40 Days for Life ~ THE CALL

Breaking my lenten quiet with something very special and appropriate for these 40 days. My dearest friend's daughter has provided the utterly flawless voice (she is 15) and her dh and friend the music and overall production. Please feel free to share this inspiration for LIFE, around! The gorgeous song comes from the movie Prince Caspian, "The Call".

250th Anniversary of William Wilberforce's Birthday

William Wilberforce

Today is the 250th anniversary of William Wilberforce's birthday. William was a was a British Politian a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. His Christian beliefs and ideals underpinned his life and work for good.

I came to know of this heroic man in history through the movie, Amazing Grace. If you have not seen this move yet, bookmark it for an evening viewing in the home, you won't be disappointed! I think what struck me most was the very close parallels between the Abolition movement he led and the Pro-life movement of today.

Both movements believe in the innate dignity and rights of a group of people who in a certain time of history, who have lost both. The struggle to defeat the evil is also similar. Wilberforce believed in allowing people to see images of the suffering slaves and their horrendous, hellish conditions...

Medallion created as part of the anti-slavery campaign by Josiah Wedgwood, 1795

..but sadly the laws were not changed due to any enormous outpouring of sympathy for their plight. It took a law to be made that seemingly at face value, had nothing to do with the slave trade itself, to stop it ~ it took stealth and cunning on behalf of Wilberforce and his parlimentary comrades...it was only afterwards, when people were no longer making money out of the lives of others, that people were prepared to face the horror of it and give it their full condemnation.

Isn't the Pro-life movement like that? To show images of the sad reality of an abortion means you risk being attacked verbally and sometimes physically, it was as if you were the perperator of such evil.. To point out to people how it secretly (and often not so secretly) destroys the lives of the women, is to invite open and virilent scorn. People are not prepared to look at what needs to be done to change their own behaviours, or to look at what they could be doing to support others in need and so abortion continues to thrive...and abortionists continue to make BIG money out of it all.

And so on this 250th anniversary the great grandson of William Wilberforce, Fr Gerard Wilberforce, a Catholic priest in Exeter has written this letter below stating that if his greatgrandfather were alive today he would fight against abortion. HT: Lifesite News

"I am writing as the great great grandson of William Wilberforce, who campaigned vigorously for the ending of the transatlantic slave trade in 1807, which ultimately paved the way for the abolition of slavery itself throughout the entire British Empire in 1833.

I am often asked what would be the campaigns Wilberforce would be fighting if he were alive in 21st century Britain. I believe that there would be a number of different issues among them human trafficking and the scourge of drugs. But almost certainly at the top of the list, would be the issue of abortion.

As the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill comes before Parliament over the next few weeks, the opportunity presents itself to amend the abortion Act. With the number of abortions having reached 200,000 per year in the UK alone, the time is right to tighten up the law that was designed to protect women by ending illegal abortion, but never to allow such a high degree of deprived life.

There are great similarities between the status of the foetus and the status of African slaves two centuries ago. Slaves were considered a commodity to do with whatever the vested interests of the day decided. Today, in our desire to play God in our embryology experimentation, with all its' unfulfilled promises of miracle cures, and our decision to abort unwanted children, we are no better that those slave traders who put their interests and world view higher than they placed the sanctity and value of human life.

Most people at the time didn't believe the evil of slavery could ever be defeated, as so much of the economy at the time was dependent on the trade. It's easy for us to think that is the case today with abortion, but I believe William Wilberforce would not take such a view.

Whilst our hearts go out to those who have chosen abortion, there should now be much greater emphasis on the alternatives that exist. Many of us would like to see far more support to those who have made such a significant and difficult decision but whilst we recognise the trauma many women have gone through, we also have a duty to 'Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves' (Proverbs 31).

The Psalmist says 'My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.'

With abortions in the UK reaching 600 a day, it seems to me that the 'secret place', is one of the most dangerous places to be in modern day Britain.

