New Ultrasound Law
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, May 14, 2008) Governor Mark Sanford signed the Ultrasound Act into law today meaning that abortionists must immediately begin informing women they have a right to view the image of their unborn child before an abortion can be performed.
This legislation revises the prerequisites for the performance of an abortion by providing that, if an ultrasound is performed, an abortion may not be performed sooner than one hour following the completion of theultrasound. The physician who is to perform the abortion or an allied health professional working in conjunction with the physician must inform the woman before the ultrasound procedure of her right to view the ultrasound image at her request during or after the ultrasound procedure.
South Carolina becomes the 18th state with legislation giving the mother the option to view the ultrasound of her unborn child before an abortion; however only South Carolina and Oklahoma require a one-hour waiting period between the time the ultrasound is performed and the abortion is scheduled.
(In South Carolina an ultrasound is mandatory if the baby's gestational age is estimated to be 14 weeks or older or is unknown, according to state regulations. The ultrasound remains optional before 14 weeks of pregnancy. In all cases the woman must be informed of her right to view the image of her unborn child.)
Friday, May 16, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Pro-Life Angel of Love
Her name is Angela, diminutive mother of three grown children who almost every day attends 8 AM mass with her hands full. Her arms hold a new born child wrapped in a blanket as she attends mass. Sometimes she stands in the rear of the church to soothe the feelings of a restless child and protect the sacred atmosphere of the church. After mass so many of us ask to hold the child, some even offer to bottle feed the baby.
These babies who stay with Angela up to 6 months, or perhaps only a week ,are awaiting adoption disposition. Perhaps a mother will decide to keep the child or it will be placed in a loving Christian home. Her gentle rocking and quiet voice let the babies feel the human touch and love that only a mother can give. While they wait, they know in a special way that they are loved. Angela and baby stand out in a senior citizen dominant parish. So many seniors long to hold a new born baby even if only for a few moments. Even Arturo, our Seminarian had his picture taken with the baby in his arms.
Her first foster child named Adam stayed six months. Her seventh child (in a period of 18 months) is Peyton. What better Pro-life action than to let a newborn child know love? Jesus is Life and Love. We can experience Him in this relationship.
These babies who stay with Angela up to 6 months, or perhaps only a week ,are awaiting adoption disposition. Perhaps a mother will decide to keep the child or it will be placed in a loving Christian home. Her gentle rocking and quiet voice let the babies feel the human touch and love that only a mother can give. While they wait, they know in a special way that they are loved. Angela and baby stand out in a senior citizen dominant parish. So many seniors long to hold a new born baby even if only for a few moments. Even Arturo, our Seminarian had his picture taken with the baby in his arms.
Her first foster child named Adam stayed six months. Her seventh child (in a period of 18 months) is Peyton. What better Pro-life action than to let a newborn child know love? Jesus is Life and Love. We can experience Him in this relationship.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
THE CULTURE AND ABORTION
We need God’s grace for a culture unwilling to hear the truth. Abortion kills a living human being, a person in its early development. The solution will not spring forth from a Culture of Relativism that wants to decide the rightness or wrongness without God’s guidance.
We must find compassion and recognize Truth (Jesus) where we find it and stand by that truth.
Abortion is a sin. (Thou shall not kill)
Sin entices its victim, offering some perceived good i.e. pleasure, happiness, security or convenience. Eventually sin wants the destruction of its victim. It wants you as its slave and then as its meal ticket.
Abortion kills and unborn human person. Man has no right to take an innocent life. It is wrong to deliberately kill an innocent person. (Deliberate and innocent are the key words) An innocent person is one who has done nothing to deserve death. All persons are human. You and I are persons. Human persons begin to grow immediately following conception.
It should be illegal to kill an unborn person. In the US, the Supreme Court has made a special class of unprotected people, the unborn. If it removed legal protections from Italians, or all short or heavy people there would no doubt be a great hue and cry for the rights of these classes of people and rightly so. At one time black slaves were an unprotected class. We are told that the Mother has a right to decide the life of her unborn child, but babies are not the property of their parents. The law tells mothers it is OK to abort (kill) their offspring, but babies are not pets to be sold and euthanized at the discretion of their mother.
We now have greater legal protection for certain animals than we do for unborn human persons. Try shooting a deer out of season or even clubbing a seal for its warm skin. Then wait for the hand of the law on your shoulder!
Unborn human children are the most innocent of all, totally dependent on the Mother, they never have an opportunity to do wrong. They are always a person, not when some decide to make them human. They are always innocent. They can be nurtured in life or victimized. Currently many are victimized children, aborted with no legal recourse available to them.
Since they are always innocent human persons, it is always wrong to kill them by abortion. This should be made clear especially to those alleged Catholics who claim to be pro-choice and still Catholic. The Catholic Church’s teachings are unmistakable on the question of abortion and life. Deliberate taking of life is always wrong.
Thankfully, our society still recognizes the right of young people to live. Are there any out there who would argue that the mother has a right to kill a born child of one or two years? Would we not consider it wrong to kill a two year old because he or she is inconvenient or unwanted? Why should an unborn person (just as human as a born person) be unprotected?
We must re-establish a culture that protects and nurtures all human life. We have an obligation to employ the arts of democratic persuasion to help reinstitute legal protection for all unborn children.
We must find compassion and recognize Truth (Jesus) where we find it and stand by that truth.
Abortion is a sin. (Thou shall not kill)
Sin entices its victim, offering some perceived good i.e. pleasure, happiness, security or convenience. Eventually sin wants the destruction of its victim. It wants you as its slave and then as its meal ticket.
Abortion kills and unborn human person. Man has no right to take an innocent life. It is wrong to deliberately kill an innocent person. (Deliberate and innocent are the key words) An innocent person is one who has done nothing to deserve death. All persons are human. You and I are persons. Human persons begin to grow immediately following conception.
It should be illegal to kill an unborn person. In the US, the Supreme Court has made a special class of unprotected people, the unborn. If it removed legal protections from Italians, or all short or heavy people there would no doubt be a great hue and cry for the rights of these classes of people and rightly so. At one time black slaves were an unprotected class. We are told that the Mother has a right to decide the life of her unborn child, but babies are not the property of their parents. The law tells mothers it is OK to abort (kill) their offspring, but babies are not pets to be sold and euthanized at the discretion of their mother.
We now have greater legal protection for certain animals than we do for unborn human persons. Try shooting a deer out of season or even clubbing a seal for its warm skin. Then wait for the hand of the law on your shoulder!
