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You are currently browsing the archives for the Social Issues category.
Ave Maria Meditations
Almighty Father and Lord of life, You have entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding and protecting human life with the utmost care from the moment of conception to natural death (Gaudium et Spes No. 51). During this holy season of Lent, a time of both penance and great hope, stir in our hearts a greater love for you and for each other. During these 40 days of spiritual renewal, lead us (more…) |
Ave Maria Meditations
The Child is born! The secret was shared first to humble shepherds who had been told the news by the light of glory of the Angels. They were the first to adore HIM: the shepherds coming to see the Good Shepherd in His newborn state. There had been difficulties and hardships before the birth, and at the time of the birth, and more to come after the birth. But The Child had been born and the world would never be the same. Every child is made in the image and likeness of God. For every child conceived, there is a plan. And every child, in some way, changes the world around them. Let us all do everything we can to give them the chance.
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40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to (more…) |
The rejection of the truths expressed in Humanae Vitae has had reverberations that have not ceased since. All this to terrible consequences throughout the Church and the whole world. Let us say a Hail Mary now, at this reading, for the greater embracing of the encyclical and for the recognition of the dignity of all life from natural conception to natural death. Hail Mary, full of grace… To read the encyclical online see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html To read the letter of Padre Pio in support of Humane Vitae see the next page: (more…) |
Ave Maria Meditations
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The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death The Second Station: Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross |
40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of (more…) |
One Minute Meditation
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One Minute Meditation
“America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father’s role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts — a child — as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign.” Blessed Mother Teresa
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One Minute Meditation
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Ave Maria Meditations
Prayer to end abortion, the present day slaughter of Innocents: O Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and earth and all things, You create today millions of human beings who are never permitted to see the light of day because of the sin of abortion. Grant to mankind the wisdom to respect human life at every stage of development. You infuse souls into innocent babies even while still in their mothers’ wombs, their temporary homes. Grant that no one deprives your most innocent ones the privilege of your holy Baptism whereby they may be born again to Your supernatural life by grace. One soul in Your eyes, Almighty God, is of more value than the whole created universe. Accept the precious blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, present on our altars and in our tabernacles, throughout the world in reparation for the sins of abortive murder. Even before Your Divine Son was born of Mary, dear God, when Your holy Mother greeted Elizabeth shortly after the conception of the Divine Child. Elizabeth asked, “How am I worthy that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” Long before the birth of the Divine Child the Holy Spirit inspired Elizabeth to call Mary “Mother” and the unborn Child, her “Lord.” Almighty God, remove the scourge of abortion from the face of the earth. Amen.
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Please join in the prayer effort during these 40 days: September 22nd-October 31st. For more information see www.40daysforlife.com
A Chilean saint, Fr. Alberto Hurtado (d. 1952), often repeated the saying of the famous French priest, Lacordaire, in speaking of the pathway to holiness: “It is proper for the noblest hearts to discover the most urgent need of their epoch and to consecrate themselves to it.” Saints always have their feet on the ground and their minds on God or at least trying to discern the Will of God for the transformation of their societies. In this perspective there is little doubt that many of those who strive for holiness today will consecrate themselves to the most urgent need of our epoch: namely, putting an end to the wholesale slaughter of the innocents by modern day Herods and Pharaohs. It is to this end that this little book is written. This manual is meant to shake people up and call them to the battle to save lives and souls. The day is far gone and the need has grown increasingly urgent. Modern American society and, by extension, the rest of the world that is influenced by American politics and culture, is be systematically dismantled before our very eyes by a spiritual e of evil that is not recognized as such. If the devil were to appear to the children of this age as he truly is, in all his ugliness and horror, he would be roundly rejected. So, of course he doesn’t appear as he truly is. This clever being, it is said, “disguises himself as an angel of light”(2 Cor 11:14)3 and has found countless illusory costumes in which to conduct his evil, all the while maintaining an appearance of political correctness and acceptability in polite society. Real Christians don’t fall for his deceit, though. We have eyes to see the truth because we are followers of the Truth, and it’s time to “consecrate” ourselves to the Truth in a new and bold way. (more…) |
GET A LIFE! “Get a life!” An angry shout from a passing care reached our ears. And again, a little later, came the same cry from another car: “Get a life!” Irony of ironies. For this is exactly what we hope to do: get a life (saved). Now “Get a life!” is certainly not the worst thing that someone hears as they pray in front of a Planned Parenthood or abortion mill. Much worse remarks are flung at us. Yet I am struck by this irony. Can it be that they do not realize that these places deal in death? Some have said we are ‘blocking freedom’. Freedom from what? Is freedom the same as liberty? Can we have liberty without life? Isn’t life the first right of an American? Is there a difference between freedom and license? Does anyone know this? “It’s not your body”, is hollered at us. No, it is not. Nor is it the body of the woman that is being sacrificed on the altar of abortion. It is not her body either. She may well, in most cases, have had a choice prior to this moment. But now there should be no “choice” which is a word perverted to mean abortion. (more…) |
The Curse of Broadmindedness
(from Fulton J. Sheen: Moods and Truths-written in 1932) “The Catholic Church intolerant.” That simple thought, like a yellow-fever sign, is supposed to be the one solid reason which should frighten away any one who might be contemplating knocking at the portals of the Church for entrance, or for a crumb of the Bread of Life. When proof for this statement is asked, it is retorted that the Church is intolerant because of its self-complacency and smug satisfaction as the unique interpreter of the thoughts of Christ. Its narrow-mindedness is supposed to be revealed in its unwillingness to cooperate effectively with other Christian bodies that are working for the union of churches. Within the last ten years, two great world conferences on religion have been held, in which every great religion except the Catholic participated. The Catholic Church was invited to attend and discuss the two important subjects of doctrine and ministry, but she refused the invitation. That is not all. Even in our own country she has refused to lend a helping hand in the federating of those churches which decided it was better to throw dogmatic differences into the background, in order to serve better the religious needs of America. The other churches would give her a royal welcome, but she will not come. She will not cooperate! She will not conform! And she will not conform because she is too narrow-minded and intolerant! Christ would not have acted that way! Such is, practically every one will admit, a fair statement of the attitude the modern world bears to the Church. The charge of intolerance is not new. It was once directed against Our Blessed Lord Himself. (more…) |
Ave Maria Meditations Maria Goretti died a martyr before her twelfth birthday. Young as she was, she made a choice, a choice based on her faith. The Church holds up to the world the life, death and the faith of Maria Goretti.
The story of a young holy life: (more…) |
Ave Maria Meditations
