Keep Calm and Rely on Sound Doctrine

The times, they are a-changin'.

It can arguably be said that we are in a moral crisis mode unequalled in history. Certainly, there have been depraved and godless societies before us - even to the extent of the sexual perversion and idolatry of riches (and power) rampant today. But what we haven't seen in times past is the "higher proportion of collaborators with the new reigning ideology" to be found "among the ranks of the clergy". This according to Bishop Anthanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan.

He and two collaborators have authored a new book, Preferential Option for the Family — 100 Questions and Answers Relating to the Synod. In it, the understandable confusion surrounding the upcoming Synod on the Family is addressed.

In our frenzied, cyber-fed world we are inundated with a constant barrage of debauchery. Men seeking to become women, unfettered abortion, unnatural attempts of 'marriage' by same sex attracted people, and more. Our children are being force-fed sexual propaganda as early as kindergarten - through school and scouting – even as parental rights teeter on the brink of extinction. Fueling this dire situation is a false sense of tolerance and an abhorrence of righteous judgment.

Popular memes tell us that we should act according to the simple path of giving in to feelings. Our hearts can become softened with a false sense of love when we fail to adhere to the hard and fast truths taught by Holy Mother Church, consistently and unchanged, for over two thousand years.

As Catholic Christians we are taught to be tolerant (and loving) of everyone – regardless of our differences. What is being foisted on us, however, is a demanded acceptance and even celebration of evil acts. That crosses the line of right judgment – the ability to judge an action as morally disordered according to Natural Law. Although only God can judge the condition of another’s soul, scripture tells us that we are to shine the light of Truth onto the darkness of sinful acts. Admonishing the sinner is, after all, a Corporal Work of Mercy.

Society as a whole, and an unfortunate majority of Catholics, are acquiescing to many of these disordered, theologically unsound worldviews. Even as Jesus begs us to pick up our cross (unpopular as it is) and follow Him, many walk away. It’s simply easier to take the well-worn path of societal acceptance under the premise of ‘live and let live’. The danger in this way of thinking, however, is that right and wrong can’t (and shouldn't) be based on feelings. Truth is Truth – as difficult as it may be to employ.

All of this would seem unbearably alarming, were we not to avail ourselves of our beautiful faith! Instead of panicking we can stay calm and rely on sound doctrine -  as we stand for Truth. In this way we will be armed with the Armor of God. There are bountiful opportunities to strengthen us on our journey toward Eternal Life and to help others along the way.

As Archbishop Salvatore J Cordileone of the Archdioces of San Francisco recently noted, the proper way to respond to attempts at same-sex 'marriage' (and other moral ills) must be done with “truth and compassion”.

To shore up our resolve and act with moral certainty we need the help of the Magisterium. We have Holy Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, writings of the Church Fathers, and Sacred Tradition to guide us in this unwavering path.

Of course we also have the strengthening power of the sacraments to see us through. Frequent confession and the nurturing Eucharist are the mainstay to remaining firm when facing adversity. 

I can do all these things in Him Who strengtheneth me. ~ Philippians 4:13

Abundant and fervent prayer, on the part of the faithful, is also essential. Both the laity and their shepherds are in desperate need for guidance, strength, and grace. All this, and more, is at our disposal if only we open ourselves up to the divine guidance through the Church founded by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

"Catholics should say many and flaming prayers so that bishops may be protected against the temptation to adapt to the world and so that they may be strengthened in their apostolic courage to confess their Faith." Bishop Schneider

MORE INFORMATION

Copies of the ‘Preferential Option for the Family’ booklet can be obtained by emailing supplicafiliale@gmail.com

Bloom Where You Grow

There are a couple of flower boxes on our back porch railing. Anyone who has cats knows what that means - anything growing there has to be pretty persistent or it will be crushed under the furry bellies of our lounging feline friends. In fact, for the past couple of summers we haven't even bothered to plant anything in them.