Unborn human children are the most innocent of all, totally dependent on the Mother, they never have an opportunity to do wrong. They are always a person, not when some decide to make them human. They are always innocent. They can be nurtured in life or victimized. Currently many are victimized children, aborted with no legal recourse available to them.
Since they are always innocent human persons, it is always wrong to kill them by abortion. This should be made clear especially to those alleged Catholics who claim to be pro-choice and still Catholic. The Catholic Church’s teachings are unmistakable on the question of abortion and life. Deliberate taking of life is always wrong.
Thankfully, our society still recognizes the right of young people to live. Are there any out there who would argue that the mother has a right to kill a born child of one or two years? Would we not consider it wrong to kill a two year old because he or she is inconvenient or unwanted? Why should an unborn person (just as human as a born person) be unprotected?
We must re-establish a culture that protects and nurtures all human life. We have an obligation to employ the arts of democratic persuasion to help reinstitute legal protection for all unborn children.
A PRO-LIFE MOSAIC
Ever wonder what part you are playing in today’s pro-life struggle? Cardinal Justin Rigali offers his insight. to pro-lifers about to March for Life in DC. “Tomorrow you will peacefully protest the injustice of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 Supreme Court cases that legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. … … This year you are able to see the fruit of the work, which is the Knights of Columbus Incarnation Dome.
The Incarnation Dome is made up of 2.4 million pieces of colored glass—cut and assembled in Italian workshops, shipped over the Atlantic in 346 boxes, and painstakingly installed over the course of five months by master mosaic artists. [It] was a great undertaking that would not have been possible without the generosity of the Knights of Columbus and many others, and without the skills of the artists [and] craftsmen. … It took time to craft this massive undertaking that will inspire generations of pilgrims yet unborn.
You are all part of God’s great mosaic making his love visible in your families, parishes, schools, communities, workplaces and neighborhoods. You are the painstaking work of his hands–planned from the beginning of time and loved into existence by the Eternal Master Craftsman. He sends you out, to do your part in forming a vibrant mosaic on behalf of life. You must be the “rich color” he created you to be. You must play your role in his overarching design, and be patient with others as they seek to do the same. … The Incarnation Dome is not made of huge, impressive pieces of glass. Its beauty and impact lie in the intricate interplay of so many tiny pieces.” Vigil Mass for Life, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, D.C.
The Incarnation Dome is made up of 2.4 million pieces of colored glass—cut and assembled in Italian workshops, shipped over the Atlantic in 346 boxes, and painstakingly installed over the course of five months by master mosaic artists. [It] was a great undertaking that would not have been possible without the generosity of the Knights of Columbus and many others, and without the skills of the artists [and] craftsmen. … It took time to craft this massive undertaking that will inspire generations of pilgrims yet unborn.
You are all part of God’s great mosaic making his love visible in your families, parishes, schools, communities, workplaces and neighborhoods. You are the painstaking work of his hands–planned from the beginning of time and loved into existence by the Eternal Master Craftsman. He sends you out, to do your part in forming a vibrant mosaic on behalf of life. You must be the “rich color” he created you to be. You must play your role in his overarching design, and be patient with others as they seek to do the same. … The Incarnation Dome is not made of huge, impressive pieces of glass. Its beauty and impact lie in the intricate interplay of so many tiny pieces.” Vigil Mass for Life, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, D.C.
Monday, February 25, 2008
ANOTHER YEAR
Another year, since Roe v. Wade in 1973, with more than 48 TO 49 million unborn children trashed, a slaughter without historical precedent. Generations from now, people will wonder how mankind could kill so many, so often, for so little. Some will wonder, where were the Christians, where was the church? Where were the shepherds? Were we a civilized people?
Recent polls claim that the majority of Americans oppose abortion, but do not want it to be illegal. What's wrong with this statement? How can a nation founded on biblical principles, “oppose” the killing of innocent life, yet refuse to outlaw it? The reason is that we have been conditioned to overlook abortion as a necessary evil, nothing more. If we truly believe in the depth of our souls, we would stop at nothing, to make abortion a crime. Abortion can never be legal in a civilized society.
We Americans have become numb to numbers. They don't mean a thing! According to the CDC, since Roe v. Wade, over 48 million innocent lives have been lost through surgical abortions. 3,600 lives are terminated every day by surgical abortion. Innocent lives were taken! This figure may be low. What about unreported abortions. Add chemical abortions and contraceptives and the figure might double.
What are we doing to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to our nation? Scientific advances reveal the reality of a child in the womb, but the media and culture have dulled our consciences.
Where will it all end? How can we expect God to bless a nation that has permitted deaths of innocent and defenseless babies as a right? What will it take for people to put their faith into practice? Our faith must be evident at the ballot box, at work, where we shop and in everything we personally do! What will we say when God asks us, what we did to stop the killing?
Recent polls claim that the majority of Americans oppose abortion, but do not want it to be illegal. What's wrong with this statement? How can a nation founded on biblical principles, “oppose” the killing of innocent life, yet refuse to outlaw it? The reason is that we have been conditioned to overlook abortion as a necessary evil, nothing more. If we truly believe in the depth of our souls, we would stop at nothing, to make abortion a crime. Abortion can never be legal in a civilized society.
We Americans have become numb to numbers. They don't mean a thing! According to the CDC, since Roe v. Wade, over 48 million innocent lives have been lost through surgical abortions. 3,600 lives are terminated every day by surgical abortion. Innocent lives were taken! This figure may be low. What about unreported abortions. Add chemical abortions and contraceptives and the figure might double.
What are we doing to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to our nation? Scientific advances reveal the reality of a child in the womb, but the media and culture have dulled our consciences.
Where will it all end? How can we expect God to bless a nation that has permitted deaths of innocent and defenseless babies as a right? What will it take for people to put their faith into practice? Our faith must be evident at the ballot box, at work, where we shop and in everything we personally do! What will we say when God asks us, what we did to stop the killing?
