In Defense of the Veil

This Mother's Day will mark the fourth year since my adult daughter and I made the personal decision to practice the devotion of veiling. Much thought, prayer, and discernment went into this decision. 

As our anniversary of wearing a veil approaches, I'd like to share an open letter. It was originally intended for someone specific but I refrained from sending it in order to avoid discord. Publishing it now, a year or two later, as an open letter will serve to offer an inside look into the devotion - what it is and what it isn't. The aforementioned letter follows:

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 Greetings!

While I am in no way attempting to change your mind, I do feel that some misconceptions need to be addressed. Please share these thoughts with your advisors.
Wishing you a blessed Holy Week.

Yes, veiling is a personal devotion. Yet it is quickly growing as a more common practice. In fact, mainstream national Catholic publications regularly publish articles about the call to veil. This is indicative of a growing interest and trend. The sale of veils is also rapidly trending upward – something I know because of my contact with several veiling companies.

For many women, veiling increases the full active and conscious participation in the Eucharist. Coming together as a community of believers, is not in conflict with also experiencing a very intimate encounter with Christ. Both are appropriate and desirable for full participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The original exhortation by St. Paul was not concerned with covering physical beauty. He advocated veiling as a means of equalizing all women, since ostracized women didn’t veil. In covering all women and uncovering all men, St. Paul also emphasized our equal but differing roles. In addition, he proposed veiling as a sign of deference to the presence of the Holy Angels, who attend the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

Further, there are many facets to this devotion. The pursuit of modesty in front of our God is also an important consideration. Especially in modern times, when women reveal too many of their physical attributes, it brings to mind the respect and God-given dignity we posses. While some may make a negative judgment, in practice I have found many priests, deacons, and other faithful who welcomed the respect it affords women.

Surely we’re not suggesting that women in the 60’s, prior to the Second Vatican Council, covered their heads for modesty’s sake in everyday life. Other than wearing hats as a matter of fashion, they did not cover at all – except for when in the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

However, this was not the only reason veils were (or are) worn. Other motivations include emulation of Mary the Mother of God, personal submission to Jesus Christ, in deference to the Church’s practice of veiling all worthy vessels (women are after all life-bearers), and a tangible appearance of modesty in feminine beauty.

Although the submitted article shares my personal reasoning, it speaks of the reasoning attributed to the increasing number of women who are continually making this decision. Personal devotions, after all, are also to be respected and are shared by many. To this day women who attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, little girls receiving the Eucharist for the first time, and brides – all wear veils – exactly for some of the reasons I have given. 

To those who practice the devotion, the wearing of the veil is a physical reminder of the True Presence just as a scapular, medal, or other sacramental evokes a rapt attention to the Holy. After all, even though there is no longer a requirement to veil, veiling itself is still biblical (1 Cor 11) and was emphasized by many of the Church Fathers as an important act of reverence. Today, it’s simply a respected option.

Blessings,
Birgit Jones

My hope in making this unpublished and unsent letter public is twofold. First, I'd like to hope that any woman who is discerning the devotion of wearing a veil finds encouragement and fortitude. Perhaps my words, the spiritual benefit experienced by those of us who do veil, and a bit of insight will ward off misconception and fear.

Secondly, I am sharing because it illustrates that my daughter and I made the right choice - for us. In recognizing that the call to veil doesn't resound in every woman, it is equally necessary to acknowledge that veiling is a beloved devotion to some of us. May we all give the respect we all deserve.

Evangelium Vitae Novena - Closing Prayer #EVN2016

Happy 21st Anniversary of Evangelium Vitae and Feast of the Annunciation!

Thank you so much for joining us in prayer for an end to the ill effects of the Culture of Death. As Saint John Paul II taught us in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, all life is immeasurably valuable and beloved by God. During these past nine days we have invoked the intercession of a saint who had great love for life and showed the world an example of a holy death. May Saint John Paul II continue to be a protector of all people - from fertilization until natural death. As the faithful people of God and brethren of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a duty to continue to put on the armor of God and protect those who are spurned.

Closing reflection: March 25 - The Feast of the Annunciation.

On this Feast of the Annunciation, let us reflect on the gift God has given us, the great gift of His heavenly Mother. May she always be our model of purity, holiness and motherhood.