That's where a delicate salmon-colored poppy comes into the story. Even though the parent plants are far below - on the ground - somehow a tiny seed made it to the soil in one of the flower boxes. Not only did it make it, it germinated, set down roots, and has been beautifully blooming for a few days now.

What can we learn from this persistent, lovely little plant?

We aren't always where we thought we'd be in our lives. Maybe we don't even want to be where we are at all. It's easy to focus on an idealistic image of  if only. In this imaginary, perfect world we would be saints, may be successful (in a worldly way), or admired by all. Every effort would reap the anticipated reward and failure would only come if we didn't try hard enough - or didn't have enough faith.

Yet scripture tells us that we will be tested. That our trials - and how we handle them - will shine a light for others to see. We can become the salt for them and the leaven for their spiritual bread.

Matthew 5:13-16
13"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

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It isn't always ours to choose where life leads us but it is our choice when it comes to how we react. When life hands us an unexpected detour from our search for perfection, we should choose to react with grace. As a sweet little lady used to tell me,

"We need to bloom where we grow". 

Wherever God has planted us, that is our place to shine, To shine with His love and compassion and faithful service. Then we will be headed down the road of success - and toward sainthood!

Scarlett or Saint?

A recent essay entitled, Strap on Your Bib, It’s Time for Humble Pie, contemplates our need for humility and childlike trust in God. When we 'let go and let God', we're admitting that it's not ours to resolve the tempestuous aspects of our lives. Like Peter, walking across the sea to Jesus, we aren't in control. But, in his weakness of faith, Peter knew to call out to Jesus for help. Our own fallen human nature often brings us to a spasm of fear so paralyzing that we shy away from the very One in Whom our safety lies.

We aren't particularly unusual in this frail human reaction. Therefore, scripture continually admonishes us to offer our trials and fears to Jesus. The same Jesus Who gave His very life for us. 

The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.  Psalm 18:2

Finding the wherewithal to do this, however, is not an easy task. Our mortal, life-preserving instincts all too often send us in the opposite direction – fleeing away from His assistance. 

When we are finally spent - having fled away from the things we fear and breathless - the exhaustion we feel blunts our emotions. It’s then that we're able to resist the eerie pull of terror.

But is this faith? Or is it an attitude of "I'll think about it tomorrow"? The answer lies in our will. Do we thrust those abysmal fears away, into the deep and dark recesses of our minds – hidden from all but our subconscious mind? Or to we bring them to the glaring light of day and then offer them to God?

The answer to that question will show whether we are successfully working toward being a saint – or imitating Scarlett O’Hara, from the 1936 novel Gone With the Wind.

“I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.” Scarlett

If we deny ourselves the opportunity to faithfully present our fears to God the Father, we are doing nothing more than repressing our trials for another day. On the other hand, if we face them head on, we are putting our faith and childlike trust into the all-powerful Hand of God.

“I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Strap on Your Bib for Some Humble Pie

Never say never. That’s what they have always said. And how true it is – both in this world and regarding Eternal Life!

If you’re beyond a certain age and have children, you may already have experienced the phenomenon of becoming your parents. As a child, you resented their constraints and swore never to replicate that which had you straining at an imaginary leash. Your children, however, see a much different you. You, their parent, are full of odd sayings and rules and boundaries. Because you’ve grown, both in experience and knowledge, you are now able to see the wisdom of restraint.

Now might be a great time to thank your parents!

As parents, you might also have been on the receiving end of your share of humble pie. Maybe your first foray into tending to God’s little souls found you with pliable, obedient children. Your self-worth (and pride) moved up a notch or two – because you knew how to parent. If only those other parents out there would use such proven methods, you thought. The arrival of a subsequent child or two might have had you singing a rather more humble song. You see, not all children get the memo. Great, tried and true, parenting skills aside, they march to a much different drummer.

Grab your fork – humble pie time!

Our adult life doesn’t go unscathed by the copious supply of humble pie either. Have you ever said, “well, I’d never… (Fill in the blank)”, only to find yourself at the crossroads of rock and hard place? Unforeseen circumstances sure have a way of keeping us humble. What we once viewed as incomprehensible, may now be our best available course of action.