Doing it Right
Jacinta who spoke at the Stand up for Life Rally in Columbia made the right choice. Some eleven years ago Jacinta Connor found herself pregnant with addicted parents who insisted she abort her child or get out. She contacted South Carolina Citizens For Life who picked her up from the porch of her house and made certain she was put into loving and supportive hands. Now Jacinta is married to a soldier on his fourth deployment to Iraq with three children. Her oldest child recently won his schools highest award in Engineering. Jacinta did it right, SCCL did it right, as did the home for unwed mothers and other pregnancy support agencies that assisted and all who supported these agencies did it right as well
Changing the Culture
CHANGING THE CULTURE Every day our society struggles with the "Culture of Death”. The evidence is clear that abortion kills a human being. Threats against life are taking on vast proportions and we now confront an objective conspiracy against life involving international organizations such as the UN that promote contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The mass media treats death by euthanasia like progress. We have a society in which incapacitated and terminally ill persons are helped not to live to the fullest, but only to die sooner, often with the consent of the family. So many citizens believe it's okay to kill living human embryos to harvest their stem cells for speculative research and that it's okay to force taxpayers to pay for it. The U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. Since then over 49 million children in the United States have died from abortion. How did this happen? What brought us to this point in history? - The late Great Pope John Paul ll called these trends part of a culture of death. He traced that culture's roots to three attitudes in particular: 1. extreme personal autonomy, 2. seeing some lives as not worthy of living, and 3. avoidance of suffering at all costs. Our society has absorbed many attitudes hostile to life without even realizing it.
Personal autonomy or the “Free to be me” attitude has run wild. Many people think the question of what is morally right depends on their own preferences, that there is no objective moral yardstick such as the Ten Commandments. In the name of tolerance, it is said that people have a right to make up their own personal morality. After all, who has the right to “impose” his values on others? If blind self-assertion can define the meaning of life, the lives of everyone – especially the weakest and most vulnerable – become tools for those who are the loudest.
Lives unworthy of living. So many people today do not understand or accept that the value of a human life is inherent. They feel it depends on whether a person is conscious, capable of exercising his autonomy and of performing actions which benefit society. Some so called ethicists have promoted infanticide for parents who do not want to raise a child with a disability. Ours is a culture which values efficiency and productivity, so the idea of eliminating the “unproductive” and “burdensome” sounds reasonable. This functional ethic may explain why many want to allow scientists to create human embryos solely to destroy them, to use their stem cells in research seeking treatments for diseases.
Avoiding suffering at all costs. Our culture’s desire to avoid suffering –including sacrifice, hardship, and even inconvenience – leads many to view death as a form of release. Many avoid the personal sacrifice involved in loving and caring for a family member who needs special assistance. Our “Unplanned” children are aborted to escape the disruptions and sacrifices entailed in raising a child. And when we can no longer enjoy life the way we once did, death may be seen as away to eliminate psychological suffering.
What is the answer? What do we do to change the culture? We must respect the lives of the weak and defenseless – unborn children, human embryos in laboratories, the disabled, the dying, and victims of violence for a just society to evolve. We must move away from this culture of death and toward following Christ to eternal life by way of the Cross: Loving others to the point that we put aside our personal pride and selfishness and our tendency to view others as obstacles or things to be used. Jesus said that one must learn to love God, and "love your neighbor as yourself." God has given us this model of love and solidarity with those entrusted to our care and those we meet on the way. If we live this model we may inspire others to do the same, and help create a culture in which human life is always loved and defended, every form of violence driven out.
Personal autonomy or the “Free to be me” attitude has run wild. Many people think the question of what is morally right depends on their own preferences, that there is no objective moral yardstick such as the Ten Commandments. In the name of tolerance, it is said that people have a right to make up their own personal morality. After all, who has the right to “impose” his values on others? If blind self-assertion can define the meaning of life, the lives of everyone – especially the weakest and most vulnerable – become tools for those who are the loudest.
Lives unworthy of living. So many people today do not understand or accept that the value of a human life is inherent. They feel it depends on whether a person is conscious, capable of exercising his autonomy and of performing actions which benefit society. Some so called ethicists have promoted infanticide for parents who do not want to raise a child with a disability. Ours is a culture which values efficiency and productivity, so the idea of eliminating the “unproductive” and “burdensome” sounds reasonable. This functional ethic may explain why many want to allow scientists to create human embryos solely to destroy them, to use their stem cells in research seeking treatments for diseases.
Avoiding suffering at all costs. Our culture’s desire to avoid suffering –including sacrifice, hardship, and even inconvenience – leads many to view death as a form of release. Many avoid the personal sacrifice involved in loving and caring for a family member who needs special assistance. Our “Unplanned” children are aborted to escape the disruptions and sacrifices entailed in raising a child. And when we can no longer enjoy life the way we once did, death may be seen as away to eliminate psychological suffering.
What is the answer? What do we do to change the culture? We must respect the lives of the weak and defenseless – unborn children, human embryos in laboratories, the disabled, the dying, and victims of violence for a just society to evolve. We must move away from this culture of death and toward following Christ to eternal life by way of the Cross: Loving others to the point that we put aside our personal pride and selfishness and our tendency to view others as obstacles or things to be used. Jesus said that one must learn to love God, and "love your neighbor as yourself." God has given us this model of love and solidarity with those entrusted to our care and those we meet on the way. If we live this model we may inspire others to do the same, and help create a culture in which human life is always loved and defended, every form of violence driven out.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Over the years I occasional stop to review my pro-life history going back to 1972 in NJ and aside from a few child raising limited pro-life activity years , there was no shortage of pro-life work to be done. Sometimes I would focus on one unborn child versus the millions to better my perspective. Judy Brown of A.L.L. has put into words a wonderful reminder to all of you who have participated in the Life culture.
“I often wonder how frequently we pro-lifers stop and consider the eternal value of what we do for the vulnerable in our midst. It is a noble cause that ignites our hearts as we struggle to defend those who are at risk. Yet this same cause places us squarely at the foot of the Cross as we suffer with Christ through the pain and agony that accompanies the many times each day that our words go unheard, our questions go unanswered and our actions go unnoticed by the world.
The killing continues at a massive rate; souls are mortally wounded in numbers we cannot fathom; but in the midst of these realities—the hardships that burden our hearts and sadden our Father God —there is hope.
We have been called by God for such a time as this because He loves us. He has given us the Spirit of Truth to enlighten our fellow human beings during this tragic time in mankind’s history. Jesus Christ has given us joy in recognizing that in Him all things are possible, even when it might seem like nothing is going our way.
He loves us and we in turn love those whose voices are being drowned out by headlines, tight schedules and blathering politicians. We are the men and women of life who speak for the little ones, the sickly, the disabled and the elderly. We are their voices; we are their emissaries; but most important of all, we are His. Let us never forget that through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God”.
“I often wonder how frequently we pro-lifers stop and consider the eternal value of what we do for the vulnerable in our midst. It is a noble cause that ignites our hearts as we struggle to defend those who are at risk. Yet this same cause places us squarely at the foot of the Cross as we suffer with Christ through the pain and agony that accompanies the many times each day that our words go unheard, our questions go unanswered and our actions go unnoticed by the world.