As with my great ancestor, the battle took many years, even decades. But now, with the passage of time we look back in horror at how we devalued human life. I truly believe we will look back in years to come, repent and ask forgiveness for what we let happen to the unborn child.

There is something deeply depressing about a society in which abortion is so easy, yet alternatives such as adoption are made to appear so difficult."

I think William would be comforted to know that he has decendants that recognise the evil in it's day and is prepared to state it for what it is and do something about it.

Archbishop Chaput's response to Notre Dame

Over at the website of the Archdiocese of Denver, Archbishop Chuput has released a letter in response to the scandal at Notre Dame, which I've printed here in full:

May 18, 2009

Archbishop Chaput on Notre Dame and the issues that remain

"I have found that even among those who did not go to Notre Dame, even among those who do not share the Catholic faith, there is a special expectation, a special hope, for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world."

~ Reverend John Jenkins, C.S.C., May 17, 2009

Most graduation speeches are a mix of piety and optimism designed to ease students smoothly into real life. The best have humor. Some genuinely inspire. But only a rare few manage to be pious, optimistic, evasive, sad and damaging all at the same time. Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president, is a man of substantial intellect and ability. This makes his introductory comments to President Obama’s Notre Dame commencement speech on May 17 all the more embarrassing.

Let’s remember that the debate over President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was never about whether he is a good or bad man. The president is clearly a sincere and able man. By his own words, religion has had a major influence in his life. We owe him the respect Scripture calls us to show all public officials. We have a duty to pray for his wisdom and for the success of his service to the common good -- insofar as it is guided by right moral reasoning.

We also have the duty to oppose him when he’s wrong on foundational issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and similar matters. And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral witness. Notre Dame did not merely invite the president to speak at its commencement. It also conferred an unnecessary and unearned honorary law degree on a man committed to upholding one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our nation’s history: Roe v. Wade.

In doing so, Notre Dame ignored the U.S. bishops’ guidance in their 2004 statement, Catholics in Political Life. It ignored the concerns of Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Notre Dame’s 2009 Laetare Medal honoree – who, unlike the president, certainly did deserve her award, but finally declined it in frustration with the university’s action. It ignored appeals from the university’s local bishop, the president of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference, more than 70 other bishops, many thousands of Notre Dame alumni and hundreds of thousands of other American Catholics. Even here in Colorado, I’ve heard from too many to count.

There was no excuse – none, except intellectual vanity – for the university to persist in its course. And Father Jenkins compounded a bad original decision with evasive and disingenuous explanations to subsequently justify it.

These are hard words, but they’re deserved precisely because of Father Jenkins’ own remarks on May 17: Until now, American Catholics have indeed had "a special expectation, a special hope for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world." For many faithful Catholics – and not just a "small but vocal group" described with such inexcusable disdain and ignorance in journals like Time magazine -- that changed Sunday.

The May 17 events do have some fitting irony, though. Almost exactly 25 years ago, Notre Dame provided the forum for Gov. Mario Cuomo to outline the "Catholic" case for "pro-choice" public service. At the time, Cuomo’s speech was hailed in the media as a masterpiece of American Catholic legal and moral reasoning. In retrospect, it’s clearly adroit. It’s also, just as clearly, an illogical and intellectually shabby exercise in the manufacture of excuses. Father Jenkins’ explanations, and President Obama’s honorary degree, are a fitting national bookend to a quarter century of softening Catholic witness in Catholic higher education. Together, they’ve given the next generation of Catholic leadership all the excuses they need to baptize their personal conveniences and ignore what it really demands to be "Catholic" in the public square.

Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has suggested that Notre Dame "didn’t understand" what it means to be Catholic before these events began. He's correct, and Notre Dame is hardly alone in its institutional confusion. That's the heart of the matter. Notre Dame’s leadership has done a real disservice to the Church, and now seeks to ride out the criticism by treating it as an expression of fringe anger. But the damage remains, and Notre Dame’s critics are right. The most vital thing faithful Catholics can do now is to insist – by their words, actions and financial support – that institutions claiming to be "Catholic" actually live the faith with courage and consistency. If that happens, Notre Dame’s failure may yet do some unintended good.