Humble pie!

So it goes with our spiritual life as well. Peter had a taste of humble pie when he asked Our Lord to lead him out onto the water, toward Him. All of his bravado quickly faded as he perceived the reality of what he had requested. In saying he would never deny Jesus, the huge helping of humble pie served by his three-fold denial must have been chastening, to say the least. Yet, even though we’ve read and heard about his betrayal multiple times, we all too often fall into doing the unthinkable ourselves.

It’s time for humility, closely associated with the Cardinal Virtue of Temperance.

When life hands us an unexpected trial, we are cast into doubt and fear. All semblance of hope fades and we become afraid. All this even though, He who clothes the lilies and feeds the sparrows, has promised us His Shelter from any storm.

When will we learn? That depends on us and our free will. How hard are we willing to work toward complete trust? Will we be able to ‘let go, and let God’ when it comes to our most difficult trials? The answer lies in our motivation. Even then, our human nature can lead us into falling back into desperation at any time. The feeling that we’re flying without a net is contrary to our mortal sense of self preservation. Spiritual strength, a determined will, and spiritual exercises are a great way to begin to overcome our human frailty and doubt.

As my own life leads my family into unchartered waters, I’ve taken the counsel of a good priest. A heightened prayer life, along with inspirational reading was his healing guidance. As he put it, “sometimes we need to read for inspiration, rather than information”. He knows me well! It’s time to supplement my studious side with some spiritual reading. At the request of Father I will be readingConsoling the Heart of Jesus, by Father Gaitley. My goal? To find the spiritual strength and child-like trust to offer myself completely to Him Who created me. In humbling myself to God, I choose to consent to Him as He steers me toward the true path. I pray I won’t falter.

Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10)

What are some of the ways you’ve been served a heaping helping of humble pie? What can you share to help others on their path toward successfully giving themselves to God?

Reaching For Our Wants

Sometimes we strain and reach for something that we want so badly only to get it and realize it wasn't in our best interest after all. This is a conclusion we draw more easily, later in life, after our bubble has been burst a few times.

Try as we might, we aren't always the best judge of what it is that we need. Only when we begin to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit are we able to discern what is in our best interest.

Today, let us reach wholeheartedly for the Will of God instead of our own human wants. Only the Creator of us all knows what it is we truly need. The answer lies in the thirst of our immortal souls for Eternal Life with Him Who created us!

Happy weekend, friends!

There are many thoughts in the heart of a man: but the will of the Lord shall stand firm. 

~Proverbs 19:21

Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

~Matthew 18:3

Not Your Parents' Scouts

This isn't your parent's scouting!

As if it's not bad enough that the Girl Scouts of America are in cahoots with abortion giant Planned Parenthood, enter the push within the Boy Scouts of America for openly homosexual leaders. As it is, they already accept openly gay scouts into the fold.

But now we have more, deeply troubling developments in the world of scouting.

The Girl Scouts have decided to embrace cross-dressing children into their club. So if your little girl doesn't want to share her troop with a boy in girl's clothing, too bad!

The Boy Scouts, on the other hand, have decided to show their feminine side. Not to appear overly male, their leadership has decided that water guns can be forbidden! That's right, it's too violent to point a colorful plastic toy, containing water, at a fellow scout. Not to be forgotten are the equally enlightened parameters for water balloons - they must not be larger than a ping pong ball.

What are we to make of this trend to turn the world of scouting upside down? It looks a lot like an outright assault on Christianity and the family. The normal gender characteristics of yesterday are being shamefully turned topsy turvy.

Boys in girls' clothing are sharing your little girl's scouting troop, while the boys' troops are being feminized. This blurring of gender lines isn't exclusively being carried out by deviant adults, lurking in the shadows. Today's radicalization is being thrust into the once innocent world of our children by formerly wholesome clubs.