The killing continues at a massive rate; souls are mortally wounded in numbers we cannot fathom; but in the midst of these realities—the hardships that burden our hearts and sadden our Father God —there is hope.
We have been called by God for such a time as this because He loves us. He has given us the Spirit of Truth to enlighten our fellow human beings during this tragic time in mankind’s history. Jesus Christ has given us joy in recognizing that in Him all things are possible, even when it might seem like nothing is going our way.
He loves us and we in turn love those whose voices are being drowned out by headlines, tight schedules and blathering politicians. We are the men and women of life who speak for the little ones, the sickly, the disabled and the elderly. We are their voices; we are their emissaries; but most important of all, we are His. Let us never forget that through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God”.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Right to Life and Abortion
The Right to Life and Abortion
The American Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception, its beginning. “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life” (Catholic Catechism 2270).
How can we have liberty or pursue happiness without having life. Slavery is a great evil. Murder or abortion is a greater evil for it destroys all rights. The State did not create us, design us, or give us life. Nor did it give us the right to life. Therefore the State cannot take away that right. All persons, not just some, have a “natural right” to life simply because of their nature, because of what they are: human persons. (in all stages from embryo to old age)
(In 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to kill an unborn human being it did it without a right to do so. This nation has struggled with this issue and will do so until this immoral and illegal action can be reversed to return our country to a moral footing regarding human life. )
The American Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception, its beginning. “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life” (Catholic Catechism 2270).
How can we have liberty or pursue happiness without having life. Slavery is a great evil. Murder or abortion is a greater evil for it destroys all rights. The State did not create us, design us, or give us life. Nor did it give us the right to life. Therefore the State cannot take away that right. All persons, not just some, have a “natural right” to life simply because of their nature, because of what they are: human persons. (in all stages from embryo to old age)
(In 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to kill an unborn human being it did it without a right to do so. This nation has struggled with this issue and will do so until this immoral and illegal action can be reversed to return our country to a moral footing regarding human life. )
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Patroness of the Unborn
Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Unborn.
In December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to an Indian named Juan Diego on three occasions. At the last apparition Juan was instructed to gather flowers from the top of the hill. Despite the freezing conditions he found the flowers, brought them to Our Lady who arranged them for him in his poncho. Juan returned to his bishop. When the flowers fell out of his poncho, all present saw an image of Our Lady on the poncho (tilma).
This image is preserved to this day. In the image, Our Lady is pregnant, carrying the Son of God in her womb. The sash she wore reveals her pregnancy. Her head is bowed in homage, to the God she bears and she worships the one true God. Our Lady is carrying God within her womb. He is alive but unborn. Juan referred to her as "Te Coatlaxopeuh," which means "she who crushes the stone serpent."
Human sacrifice was prevalent in those days. Millions of Aztec Indians were converted by the power of this image. With Our Lady of Guadalupe among them they ended the practice of human sacrifice. Horror stories came from this practice of killing in unimaginable ways those destined for sacrifice.
Is the abortion practice in the US any different than the killing of old? Will we have enough faith in our hearts so that Our Lady, Patroness of the Unborn, can be instrumental in ending the human sacrifice of our time?
In the United States of America, right next to the land where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared, more than a million and a half children are killed every year. 49 million babies were executed by abortion after abortion was decriminalized in 1973.
These killings, no longer take place in top of hills in open air for all the people see and hear, but are hidden from all except the few personnel of the abortion providers, in facilities that can be found in many cases in shopping centers. We kill our preborn babies in many horrific ways, by vacuum aspirations or MVA; dilation and suctions curettage or D&C; saline amniocentesis, or salt poisoning abortions; D&E; “brain suction” or “D&X” methods. The little bodies of the victims are then thrown in dumpsters, incinerated, or sent to be used for research which, under the pretext of scientific or medical progress, thus reducing human life to the level of simple “biological material”.
Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the "Patroness of the Unborn." by Pope John Paul II the Great. Today she speaks to us who defend life, the same words she addressed to Juan Diego: "Hear and let it penetrate your hearts, my dear little ones. Let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you; let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Do not fear vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here, your Mother? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?"
In December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to an Indian named Juan Diego on three occasions. At the last apparition Juan was instructed to gather flowers from the top of the hill. Despite the freezing conditions he found the flowers, brought them to Our Lady who arranged them for him in his poncho. Juan returned to his bishop. When the flowers fell out of his poncho, all present saw an image of Our Lady on the poncho (tilma).
This image is preserved to this day. In the image, Our Lady is pregnant, carrying the Son of God in her womb. The sash she wore reveals her pregnancy. Her head is bowed in homage, to the God she bears and she worships the one true God. Our Lady is carrying God within her womb. He is alive but unborn. Juan referred to her as "Te Coatlaxopeuh," which means "she who crushes the stone serpent."
Human sacrifice was prevalent in those days. Millions of Aztec Indians were converted by the power of this image. With Our Lady of Guadalupe among them they ended the practice of human sacrifice. Horror stories came from this practice of killing in unimaginable ways those destined for sacrifice.
Is the abortion practice in the US any different than the killing of old? Will we have enough faith in our hearts so that Our Lady, Patroness of the Unborn, can be instrumental in ending the human sacrifice of our time?
In the United States of America, right next to the land where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared, more than a million and a half children are killed every year. 49 million babies were executed by abortion after abortion was decriminalized in 1973.
These killings, no longer take place in top of hills in open air for all the people see and hear, but are hidden from all except the few personnel of the abortion providers, in facilities that can be found in many cases in shopping centers. We kill our preborn babies in many horrific ways, by vacuum aspirations or MVA; dilation and suctions curettage or D&C; saline amniocentesis, or salt poisoning abortions; D&E; “brain suction” or “D&X” methods. The little bodies of the victims are then thrown in dumpsters, incinerated, or sent to be used for research which, under the pretext of scientific or medical progress, thus reducing human life to the level of simple “biological material”.
Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the "Patroness of the Unborn." by Pope John Paul II the Great. Today she speaks to us who defend life, the same words she addressed to Juan Diego: "Hear and let it penetrate your hearts, my dear little ones. Let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you; let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Do not fear vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here, your Mother? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?"
Saturday, January 06, 2007
PAIN
Pain
I constantly question how we got to this point not only where it is legal to kill an innocent child in the mother’s womb but also where the law doesn’t require that the woman who is condemning her child to death does not have to be informed that the abortion may cause great pain to her unborn child. This recently defeated bill, the UNBORN PAIN act would have told women considering an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy that the unborn child has the ability to feel severe and intense pain. It would have provided women who want an abortion with the opportunity to give the baby anesthesia to at least alleviate the pain the baby will feel during the procedure.