A sad day has just past..

A sad day has past in the States recently due to the honorary degree given by Notre Dame, a Catholic university, to the most rabidly pro-abortion president of the United States the world has ever seen. Obama's speech was cleverly written and executed but based on lies and false reasoning.

I suppose I feel very emotional about this terrible travesty and so I leave it to Father Z from What Does the Prayer Really Say? to express something of what I feel.

The Icon and the Battle Axe

Here is the image taken when Sen. Hilary Clinton visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe..she wore red and immediately the words, "The Woman and the scarlet woman" came to mind...

A few weeks ago I posted my thoughts, titled Two Women about Sen. Hilary Clinton visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe...on the very same day she received the highest award Planned Parenthood had to offer - The Margaret Sanger Award.

I feel sad. For Hilary Clinton, that is. I feel sad also for those those she sways by her clever PR exercise. How many Catholics who are not really informed about this lady's political history and what she was about to receive later that day, saw this as a positive visit?

Today I read an insightful response to that day, called The Icon and the Battle-Axe, written by Joseph P Duggan, please stop by and read if you have time, it is not long article. I'll quote a powerful statement from his writings:

"Imagine an American Secretary of State one morning praying at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall and the next evening accepting a eugenics award named for Dr. Josef Mengele. That is an apt analogy to the repugnant juxtaposition of gestures by Hillary Clinton during and following her brief visit to Mexico.."

What an accurate analogy, why can't the world see this obvious incongruity here?

Moments of mirth staring at the face of unreason

Catholic World Report has quoted our Cardinal down under in Australia:

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney has defended comments made by Pope Benedict on March 17 on AIDS and condom use.

"To blame Catholic teaching for the spread of HIV/AIDS requires proof that those following the first essential Christian requirement of living chastely within and before marriage are still dying of AIDS," writes Cardinal Pell. "Pigs will fly before that argument does."

Cardinal Pell continues: 

"Others suggest another variant of the anti-Catholic line, namely that Christians who refuse to obey Catholic teaching against adultery, fornication and homosexual intercourse will still follow Catholic teaching against the use of condoms. Truth can be stranger than fiction, but such an individual would be rare indeed."

Australia's Sun Herald has the complete interview with Cardinal Pell.

Cardinal Pell

Haven't those who abhor the Catholic Church and truth, had a field day?

So sad really, considering what they protest so loudly over is the one thing that has had a marked effect in the battle against AIDs as a Harvard Study has shown.

I think this quote from US researcher, Joseph D’Agostino points to a stark and sad reality:

“The UN's approach has failed, and its own statistics show it,” D'Agostino wrote. “HIV rates keep rising, to over 30% in some countries. Two decades of pornographic sex education and massive shipments of condoms have sent millions of young Africans to an early grave.”

Of course I reckon the American Papist and one of his readers has given me at least one reason to smile through all of this media circus.

"...so then I made a comment about condoms not being the solution, and the MSM was all like, "Whoa! The pope's Catholic! Oooooo!" - AmP Reader Jen

I'm completely floored...

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn.

...By a supposed Rev. no less.

Rev. Katherine Handcock Ragsdale.

Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale who gave this 'sermon' in 2007. (It would seem Katherine has pulled the sermon from her blog.)...here is Catholic Culture's commentary. Damian Thompson from the Telegraph UK has also quoted Katherine's full text, for a gruesome read.

Abortion a blessing??? Abortion clinic workers, saints and heroes and engaged in holy work?? What a diabolical speech.

Here is a small snippet:

"And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion – there is not a tragedy in sight -- only blessing. The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education, life’s work, or ability to put to use God’s gifts and call is simply blessing."

~Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragdale

Some things can only be cast out by prayer and fasting and abortion is the absolute horror of our time.

Lent is a good time to remind ourselves that prayer, fasting and action are continually needed, the fight for the innocent can never be put aside.

Editing: Lifesite has mentioned this Rev and her sermon in light of her being appointed to head a prestigious seminary in the last few days.

Information HT: Father Z

Two Women..

HT: American Papist

The Woman. And the Scarlet Woman.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, carrying the Divine Child within the womb. Heavenly Mother to all people, born and unborn. Loving mother to the helpless and defenceless unborn. Merciful mother to the sorrowful, post-abortive woman.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, 100% NARAL pro-choice voting record. Only hours after visiting the shrine, Hillary became the recipient of the highest award Planned Parenthood has to bestow, the Margaret Sanger Award. Click here to read.

"I am and always have been pro-choice, and that is not a right any of should take for granted. There are a number of forces at work in our society that would try to turn back the clock and undermine a woman’s right to chose, and [we] must remain vigilant."

New York Times, Jan 22, 2000

When you read this, please offer an Ave for Hillary Clinton's heart to change and recognise the rights of the unborn.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

St Thomas Aquinas and an abortionist

HT: Causa Nostrae Laetitiae

Certainly a powerful story and testimony...

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..

In my musings over the US elections, the pro-life movement and more, I’ve mentioned on two occasions now, the movie Amazing Grace. (Natural Bridge and Praying for the elections in a beautiful place) I’ve sort of got MYSELF going on it now, I would really like to sit down again and watch it!!

Have you seen it before? If not, I do recommend it. I think there are very strong parallels between the two movements - the way they were perceived in their time and the people who fought for their convictions.

Well anyway, here is something to whet your appetite...

Natural Bridge

Here we are at the Natural Bridge in the Gold Coast hinterland. This is simply gorgeous part of the world. The beaches at the Gold Coast are one of the world's best and then half an hour's drive away you enter this lush world of rainforests and spectacular views and scenery.

I mentioned previously that I thought it fortunate that we had alot of overcast and even on-and- off rainy periods. This was a holiday where we all needed to relax and renew badly and I just didn't think day after day of hot weather, traking wet sand into units were going to do it.

So on all the cloudy days we went into the hinterland for bushwalking and we had a simply lovely time. We were still praying for the US elections as we travelled and since it is easy to pray as a family in the car, we were happy to do some slow motoring around the range.

We didn't receive the news of the elections until Wed afternoon because of the time difference. The last full day of our holidays was Thurs and that was the one, hot day we had, where we swam at the beach all day. So when I think of the hinterland I think of many prayers and anticipation...and sadly, disappointment.

I'm Australian as most people would know but I've always been very interested in American politics. I suppose I was aware how much we are influenced by the States and how a good or bad political outcome, does in turn, effect us - it effects the whole world.

I can even say I remember where I was and/or how I reacted to the previous two US elections where the presidency changed hands.

When Clinton was elected in the early 90's, I cried and cried. I bawled. I thought, "what will come of the world?". I knew he was not pro-life and sadly his notorious vetos on partial birth ban proved that, among many other things.

When George W Bush was elected, we were at friend's place, way out in the country, fairly isolated. We all looked at the TV and we were excited and had feelings of anticipation... Here was a pro-life president elected on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Then each year when I watched the March for Life rally in January, I'd listen to all the new and good pro-life legislature he had been responsible for - I'd listen to his recorded speech to the pro-life people...

Now this time, I'll always remember this beautiful Australian landmark with the 2008 US election results. Strangly enough I didn't cry or react with emotional passion as I had in the early 90's. Maybe because I don't remember actually praying for the elections back then, I may have said a few prayers but I can't remember.

