17

Buoyed by the success of the previous campaigns "40 Days For Life" kicks off on Ash Wednesday. Supporters will witness with their prayerful presence in local campaigns throughout the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Georgia, Armenia and Belize.


40 Days For Life

There have now been seven coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns since 2007.These efforts have mobilized people of faith and conscience in 337 cities across all 50 of the United States plus six Canadian provinces, three Australian states, and communities in Northern Ireland and Denmark.

During these unified efforts, participants witnessed countless blessings from God:

•1,085 individual campaigns have taken place in 337 cities
•More than 400,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
•More than 13,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
•Reports document 3,599 lives that have been spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
•43 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
•Nine abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
•Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets

Day 1 Devotional

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The Suing "Priest"

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

LifeSiteNews

also relevant..

1 Corinthians 13: 4- 8

..Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up;  Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil;

 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth;  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away..

(Douay-Rheims)


Thinking about my husband and our marriage, I realize how often I fail to live up to St. Paul's standards. Especially the 'beareth,hopeth,believeth and endureth' part- at least, not without  expressed doubt !

Something to work on. God has expectations.

UPDATE: Fr. Euteneuer Speaks

Many prolife advocates, especially Catholics, have been troubled by the departure of Father Euteneuer from his ministry at Human Life International.

 Here in LifeSiteNews, Father Euteneuer releases a statement .

Keep praying.

SMUSA Still Struggling With Basic Concepts Like Free Speech

Same old, same old!

 Every year SMUSA disappoints , and apparently the SMU administration are not helping them learn. Outspoken Professor Mark Mercer speaks his mind:

... once we all knew that it was SMUSA and not Saint Mary’s that had interfered with the expression of opinion on campus, I received an email message from Colin* saying that he takes the incident very seriously. He didn’t say whether he was for it or against it or what he intended to do....
...The continuing important story, then, is the administration’s implicit refusal to comment on the matter.”
*(SMU president Colin Dodds)

Previously...

Intolerance At SMU Re-Dux
Cancelled Debate
Free Speech Bullies
Bad Girls?
Atmosphere Stifling!

Of course, if you've been paying attention, you know of the many other examples - not limited to students- on other Canadian campuses like Queens, York, Calgary ,UBC, Ottawa.. the list goes on. We've even garnered some international attention!

Are these students/university free-speech travesties - anomalies, or a symptom of general societal disease? I freely submit it's endemic to Canadian society. The public schools teach it. The governments support it. Canadians seem to be able to live with it.

Hey Folks! What happened to "True North Strong and Free"!! Edited out?

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The Search For Harper's Heart Continues...

CHP 's Mike Schouten exposes the gaping hole in Harper's "change of heart" remedy for abortion :

We have laws that prohibit theft of property, not because thieves don’t need a change of heart, but because it is the task and responsibility of the government to bring justice to those who do wrong.

Canada is not served by polit

icians who shirk those responsibilities. This latest attempt by Stephen Harper and the Conservatives to duck an issue they fear is another clear indication that the abortion issue will never be discussed in the House of Commons under their watch.

The hole is in Harper's chest.

Contrast : Obama vs Boehner - Death vs Life

On the 38th anniversary of the infamous Roe vs Wade decision, President Obama reaffirms his support for abortion, the largest killer of African Americans :

Today marks the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that protects women's health and reproductive freedom, and affirms a fundamental principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters.
I am committed to protecting this constitutional right. I also remain committed to policies, initiatives, and programs that help prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and mothers, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption
And on this anniversary, I hope that we will recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms, and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.

(via The Clarion Ledger )

Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner affirms life :

The cause of life endures today in large part due to the vigilance of all those Americans who, led by Nellie Gray, travel to Washington each year at this time to march and pray for the protection of the unborn. These efforts--aimed at restoring the damage of the Roe decision--must continue. Americans love life as much as we love freedom. These two founding principles are intertwined and form the basis of our national character. Without respect for life, freedom is in jeopardy.

Could there be more of a contrast?

Tomorrow those working together to bring forth life,sustain life,and protect life, will March For Life in Washington, as they have been doing annually since 1974.

If you can't be there to lend your physical support, pray for the end to abortion. Find an hour a week in front of the Blessed Sacrament and deluge Heaven with your petitions. Share your devotion to God's creative power with your family, friends, and neighbours. Support the next '40 Days For Life' in your area. Sponsor a prolife group. Subscribe to Life Media . Help a pregnant teen. Love.

We Will Remember Them

(h/t BlazingCatFur )


Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men. (George Patton)

Hallowe'en Culture

The Culture of Life vs The Culture of Death (in pumpkins)

Discipleship in the Religion of Consumerism

ALAN HIRSCH:



Do I define myself by what I own/consume? My buying power? My status amongst consumers? Am I obedient to consumer trends and PC behaviours promulgated by media/advertisers? Do I believe what the media tells me because I am a disciple...? Th...ey spend trillions $ to indoctrinate me... have they succeeded? Am I leading my kids down the same path...intellectual laziness and a profound lack of interest in objective truth?

(I don't think I do...)