Wendy Wright, President of concerned women of America said Abortion not only kills a baby, it tortures them. “We hope that women will have compassion on their child when they learn their baby will experience extreme pain and choose instead for their baby to feel the loving touch of an embrace," she said. "Regrettably, congressmen – many who denounced the use of torture against suspected terrorists – have voted to not let women know that abortion will torture their innocent unborn babies," Wright added. We are at point in our history where we show more concern over our animal pets than for our brothers and sisters. We often read where some one was fined and even imprisoned for mistreatment of animals all around the country.
On a recent trip to Huntington State Park, Myrtle Beach, SC I noticed a list of regulations posted to protect the animals and birds that live there. It is against the law to shine a light on the face of a turtle at night for it will confuse them causing them grief. Why can’t this concern be available for unborn children? “What kind of an animal is an unborn child? An unprotected animal! (George Orwell in animal Farm wrote “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”) I am afraid that our country is becoming too comfortable de valuing human life. Pray that I am wrong! Bob
I constantly question how we got to this point not only where it is legal to kill an innocent child in the mother’s womb but also where the law doesn’t require that the woman who is condemning her child to death does not have to be informed that the abortion may cause great pain to her unborn child. This recently defeated bill, the UNBORN PAIN act would have told women considering an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy that the unborn child has the ability to feel severe and intense pain. It would have provided women who want an abortion with the opportunity to give the baby anesthesia to at least alleviate the pain the baby will feel during the procedure.
Wendy Wright, President of concerned women of America said Abortion not only kills a baby, it tortures them. “We hope that women will have compassion on their child when they learn their baby will experience extreme pain and choose instead for their baby to feel the loving touch of an embrace," she said. "Regrettably, congressmen – many who denounced the use of torture against suspected terrorists – have voted to not let women know that abortion will torture their innocent unborn babies," Wright added. We are at point in our history where we show more concern over our animal pets than for our brothers and sisters. We often read where some one was fined and even imprisoned for mistreatment of animals all around the country.
On a recent trip to Huntington State Park, Myrtle Beach, SC I noticed a list of regulations posted to protect the animals and birds that live there. It is against the law to shine a light on the face of a turtle at night for it will confuse them causing them grief. Why can’t this concern be available for unborn children? “What kind of an animal is an unborn child? An unprotected animal! (George Orwell in animal Farm wrote “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”) I am afraid that our country is becoming too comfortable de valuing human life. Pray that I am wrong! Bob
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A Dot to Love
Dot to Dust
Man begins as an embryo no larger that a dot or a speck, lives his life and after death, his body turns to dust. Man’s dignity a gift from God exists from that dot moment throughout his life. Though he may not always know or show it, or act with dignity, it still exists for God’s gifts are forever unless we deliberately choose to reject them.
How can we love a dot?
Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you”. There are no conditions, no qualifications, no time frames, no loopholes and no wiggle room to this instruction. God loved us so much He became one of us to show us the way. Jesus did not say love one another after birth, or only when they please us, or until they cease to be useful human beings. His instruction excludes no one at any time from loving others. We must see each other as God’s gift and not mere biological tissue.
Respect is a real form of love. When we respect the life of another, we allow them the dignity to decide the way they will live. Our respect can be personal, legal or societal. We work for laws that will protect individuals from the harm of others. We educate our society to respect the life of every human being regardless of his state in life.
How can I love everybody? There are many mean and nasty people out there. You cannot ask me to love abortionists, murderers, thieves, rapists and terrorists. Loving these people is not easy but no one said it would be. For me the only way I can love others is to seek some sign of Jesus in them or their lives. If Jesus said love this dot, it has to be good enough for me.
Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me." He has loved us all with a human heart. No exceptions. No Compromise! This is the real message of Christmas.
Man begins as an embryo no larger that a dot or a speck, lives his life and after death, his body turns to dust. Man’s dignity a gift from God exists from that dot moment throughout his life. Though he may not always know or show it, or act with dignity, it still exists for God’s gifts are forever unless we deliberately choose to reject them.
How can we love a dot?
Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you”. There are no conditions, no qualifications, no time frames, no loopholes and no wiggle room to this instruction. God loved us so much He became one of us to show us the way. Jesus did not say love one another after birth, or only when they please us, or until they cease to be useful human beings. His instruction excludes no one at any time from loving others. We must see each other as God’s gift and not mere biological tissue.
Respect is a real form of love. When we respect the life of another, we allow them the dignity to decide the way they will live. Our respect can be personal, legal or societal. We work for laws that will protect individuals from the harm of others. We educate our society to respect the life of every human being regardless of his state in life.
How can I love everybody? There are many mean and nasty people out there. You cannot ask me to love abortionists, murderers, thieves, rapists and terrorists. Loving these people is not easy but no one said it would be. For me the only way I can love others is to seek some sign of Jesus in them or their lives. If Jesus said love this dot, it has to be good enough for me.
Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me." He has loved us all with a human heart. No exceptions. No Compromise! This is the real message of Christmas.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Thoughts
Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.
Going to a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
It isn't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
For every action, there is an equal & opposite government program.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel good.
No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind & narrowness of the waist change places.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Junk is something you've kept for years & throw away three weeks before you need it.
There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
By the time you can make the ends meet, they move the ends.
Thou shall not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
If you must choose between two evils, chose the one that you've never tried before.
Going to a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
It isn't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
For every action, there is an equal & opposite government program.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel good.
No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind & narrowness of the waist change places.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Junk is something you've kept for years & throw away three weeks before you need it.
There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
By the time you can make the ends meet, they move the ends.
Thou shall not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
If you must choose between two evils, chose the one that you've never tried before.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Family and Aging
I attended a family reunion near Scranton PA, last month and had a great time meeting cousins I haven't seen in over 30 or 40 years and even met some (2nd) cousins I had never met before.
One of the realizations I had was to understand how we are all aging, slowly, sometimes imperceptibly but we are aging. Aging is not voluntary. The only thing left to decide is how to accept this fact. Humor and acceptance help maintain serenity.
The following comments came by e mail this week and they serve to make this point.
Aging---
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.--- Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.---
I've still got it, but nobody wants to see it.---
I'm getting into swing dancing. Not on purpose. Some parts of my body are just prone to swinging.---
It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.---
These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, "For fast relief."---
Don't think of it as getting hot Flashes. Think of it as your inner child playing with matches.> --- Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get back up!