For us personally, I think the intensity of prayer by us all, took away the intensity of emotion on the other side. Though maybe if I were actually a US citizen, it might have been different.. Not that I wasn't deeply disappointed, for in fact I was experiencing an even greater disappointment than the early 90's election. Because I knew that while all elections mattered, nothing to date counted quite like this one.

Maybe the emotions were tempered with the fact I knew we had done our best (well, we can ALWAYS do better, particularly me, but we had tried to respond to the promptings of grace as much as we could.)

Or maybe we were in the wash of peace and serenity FROM all those prayers to Our Lady, you see, we didn't watch the coverage on the screen (Australian channels started the coverage from late in the morning) as would do with the Australian elections. I knew I couldn't handle that, I just had to pray with faith and not hear the bias from the media.. So we were separated from the worldly take on it all, just left to our prayers only and beautiful, natural surroundings.

Or maybe I'm just numb? Though I don't think so, I AM feeling and thinking and pondering about it all...

For whatever reason, it is not time. It is sad I know. I'm sad because it looks like the 40th anniversary of Roe vs Wade in the future will come and go with this still standing.

I remember watching the March for Life two years ago and a priest was being interviewed, he said something interesting. He said that if the 40th anniversary were to pass in the future without it being overturned, he believed there would be serious times ahead.

40 years. It's a biblical figure. Trial and testing. 40 years of anti-life legislature. The sanctioning of taking life for no reason at all, enshrined in law.

It all seems surreal in a way. Why does the world allow this to happen everywhere throughout the world? Even 50 years ago this sort of thing was unthinkable in most people's mind. Why are pro-life people viewed as fanatics?

Once again though, I think of the movie Amazing Grace and see how the abolitionists were viewed..pretty much the same...fanatics. Yet we ALL cheer them on! Everyone does! No one sits there thinking, "I hope that pompous, selfish lot of politicians on the other side wins the day." Didn't we all cheer when the tickets to Exeter were waved over the top of the lounge chair?"

BUT, see HOW they won...they had to trick the senate into passing a law that would indirectly close down the trade of human lives, they had to cut off the 'money source', no wonder they say that money is the root of all evil.

This has been like a 'dear diary' tonight, I'm just in a very reflective mood and truly wonder what the future holds for us all.

I do wonder but I have peace also, for I believe in the power of prayer. I remind myself 'that the gates of hell will not prevail.' My Faith will always stand strong as a beacon to the world. I pray that my own faith will also stand strong, for my family, for their future. Bubby is now calling for me.

"The Dream is Not Yet Fulfilled"

Niece of Martin Luther King Jr.: "The Dream" Is Not Yet Fulfilled

Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said today that, while the election of an African-American president is a milestone for America, because abortion continues Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equal rights for all has not yet been fulfilled.

"The election of an African American president sends a powerful and historic message that what was previously unthinkable can become reality," said Dr. King. "The battle for equal rights has reached a major milestone, but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of full equality remains just a dream as long as unborn children continue to be treated no better than property."

"President-elect Obama has promised actions that will only increase the number of abortions. Pro-lifers, in turn, must promise to redouble our efforts to resist anti-life proposals, speak up for the babies, and, above all, pray," added Dr. King.

"We must pray with persistence and love that, in God's time, what is now deemed unthinkable will become reality - that all our brothers in sisters, from conception to natural death, will be protected in law and welcomed in society. The elections are over. The pro-life battle begins anew."

HT

Praying for the elections in a beautiful place...

During the US election week we were fortunate to get away for a week long holiday, to the Gold Coast. We decided to travel to Marian Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland on our Tuesday (Melbourne Cup day in Aus) to make a day long pilgrimage to pray for the US elections that were to be decided the next day, Australian time.

My precious little girl...

We had been praying the memorare prayer and "Mary, conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee." as often as we could, to find a nice rhythm, we used our rosary beads, on each Our Father bead we offered a memorare, on the Hail Mary beads, the "Oh Mary, conceived without sin..."