The "woman clothed with the sun" - the Book of revelation tells us - "was with child" (12:2). The Church is fully aware that she bears within herself the Savior of the world, Christ the Lord. She is aware that she is called to offer Christ to the world, giving men and women new birth into Christ's own life.But the Church cannot forget that her mission was made possible by the motherhood of Mary, who conceived and bore the One who is "God from God", "true God from true God." Mary is truly the Mother of God, the Theotokos, in whose motherhood the vocation to motherhood bestowed by God on every woman is raised to the highest level. EV 103

Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Evangelium Vitae Novena: Day 9 - For an increase in the virtue of chastity #EVN2016

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 9 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

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Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 9: March 22, 2016 - For an increase in the virtue of chastity

It is an illusion to think that we can build a true culture of human life if we do not help the young to accept and experience sexuality and love and the whole of life according to their true meaning and in their close interconnection. Sexuality, which enriches the whole person, 'manifests its inmost meaning in leading the person to the gift of self in love'. The trivialization of sexuality is among the principal factors which have led to contempt for new life. Only a true love is able to protect life. There can be no avoiding the duty to offer, especially to adolescents and young adults, an authentic education in sexuality and in love, an education which involves training in chastity as a virtue which fosters personal maturity and makes one capable of respecting the 'spousal' meaning of the body.  EV 97.

Heavenly Father, Your design for human sexuality is among the most misunderstood of Your truths today. Please grant Your grace of self-control to all Your people, that they may be a witness to Your Holiness and purity by their lives of holy chastity. The culture of life will flourish when young people embrace the state of chastity both within and outside of marriage; please give parents and educators the means to  communicate your plan for sexuality to our young  people and through the media.  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EVN2016 when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

I Had a Dream … And It Opened My Eyes

Currently, I am reading two books. One was given to me as a penance to be read slowly, a page or two at time. The other, “Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation”, was given to me by a priest friend. While they are very different, the combination of reading these two books has been revealing. Together with an examination of conscience and a recent dream, they exposed a new reality. Let me explain.

Two Very Different Approaches to Jesus

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat” was written by Fr. Michael E. Gaitley and inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. There are two ways to approach this in-depth spiritual book. It can be read, all at once, during a weekend retreat or it can be taken, bit by bit, as was prescribed to me by my confessor.

“Rediscover Jesus” by Matthew Kelly, on the other hand, was written specifically as a tool for seeking access to the Mercy of Jesus, one section at a time, and is a lighter read. What I found, however, as different as the two books are, reading them both at the same time makes for a powerful combination.

Examen: The Process Begins

The portion of “Consoling the Heart of Jesus” I read last night concerned the examination of conscience. We’ve all read an examen here and there, in preparation for the Sacrament of Confession, but the timing here was flawless. Earlier that day I had read an article How to Get over Your Fear of Confession, which also dealt with confession. A link led to another examen.

Blinded to Self

As it just so happened, yesterday’s entry in “Rediscover Jesus” was chapter 30 – Blind Spots. In our search for spiritual growth, this section deals with ‘coming to grips’ and ‘embracing’ the truth of who we really are, not who we think we are, not who was wish we were, but the genuine unvarnished picture of us. Matthew Kelly skillfully leads us to understand, and accept, that our illusion of self is particularly flawed with wishful thinking. We gloss over our flaws and project an ideal in their place. Yet nothing in our lives is as clear cut as we pretend it to be.

Now before we grovel down into abject misery, let us remember that what has been laid bare gives us the opportunity to accept the all-encompassing mercy Jesus offers us every day. We can even ask for, and accept, the mercy rejected by others. When we see ourselves with a clearer lens we are able to make those changes necessary to grow in spirit. Our goal of becoming the saints Jesus wants us to be moves just a little bit closer. If we are following the Little Way, this is just the right amount of accomplishment.

The Homily

At noon Mass yesterday, Father touched on faith. Faith is something we all desire but sometimes we fall back into the water like Peter did when Our Lord beckoned him. The search for faith is different for all of us. In the homily, we were told how difficult faith can be for the analytical mind. Those who are scientifically or mathematically inclined might have a more difficult time accepting something on faith alone because they are trained to look for proof. I came to the conclusion that a more creative type of person, like me, might look at coincidences and ponder on the faith fact that very little in our lives is actually a coincidence at all. Yet I too struggle, often repeating the words of the father in Mark 9:24, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

When life brings us to a certain point and all of the pieces seem to not only fall into place but interlock, we can be sure – there are no coincidences. This is a manifestation of God’s mercy and grace. He has put together just the right pieces to help us to finally see a small part of the larger picture. The view of which will tantalize us until we gain our home in Heaven.