One of the realizations I had was to understand how we are all aging, slowly, sometimes imperceptibly but we are aging. Aging is not voluntary. The only thing left to decide is how to accept this fact. Humor and acceptance help maintain serenity.
The following comments came by e mail this week and they serve to make this point.
Aging---
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.--- Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.---
I've still got it, but nobody wants to see it.---
I'm getting into swing dancing. Not on purpose. Some parts of my body are just prone to swinging.---
It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.---
These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, "For fast relief."---
Don't think of it as getting hot Flashes. Think of it as your inner child playing with matches.> --- Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get back up!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
ON FAITH
Faith
When you get to the end of all the light you know
and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen:
either you will be given something solid to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly.
The Experience of Faith
"Most of the things we know are known by experience. The taste of chocolate ice cream, a day in the Autumn of the year, the sting of a bee. In fact, love itself is a matter of experience. Some psychiatrists deny the very existence of love. They say it is a delusion. But when one has either loved or been loved, it is all clear. Love exists. But we can know this only by experience.
In the movie, A Patch of Blue, the blind girl asks her grandfather:
“Old paw, what’s green like?” The irritated old man answers:
“Green is green, Stupid. Now stop asking questions.” There follows a pathetic scene in which the young girl paws the grass with her hand and rubs a leaf against her cheek. She is vainly trying to experience the reality of greenness.
The playwright, William Alfred, author of Hogan’s Goat, once said: “People who tell me that there is no God are like a six-year-old saying that there is no such thing as passionate love. They just haven’t experienced God yet.”
Does the condition of desperation release us to the power of God? I keep wondering if, when we finally decide we are nothing, and cannot make it on our own, God decides to give us the grace that will enable us to make something of ourselves. Maybe some of us have to be desperate.
Leonard Cohen once wrote a song called Suzanne. In it he says:
And Jesus was a sailor
when He walked upon the water;
only drowning men could see Him."
John Powell
When you get to the end of all the light you know
and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen:
either you will be given something solid to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly.
The Experience of Faith
"Most of the things we know are known by experience. The taste of chocolate ice cream, a day in the Autumn of the year, the sting of a bee. In fact, love itself is a matter of experience. Some psychiatrists deny the very existence of love. They say it is a delusion. But when one has either loved or been loved, it is all clear. Love exists. But we can know this only by experience.
In the movie, A Patch of Blue, the blind girl asks her grandfather:
“Old paw, what’s green like?” The irritated old man answers:
“Green is green, Stupid. Now stop asking questions.” There follows a pathetic scene in which the young girl paws the grass with her hand and rubs a leaf against her cheek. She is vainly trying to experience the reality of greenness.
The playwright, William Alfred, author of Hogan’s Goat, once said: “People who tell me that there is no God are like a six-year-old saying that there is no such thing as passionate love. They just haven’t experienced God yet.”
Does the condition of desperation release us to the power of God? I keep wondering if, when we finally decide we are nothing, and cannot make it on our own, God decides to give us the grace that will enable us to make something of ourselves. Maybe some of us have to be desperate.
Leonard Cohen once wrote a song called Suzanne. In it he says:
And Jesus was a sailor
when He walked upon the water;
only drowning men could see Him."
John Powell
Friday, July 21, 2006
RANDOM THOUGHTS
On inner peace
"I don't know what the future holds but I do know who holds the future"
Inner peace is easier to recognize in others. Inner peace comes from God
Essence of the Serenity prayer : Help me to know what to change and accept what I cannot change.
Questions for me;
What do I think is important?
How do I see problems?
Who do I think I am?
------------------------------------------
On Life
I learned what living really is when I learned to love.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"I don't know what the future holds but I do know who holds the future"
Inner peace is easier to recognize in others. Inner peace comes from God
Essence of the Serenity prayer : Help me to know what to change and accept what I cannot change.
Questions for me;
What do I think is important?
How do I see problems?
Who do I think I am?
------------------------------------------
On Life
I learned what living really is when I learned to love.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Truth is not relative
Truth.. .is. . .not...relative. The truth that guides us here is that life is sacred. This truth is not a matter of opinion. This truth is not negotiable. It simply is.” So spoke Erin Brady Worsham, a woman totally paralyzed as a result of Lou Gehrig’s disease, at a general session of National Right to Life convention in June. (She used a liberator communication device with wires taped to her forehead speaking through an amplified computer.)
She continued, “This is not to say that the circumstances surrounding our lives are always beautiful. They’re not. When I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1994, I came face-to-face with my own mortality. I realized how much I had taken my life for granted. I was ashamed to see how many hours I had wasted doing nothing, and how little I had used the gifts God had given me.……. I discovered that I had gotten pregnant the day after my diagnosis. I do not believe in coincidence. In the face of death, God was telling us to think about life. “
Erin mentioned that her son, Daniel curry Worsham, just celebrated his eleventh birthday and what a tragedy it would have been, had I followed my doctor’s advice(to abort), The world would have missed out on a very interesting young man!
On “assisted suicide” Erin advised “Before becoming a member of the disability community, I couldn’t imagine anyone choosing to die by assisted suicide. Now, although I still think it’s wrong, I have a better understanding of why a terminally ill person might consider it. It says as much about our health-care system as it does about the person’s state of mind.
The reality of life, for many persons with serious illnesses or disabilities, is grim—even bleak. Often, their only alternative is institutional care. It is a lonely and sometimes a dangerous existence.” Erin pointed out that in a nursing home, if you couldn’t communicate, you were dead. “The nursing-home lobby is very powerful. They pull in most of the state funds, and very little is allocated for home-based care, which often is more cost-effective. Who would not rather be in their own home, when dealing with a long-term or catastrophic illness?
I acquired my communication device at the end of 1996. I could speak in complete sentences again. No more “yes” and “no,” unless I chose. Without communication, a person’s spirit dies long before their body does.
I have been asked if I support embryonic stem cell research, to help find a cure for ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease). I do not—though I do support adult stem cell research. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth that life is sacred, in order to find a cure at any cost. I can appreciate the national goal of destroying these devastating diseases by all possible means. But I also believe that the choices we make on these life issues define us as a God-based people, living not just for today but also for tomorrow.
Truth is not relative. It’s not negotiable. It’s not a matter of opinion. I have no illusions that I will ever change someone’s pro-choice views. I prefer to concentrate my efforts on the people making these life-and-death decisions. We must take off our rose-colored glasses and find realistic, bearable alternatives for individuals considering abortion or assisted suicide.
Truth may not be relative. But maybe we can make it accessible to) all people.”