Marian Valley has a magnificent outdoor Stations of the Cross which we followed and prayed along, it was the Stations of the Cross with a pro-life theme.

The day itself was overcast with a little rain and a little sunshine here and there. The valley itself was so beautiful. Here is the Jacaranda tree in full bloom.

We also decided to offer the 4 mysteries of the rosary after the stations of the cross, we would travel from shrine to shrine to do this.

Each scene is beautiful with a natural backdrop to each one.

Here are the children at the end of the stations of the cross, what a beautiful scene.

Just looking over at Padre Pio's shrine.

We had walked to the end of the valley until we reached the bushland, where we followed a track that took us to "Our Lady of the Southern Cross", at the base of a big tree in the middle of the rainforest.

Right next to this shrine is the entrance to the bush walk to the shrine of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.

Each shrine is different and beautiful, and this shrine is one of the valley's highlights.

As we gave out each decade in each mystery we would move to a different Marian shrine each time, here we are at Our Lady of Lourdes shrine.

Finally...to the beautiful shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, praying for the US elections.

A new shrine being built....what a beautiful statue.

Our Lady of Fatima shrine nestled in this corner of the valley..so lush and beautiful.

A closer shot...

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for Australia, pray for the U.S!

Along the stations of the cross track, looking down at the Resurrection scene in the distance.

Looking back up at the stations of the cross track.

Such peaceful, natural scenes...a place of peace and serenity.

Slowly making our way back to the outdoors church.

As we came out of the rainforest, it had started to rain!

Looking into the church.

This beautiful valley, dedicated to Our Lady...

New shrines being built at present.

The children love this place, it is full of nature and signs of their faith, what a beautiful combinaton, what lovely childhood memories to create.

We had prayed and prayed this day and into the next waiting to hear the news, of course it was profoundly disappointing and my 13 year old wondered what had become of all those prayers?

These are the probing questions that children must ask. We ask them ourselves, quite often. Why? Only God knows why. But I do know that those prayers were not wasted, they are never wasted.

I remined my children that Mother Teresa had once said that it was important to be faithful, not successful.

Of course we want success but we rest trustfully in the fact that these prayers would help in someway, probably in many unknown ways. We will find out when in the next life and see the mysterious tapestry of life is turned over to reveal the beauty of grace and faith, the gentleness of being pro-life.

Something profound has come out of this time, I'll never be the same again. The beauty and peace of continual prayer is flowing over me. The desire to defend life with more vigour and passion is burning in my breast. I know that the prayers for life in the political arena needs to go beyond a short period of time. I know I must pray now and always for the future needs of the next election - at home and in the States.

Adoration Chapel...

History points out that we are not witnessing anything new in this ignoring of such a fundmental issue in the election just past...have you ever seen Amazing Grace? I think of the pro-life movement when I see this struggle against slavery and slave ships. Take heart though, this is unthinkable to us today. If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it.

On the topic of slavery, I believe it to be an enormous shame and scandal that a man (the new President elect) who has the rights he ought to have thanks to those in the past who fought for them, can then turn around and deny a new group of people their right to life. He made history because others shaped history for God's good and yet he turns around and denies the unborn an even deeper, more fundamental right. I cannot help but to think of the parable of the ungrateful servant. Matthew 18: 23-35.

People placed sanctions upon South Africa for apartheid. They basically said, 'we will not support you, while you hold that one thing in place.' One thing. A single issue. An important issue.

The world agreed this was the way to deal with a country that abused one basic right, nevermind they may have had other comendable attributes in their policies. And this is my point. If everyone treated anti-life parties in such a way, they would HAVE to change their policies. Carl Anderson the Supreme Knight of Columbus said that if all Catholics alone did just that, they would be forced to change. I mean, what other single issue holds greater gravity than the legal sanctioning of taking thousands of innocent lives every day???

We must continue to defend God's littlest ones, His precious children in utero, we must defend them against their oppressors, because Jesus said,

"What you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto Me."