Meanwhile, children are also being force-fed an overly sexualized and homesexual agenda. All the while, girls are selling cookies that benefit close associates of abortion giant, Planned Parenthood. Additionally, more and more homosexual characters are appearing in entertainment on a regular basis - even though same sex attracted individuals make up less than 2% of the general population.

Tragically, this sexual trend feeds right into the business model of Planned Parenthood, where children are groomed for promiscuity at younger and younger ages. You may be surprised to find that the sex ed programs in most school systems are created by Planned Parenthood. And they're teaching children about all types of sexuality - as early as kindergarten.

This means that by the time our young, sexually active girls become pregnant, they are offered the morbid 'solution' of abortion. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood is raking in the big bucks. The plan is simple: teach sex, provide inferior condoms, and they will create 'customers' for their abortion mills where the butcherous doctors kill innocent babies and maim their mothers.

Boys fare no better because valor and chivalry are no longer encouraged. Instead, they are conditioned to seek nothing more than animalistic gratification. This affects the relationships formed between the genders and doesn't bode well for a grace-filled outlook on the sacrament of matrimony. Men no longer emulate the masculine characteristic of protector and provider.

On their part, girls often fail to fully develop their uniquely female characteristics of nurturer and the loving mothers of children. In the lack of gender-specific role models, they grow up with a muddled image of self.

Also affected is the sanctity of  Holy Matrimony, which becomes nothing more than a temporary rite of passage all too often. Of those marriages that do survive, far too many become mechanical and sterile. This leaves children out in the cold, with no one after whom to model themselves.

It's time for us to take back the responsibility of parenting. Too many outside forces are having a detrimental impact on our children and families. God gifted us with children so that we could teach them to know, love, and serve Him. He gave us the faithful partnership between husband and wife as the sacrament of matrimony. In this way, He intended the nuclear family to be a shelter from the stormy world of secular life.

Tough decisions must be made. What good is membership in an organization, if their leadership betrays our faith? When parents relinquish the upbringing of their children to the world, their children will become of the world. This endangers their eternal souls. That's not the intent and purpose of the godly institution of family.

With a renewed commitment to prayer, the sacraments, and the God-given role of parents, we can ensure a faith filled future for ourselves and our families. Isn't that worth our very best effort?

Kindness in the Face of Unkindness

We all have our trials when it comes to others. Sometimes these trials even involve those whom we love. A sudden, or lifelong, controversy grows over time and becomes an all-encompassing thorn in our side.

How we react, however, is what's most important. Do we feed the turmoil by being equally abrasive - adding to the fray? Or do we make it a point to be kind - to treat others in the way that we wish to be treated?

The most difficult line in the Lord's Prayer is, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". That's no small, insignificant sentence. It also can't be dissected to refer only to the forgiveness we, ourselves, wish to be given. The full impact is that we are asking God to use the same measuring stick for us that we use when dealing with others.

Wow! That's no small request. If we dive fully into the meaning of these simple words, we come away with a profound concept. Always deal with others in the same way - with kindness. Not only the ones who return the kindness. Not only the ones we love. That would be the sinfully simplistic way to look at our Lord's order to love.

In today's Pentecost Novena we are asked to pray for kindness - one of the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Today, let us seek to be kind - not solely to the obviously simple to identify recipients - but to the ones who don't return our kindness. After all - Jesus would have us do no less. That was His living lesson for us while He walked this earth!

Following A Winding Path

Simplicity.

Oh, how we humans cling to it in certain aspects of our life. We're comfortable in our own little niche of the world and we like it that way. No muss, no fuss - that's how we define comfort and security.


Yet how many times is that desire to keep things the same - to avoid the discomfort of change - detrimental to our growth?

After all, growth = change. It's been said that nothing stays the same - things either get better or worse. Yet, if the truth be told, we'd like the option to stagnate in our self-defined comfort zone.

What's that say about our faith, though? If we fear change, of flying without a net into the unknown, aren't we a lot like Peter? He sought to follow Jesus as He was walking on water but faltered in faith to the point of sinking.