She continued, “This is not to say that the circumstances surrounding our lives are always beautiful. They’re not. When I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1994, I came face-to-face with my own mortality. I realized how much I had taken my life for granted. I was ashamed to see how many hours I had wasted doing nothing, and how little I had used the gifts God had given me.……. I discovered that I had gotten pregnant the day after my diagnosis. I do not believe in coincidence. In the face of death, God was telling us to think about life. “
Erin mentioned that her son, Daniel curry Worsham, just celebrated his eleventh birthday and what a tragedy it would have been, had I followed my doctor’s advice(to abort), The world would have missed out on a very interesting young man!
On “assisted suicide” Erin advised “Before becoming a member of the disability community, I couldn’t imagine anyone choosing to die by assisted suicide. Now, although I still think it’s wrong, I have a better understanding of why a terminally ill person might consider it. It says as much about our health-care system as it does about the person’s state of mind.
The reality of life, for many persons with serious illnesses or disabilities, is grim—even bleak. Often, their only alternative is institutional care. It is a lonely and sometimes a dangerous existence.” Erin pointed out that in a nursing home, if you couldn’t communicate, you were dead. “The nursing-home lobby is very powerful. They pull in most of the state funds, and very little is allocated for home-based care, which often is more cost-effective. Who would not rather be in their own home, when dealing with a long-term or catastrophic illness?
I acquired my communication device at the end of 1996. I could speak in complete sentences again. No more “yes” and “no,” unless I chose. Without communication, a person’s spirit dies long before their body does.
I have been asked if I support embryonic stem cell research, to help find a cure for ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease). I do not—though I do support adult stem cell research. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth that life is sacred, in order to find a cure at any cost. I can appreciate the national goal of destroying these devastating diseases by all possible means. But I also believe that the choices we make on these life issues define us as a God-based people, living not just for today but also for tomorrow.
Truth is not relative. It’s not negotiable. It’s not a matter of opinion. I have no illusions that I will ever change someone’s pro-choice views. I prefer to concentrate my efforts on the people making these life-and-death decisions. We must take off our rose-colored glasses and find realistic, bearable alternatives for individuals considering abortion or assisted suicide.
Truth may not be relative. But maybe we can make it accessible to) all people.”
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Who am I?
Why am I different from my siblings?
What is life all about?
How do find Happiness in Life?
If you are like me, you may have asked yourself some of these questions. One of the best responses I found are contained in a book by John Powell, SJ a popular lecturer and teacher, a former professor at Loyola University. Here you may find some possible answers for your consideration. Whether or not you believe in God, there are answers in the following:
The Importance of the Family
The family is the first and most important of all the influences that affect our lives.
When we come into this world, we are living questions. We ask: Who am I? Who are these other people? What is life about? The answers are conveyed to us in the hands that hold us and the voices that speak to us.
From the beginning of life, they also have been acted out in front of us and stored in us. We cannot recall many of these messages, but they are nevertheless active in us. In a sense, the hands that held us and the voices that spoke to us as infants still hold and speak to us. We tend to model our lives on these early lessons.
The family is the principal source of the first messages we record deep inside ourselves. Some messages are good and helpful, but others may be unhealthy and painful. Unless we learn to identify and edit them, we become prisoners of our recorded messages from the past.
The second source of family influence is based on a simple fact: All experiences become memories. Even the memories we cannot actively recall continue to influence us. Parents who take time to listen to or appreciate a child are not only offering a positive experience, they are creating a positive, lifelong memory. I am sure that much of what we are is determined by our memories.
Family messages and memories are vital and lasting influences, but there is a third ‘M” that also is transmitted by our families to us—meaning. Some maintain that the quality of our lives is determined by the meaning we find in them. Finding meaning is a constant effort. If we are to grow, we must find new meaning in every new day. We must find meaning in joy and in sorrow, in education and recreation.
To find meaning in something means to find some value in it. If a person values only physical beauty, for example, life for him or her may he over at age thirty-five. We have to find a deeper meaning or we begin to die.
We have to believe that there is a purpose in our lives. God sent each of us into the world with a definite message to deliver and a special act of love to bestow on others.
Psychiatrist Carl Jung believed only religious faith and love could supply this kind of meaning. And while faith and love are really God’s gifts, God channels these graces through the faith and love of others—our families—who touch our lives.
Our parents are our first life models. If they were people of faith and love, the seeds of faith and love were planted in us. We took them on just as we took on other family traits. But if the messages, memories, and meaning in life are really family endowments, why do children of the same family often turn out so differently?
First, I suppose, because they heard different messages.
It is not what we say, but what others hear that matters. And children are notoriously poor at interpreting their parents’ messages. One child can hear love in the command to go to bed; another may conclude: ‘You don’t want me around,” It follows that if the messages are perceived differently, the experiences will be different.
It remains true that the script of our lives is written in our family relationships. Consequently, each of us must stop and reflect on the messages we are sending out.
We must investigate the memories that are shaping our lives and ask what memories we are creating in the lives of those we love. We must also ask whether we are really sharing with others the things that make life meaningful for us. Are faith and love the legacy we are leaving to those we love?
We must ask God to shape the messages our lives give to others, to let us be a positive experience and memory for them, and to deepen our faith and determination to make our lives acts of love.
We must investigate the messages, memories, and meaning that have been passed along to us, so that we may live fully and he a source of blessing to the lives we touch.
Why am I different from my siblings?
What is life all about?
How do find Happiness in Life?
If you are like me, you may have asked yourself some of these questions. One of the best responses I found are contained in a book by John Powell, SJ a popular lecturer and teacher, a former professor at Loyola University. Here you may find some possible answers for your consideration. Whether or not you believe in God, there are answers in the following:
The Importance of the Family
The family is the first and most important of all the influences that affect our lives.
When we come into this world, we are living questions. We ask: Who am I? Who are these other people? What is life about? The answers are conveyed to us in the hands that hold us and the voices that speak to us.
From the beginning of life, they also have been acted out in front of us and stored in us. We cannot recall many of these messages, but they are nevertheless active in us. In a sense, the hands that held us and the voices that spoke to us as infants still hold and speak to us. We tend to model our lives on these early lessons.
The family is the principal source of the first messages we record deep inside ourselves. Some messages are good and helpful, but others may be unhealthy and painful. Unless we learn to identify and edit them, we become prisoners of our recorded messages from the past.
The second source of family influence is based on a simple fact: All experiences become memories. Even the memories we cannot actively recall continue to influence us. Parents who take time to listen to or appreciate a child are not only offering a positive experience, they are creating a positive, lifelong memory. I am sure that much of what we are is determined by our memories.