The Dream: It All Comes Together

All of the day’s events were on my mind as I drifted off to sleep – examining my conscience. Then the real work began. The dream was dark and uncomfortable. I was being misunderstood and accused at every turn, yet I was vehemently pleading my innocence. My mother (God rest her soul), estranged father and sibling were all there to harshly point out the flaws I obstinately wouldn’t see. The resulting turmoil was not pleasant, as I went from person to person, beseeching and trying to explain myself with no satisfying result.

Upon awakening, however, it all became starkly clearer. As I lay in bed savoring a few more minutes under the warm covers, an unobstructed picture formed in my mind. I saw the previous day in an entirely different light. My behavior wasn’t as giving and flawless as I had smugly thought upon drifting to dreamland. The small digs at someone, the condescending thoughts about another, and the selfish search for gratification were laid bare. No, my sins weren’t glaringly obvious ones like robbing a bank or committing physical murder. Instead, they were insidiously robbing me of my self-worth and murdering peace of mind.

The Lesson Learned

As I plod along on my imperfect path of seeking holiness during this Lenten Season, a new window has opened for me. Please, Lord, do not allow me to cover it with the curtain of blindness. Help me to polish the window to my soul daily so there is no obstruction to seeking You. Transform me into a saint, bit by bit, until I find the Home of my dream with You.

Evangelium Vitae Novena: Day 8: - For a stronger witness from the laity

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 8 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

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Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 8: March 23, 2016 - For a stronger witness from the laity

We need to begin with the renewal of a culture of life within Christian communities themselves. Too often it happens that believers, even those who take an active part in the life of the Church, end up by separating their Christian faith from its ethical requirements concerning life, and thus fall into moral subjectivism and certain objectionable ways of acting. With great openness and courage, we need to question how widespread is the culture of life today among individual Christians, families, groups and communities in our Dioceses. EV 95.

Heavenly Father, the communion which should exist through Your gift of the Eucharist has been broken by the widespread use of  contraception among Your flock and by their wholesale disregard for the teachings of Your Church. Please raise up courageous families and single people who are prepared to forgo worldly acclaim and to suffer for the sake of Your Holy Church. Please console them in their times of discouragement, and make them always aware of Your Presence, as they endeavor to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth.  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EVN2016 when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 7 - For a Stronger Witness From the Laity #EVN2016

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 7 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

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Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 7: March 22, 2016 - For a stronger witness from the clergy

We need to make sure that in theological faculties, seminaries and Catholic institutions sound doctrine is taught, explained and more fully investigated. May Paul's exhortation strike a chord in all theologians, pastors, teachers, and in all those responsible for catechesis and the formation of consciences. Aware of their specific role, may they never be so grievously irresponsible as to betray the truth and their own mission by proposing personal ideas contrary to the Gospel of life  as faithfully presented and interpreted by the Magisterium. EV 82.

Heavenly Father, Your message of the Gospel of life has been misinterpreted and diluted, ignored and ridiculed, devalued and denied by many within the Church. Please sharpen the   consciences of Your shepherds; remind them of their great       responsibility to transmit Your truths to the faithful. And create in them a loud voice that cries out above the clamor of the world, "Choose life and reject the culture of death!"  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EVN2016 when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 6: March 21 - For Legislators #EVN2016

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 6 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

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Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 6: March 21, 2016 - For Legislators

In the encyclical Pacem in Terris, John XXIII pointed out that “it is generally accepted today that the common good is best safeguarded when personal rights and duties are guaranteed. The chief concern of civil authorities must therefore be to ensure that these rights are        recognized, respected, coordinated, defended and promoted, and that each individual is      enabled to perform his duties more easily.  EV 71.

Heavenly Father, many today are disillusioned by legislators whose promises come to little once they gain a position of power. Please grant fortitude to legislators that they may maintain their convictions once elected, and the wisdom to speak the truth in love to uphold your              unchanging laws. Grant them the extraordinary grace to begin to reverse laws which fail to protect the basic right to life of unborn children, the disabled and the elderly.  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EVN2016 when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 5: March 20 - For An End to the Sex Industry #EVN2016

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 5 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

+   +   +

Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 5: March 20, 2016 - For an end to the sex industry.