As much as we would like to take the shortest path - a straight line - our lives will always be dependent on following a winding path.

As we traverse our way toward Eternal Life, let our faith in God help us to trust the unknown directions He presents to us as life's challenges. After all, to do otherwise would be to deny His trustworthy love!

Let it not be said of us, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?" ~Matthew 14:22-34

How the Parable of the Two Sons Is Relevant to Us

In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus shares the parable of a man's two sons. When asked by his father, the first son refuses the request to go work in the vineyard. Yet, after his impulsive denial, he goes and does the work dutifully. The second son, fails to go as he had agreed - giving an affirmative answer with no intention of obedience. 

How many times are we in a similar situation with our Heavenly Father? He asks something of us that we don't find particularly appealing and our first impulse is to push back - to say, 'No, I can't possibly do that!" But, after a bit of discernment and a twinge of conscience, we go and do His bidding. 

There are other times, however, when God places a duty (or cross) squarely onto our shoulders. In a reflexive reaction, we answer in the affirmative. Yet when the time comes to follow through, we falter and fail. Our good intentions (we've all heard were those lead) fall flat and our lack of effort leads nowhere.

As we mature in both age and faith, it should follow that we become like the best parts of both sons. Saying yes to Our Lord's requests AND following through!

There's another aspect to be considered as well - when we make the choice to obey, do we approach the request with joy or resentment? In either case, the job gets done, but our state of mind greatly influences the value of our obedience. 

If we function from the aspect of resentment, our begrudging assent has little value. On the other hand, a joyful and loving obedience reflects the love and care given to us creatures by our beloved Creator.

Today, I pray that this will be my approach - a willing 'yes' and a joyful 'performance of the request. After all, no sacrifice is adequate when measured against the love - to the point of death - we have received from our Risen Lord!

Onward and Upward

Change.

Most of us don't like it - especially when we're involuntarily thrust into it. Yet, as people of God, we are mindful that our heavenly Father knows best.

As we are consistently told, both by scripture and our good priests, change is a necessity. It makes us who we are. If we accept it, and even embrace it, we will continue to cherish what life has in store.

If we fight it, tooth and nail, we will not prevent it - we will only make our road that much more difficult.

This is such a time for our family. Please remember us in prayer, as we traverse an unfamiliar road.

And as scripture tells us, let us remember the words "Be Not Afraid"! He goes before us and lights the way!


Fear not, for I am with thee: turn not aside, for I am thy God: I have strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right hand of my just one hath upheld thee. ~Isaiah 41:10


For thoughts along the same lines, check out When Will Be the Last Time?

He is Risen! Happy Easter!

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."  Colossians 3:1-4

If your family is like ours, you will be celebrating with some of your family, while missing others. Yet, we all have the joy of His Rising and the Salvation He brings!
From our family to yours,

Happy Easter and a Joyous Resurrection Day for us All!

Catholics, Seder Meals, and the Lamb of God

The readings for Holy Thursday make a point that may be easily overlooked. The first, from Exodus provides a glimpse into the Jewish tradition of Passover - a practice Jesus would have participated in with His family. The second comes from 1 Corinthians and tells us of the Last Supper, the New Covenant, and the first instance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When we ponder this choice of readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, we begin to see that Jesus did, indeed, come to fulfill the Old Law by the institution of a New Covenant.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This brings us to the logical, and morally sound, conclusion that celebrating a Seder Meal is not a practice that should be observed by Christians. We are the Easter People and Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the New Covenant, the New Sacrifice, and His death saves us from Eternal damnation. No longer are we to offer animal sacrifices; the Temple has fallen, the biblical Jewish priests are gone, and Jesus has died for our Salvation.

As we celebrate the most holy of seasons - the Triduum, let us remember the importance of our beautiful faith, given to us by Jesus the Christ Himself!

If you'd like to delve further into this teaching please continue to Why Christians Shouldn't Celebrate Seder Meals. There you'll find references from Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Council of Trent, and Catholic theology books as well as an extremely informative audio presentation by a good holy priest.