Family messages and memories are vital and lasting influences, but there is a third ‘M” that also is transmitted by our families to us—meaning. Some maintain that the quality of our lives is determined by the meaning we find in them. Finding meaning is a constant effort. If we are to grow, we must find new meaning in every new day. We must find meaning in joy and in sorrow, in education and recreation.
To find meaning in something means to find some value in it. If a person values only physical beauty, for example, life for him or her may he over at age thirty-five. We have to find a deeper meaning or we begin to die.
We have to believe that there is a purpose in our lives. God sent each of us into the world with a definite message to deliver and a special act of love to bestow on others.
Psychiatrist Carl Jung believed only religious faith and love could supply this kind of meaning. And while faith and love are really God’s gifts, God channels these graces through the faith and love of others—our families—who touch our lives.
Our parents are our first life models. If they were people of faith and love, the seeds of faith and love were planted in us. We took them on just as we took on other family traits. But if the messages, memories, and meaning in life are really family endowments, why do children of the same family often turn out so differently?
First, I suppose, because they heard different messages.
It is not what we say, but what others hear that matters. And children are notoriously poor at interpreting their parents’ messages. One child can hear love in the command to go to bed; another may conclude: ‘You don’t want me around,” It follows that if the messages are perceived differently, the experiences will be different.
It remains true that the script of our lives is written in our family relationships. Consequently, each of us must stop and reflect on the messages we are sending out.
We must investigate the memories that are shaping our lives and ask what memories we are creating in the lives of those we love. We must also ask whether we are really sharing with others the things that make life meaningful for us. Are faith and love the legacy we are leaving to those we love?
We must ask God to shape the messages our lives give to others, to let us be a positive experience and memory for them, and to deepen our faith and determination to make our lives acts of love.
We must investigate the messages, memories, and meaning that have been passed along to us, so that we may live fully and he a source of blessing to the lives we touch.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Pithy
Life is a journey. NOT a guided tour.
Some people bring happiness wherever they go.
Some people bring happiness whenever they go.
Gossip is telling or hearing something you like about someone you do not like.
Let Go or get dragged
Don’t believe everything you think.
When I first heard the saw “ if you can’t say anything good about a person don’t say anything” I was speechless.
Some people bring happiness wherever they go.
Some people bring happiness whenever they go.
Gossip is telling or hearing something you like about someone you do not like.
Let Go or get dragged
Don’t believe everything you think.
When I first heard the saw “ if you can’t say anything good about a person don’t say anything” I was speechless.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
What is real?
What is real?
On Sundays I try to take some time for what I call deep thinking, some might have other terms for it. When my world closes in with the pressures of time and desired tasks, I find it helpful to slow down, (Easy does It) using the slow period, trying to determine what life is about.
Awhile back I read a passage by George Weigel that presented a window through which I can look for some answers. (The Truth of Catholicism p 55)
“A better prism through which to see what is at stake here comes from Evelyn Waugh’s Men at Arms, the first in a trilogy of novels about the Second World War. In one memorable scene the trilogy’s protagonist, Guy Crouchback, a Catholic, is attending his first formal dinner as an officer-in-training of the Royal Corps of Halberdiers. The champagne is flowing freely, and amid the post-dinner skits and games, Guy finds himself in conversation with the regiment’s Anglican chaplain. “Do you agree,” Guy asks, “that the Supernatural Order is not something added to the Natural Order, like music or painting, to make everyday life more tolerable? It is everyday life. The supernatural is real; what we call ‘real’ is a mere shadow, a passing fancy. Don’t you agree, Padre?” “Up to a point,” the obviously uncomfortable chaplain replies.
A theologian might quibble with Guy Crouchback’s description of the “real world” as “mere shadow,” but every influential Catholic thinker in history would have agreed with Guy’s basic proposition: that what we call the “supernatural” is, in truth, the most real of real things, and that the supernatural makes itself known to us through the materials of the “real world.” In the Catholic imagination, what we call the “real world” is not buttoned down and self-enclosed. The “real world” is a world with windows, doors, and skylights. Into it streams the light of what is really the real world, which is the world of the supernatural: the world of God.”
After reading this, I see much clearer through this prism, Things and situations previously confusing or nettlesome to me become clearer and I begin to understand that all I confront, be it good, bad or neither, are preparing me for my eternal future.
C.S. Lewis once wrote “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Nations, Cultures, Arts, civilizations ___ these are mortal and their life to ours is as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit –immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
Wow! I will be keeping my eyes on you for supernatural clues.
On Sundays I try to take some time for what I call deep thinking, some might have other terms for it. When my world closes in with the pressures of time and desired tasks, I find it helpful to slow down, (Easy does It) using the slow period, trying to determine what life is about.
Awhile back I read a passage by George Weigel that presented a window through which I can look for some answers. (The Truth of Catholicism p 55)
“A better prism through which to see what is at stake here comes from Evelyn Waugh’s Men at Arms, the first in a trilogy of novels about the Second World War. In one memorable scene the trilogy’s protagonist, Guy Crouchback, a Catholic, is attending his first formal dinner as an officer-in-training of the Royal Corps of Halberdiers. The champagne is flowing freely, and amid the post-dinner skits and games, Guy finds himself in conversation with the regiment’s Anglican chaplain. “Do you agree,” Guy asks, “that the Supernatural Order is not something added to the Natural Order, like music or painting, to make everyday life more tolerable? It is everyday life. The supernatural is real; what we call ‘real’ is a mere shadow, a passing fancy. Don’t you agree, Padre?” “Up to a point,” the obviously uncomfortable chaplain replies.
A theologian might quibble with Guy Crouchback’s description of the “real world” as “mere shadow,” but every influential Catholic thinker in history would have agreed with Guy’s basic proposition: that what we call the “supernatural” is, in truth, the most real of real things, and that the supernatural makes itself known to us through the materials of the “real world.” In the Catholic imagination, what we call the “real world” is not buttoned down and self-enclosed. The “real world” is a world with windows, doors, and skylights. Into it streams the light of what is really the real world, which is the world of the supernatural: the world of God.”
After reading this, I see much clearer through this prism, Things and situations previously confusing or nettlesome to me become clearer and I begin to understand that all I confront, be it good, bad or neither, are preparing me for my eternal future.
C.S. Lewis once wrote “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Nations, Cultures, Arts, civilizations ___ these are mortal and their life to ours is as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit –immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
Wow! I will be keeping my eyes on you for supernatural clues.
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