In the materialistic perspective described so far, interpersonal relations are seriously         impoverished. The first to be harmed are women, children... The criterion of personal dignity - which demands respect, generosity and service - is replaced by the criterion of efficiency, functionality and usefulness: others are considered not for what they 'are', but for what they 'have, do and produce.' This is the supremacy of the strong over the weak. EV 23.

Heavenly Father, the sex-industry is an 'unfruitful work of darkness' which many Christians would prefer to ignore. Please grant your grace of understanding to assist us in exposing this great evil. Help us to provide dignified work and physical support for sex-workers, and grant freedom to those who are held against their wills. We ask that all people will begin to nurture only those true and loving relationships which value the other over self, which promote mutual respect and which maintain the dignity of all persons involved.  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EVN2016 when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 4 - Commodification of Unborn Children and Mothers #EVN2016

.

Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 4 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

+   +   +

Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 4: March 19, 2016 - For an end to commodification of unborn children and mothers

This moral condemnation also regards procedures that exploit living human embryos and fetuses - sometimes specifically 'produced' for this purpose by in vitro fertilization - either to be used as 'biological material' or as providers of  organs or tissue for transplants in the     treatment of certain diseases. The killing of  innocent human creatures, even if carried out to help others, constitutes an absolutely unacceptable act. EV 63

Heavenly Father, You designed conception to take place within the conjugal context of  marriage. Please grant your grace of fortitude to all medical professionals who seek solutions to the problems of infertility. May they reject using immoral techniques when assisting with the creation of new life. We also pray that unborn   human beings will no longer be used for experimentation and that existing frozen embryos will be treated with dignity. Father, please enlighten the world to see that surrogacy is not part of Your plan for motherhood, and help us to end all industries that commodify Your   children.  AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EvangeliumVitae when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, BirgitJ

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 3 - Euthanasia of the Elderly and Disabled #EVN2016

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Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 3 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

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Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 3: March 18, 2016 - For an end to euthanasia of the elderly and disabled

When the prevailing tendency is to value life only to the extent that it brings   pleasure and well-being, suffering seems like an unbearable setback, something from which one must be freed at all costs. Death is considered 'senseless' if it suddenly interrupts a life still open to a future of new and interesting experiences. But it becomes a 'rightful liberation' once life is held to be no longer meaningful  because it is filled with pain and inexorably doomed to even greater suffering.     EV 64.

Heavenly Father, we ask for an end to the utilitarianism that obsesses the world and has led to the devaluation of lives which are no longer deemed to be productive. Please grant your grace of gratitude for the elderly and the disabled and relieve them of the fear that they are a burden to their families and caregivers. AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EvangeliumVitae when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, Birgit J

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 2 - Abortion #EVN2016

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Welcome prolife prayer warriors!

As we recall the gift of the great encyclical from Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae - let us call to mind the great need our world has for prayer.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities against humanity can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. With this Novena we contribute our own small effort by petitioning God for the healing of our culture of the following ills.

Contraception * Abortion * Euthanasia * Exploitation (embryonic stem cells, cloning, etc.) * Sex trafficking * Legislators * Clergy * Laity * Chastity

Welcome to Day 2 of our Evangelium Vitae Novena! Please join us in praying for today's intention: an end to the contraceptive mentality which has brought so much chaos into the world. And please remember to pray the daily prayer. God bless you all.

+   +   +

Daily prayer: Pope Saint John Paul II's Prayer to our Lady.

O Mary
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of Life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilisation of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

Day 2: March 17, 2016 - For an end to abortion

The pro-abortion culture is especially strong precisely where the church's teaching on contraception is rejected .... The life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs, and abortion become the only possible decisive response to failed contraception. EV13

Heavenly Father, you intended the family to be the sanctuary of life. But throughout the world today, the family has become the author of the death sentence for its youngest and most vulnerable members. Please bestow your gift of courage on all parents facing an unplanned pregnancy, and raise up more people of goodwill to assist mothers in their time of need. AMEN

Please share this effort with your family and friends and continue to work toward the hopeful goal of a world that respects all life - from fertilization to natural death. 

Remember to us hashtag #EvangeliumVitae when using Twitter.

You may also join the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event  for daily reminders and the opportunity for interaction with like-minded prolife advocates.

If you'd like a bit of history behind the struggle for the respect of life, check out my column at Catholic Stand.

You can also find the daily meditation graphics for sharing on Facebook on the Designs by Birgit fan page. 

In His Name for Life, Birgit J