7 Ways We Might Be Politically Correct Like Pilate

Palm Sunday 2015

As Holy Week begins, we might ask ourselves a question: Are We Politically Correct Like Pilate? Saint Mark's Gospel tells us that he was certainly a biblical version of the ‘go along to get along’ crowd. When he asked the throng what to do with Jesus, he clearly demonstrated that he knew Jesus was blameless. We got further confirmation of culpability when Pilate cited the jealousy of the Chief Priests for the arrest of Jesus. In washing his hands of the entire affair, he showed his lack of conviction and profound failure to take a stand.

In this final period of heightened anticipation, will examining our consciences find us similarly weak-spined? By scrutinizing our actions in relation to prominent issues of the day, we might find an answer that does little to vindicate us. Here, then, is an opportunity to search our hearts and find His Truth.

1. Are We Politically Correct About Abortion?

Mouthing the prolife mantra among like-minded friends isn’t enough to make us genuinely prolife. What exactly are we willing to do for the innocent, voiceless victims of the Culture of Death? Can we be found praying for the unborn - either at Mass, in private prayer, or at abortion mills? Do we seek out conversations, even to the point of discomfort, in order to share the message of God’s unconditional love? How about the ‘exception’ children? Rape and incest are taboo subjects to many, yet the children whose conception traces back to a violent, unlawful attack on their mothers are certainly beloved children of God. 

2. Same Sex ‘Marriage’, a Leading Politically Correct Issue

It’s all over the news. If you don’t rise to defend the sinful actions of those who suffer from same sex attraction (SSA), you are somehow deemed judgmental and uncharitable. The justly charitable position fails to be mentioned – loving all people enough to witness to the Gospel. Standing silently by while the mainstream of society pretends that acting on SSA tendencies is moral and even something to be proudly proclaimed, is to witness to the twisted logic of the devil. That all people deserve to live with God-given dignity is a given. Yet to praise those who persist in sinful living is to scandalize others and to lull those searching for the truth into morally fatal complacency.

3. Leaving Religion at the Church Door

Whether it’s the leading moral issues of the day or subtle rebellious acts, leaving our faith at the church door after Sunday Mass is seen by some as an accepted politically correct way of life. Listening to scripture, partaking of the True Presence, and mouthing the words of prayer – all these are of no benefit if they aren’t the vehicle that sends us out into the week, nourished and armed with conviction. In order to reach for the goal of sainthood, desired for all of us by God, the Holy Sacrifice of Mass is the springboard toward living life by sharing His Word.

4. Ignoring the Promotion of Intrinsic Evils

Do we facilitate organizations, celebrities, or events that glorify evil? Once we know of these unholy alliances, we share a moral responsibility to live accordingly. The Girl Scouts and their collaboration with Planned Parenthood or the acceptance of embryonic stem cell research and abortion by the March of Dimes, begs for action from the faithful. Do we share this information with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to contact the offending groups and charitably express our moral outrage? What’s more important in our lives – the cookies and the praise for donations, or the unvarnished truth?

5. Speaking Up For Those Falsely Accused

Have you ever been present when someone was maligned? It’s so easy to either slip into an uncomfortable silence or to share in the gossip. But is that what we are shown by the examples of Jesus and His saints? We’ve not been charged with having an easy life; we’ve been charged with walking the narrow path. With this comes the responsibility to refrain from gossip, idle talk, calumny, and other sins of the tongue. Who stood up for Jesus when He was being falsely accused? The politically correct crowd didn’t. They remained silent or worse, shouted “crucify him, crucify him”. Although they knew of no wrong with which to accuse Him, they gave in to the mob mentality. Surely this isn’t something to be emulated.

6. Ignoring the Poor and Struggling

They’re out there, waiting to be acknowledged, looking for a kind word or smile. How many times do we simply turn away, cast down our eyes, and forget them as soon as we walk away? Remembering the poor or struggling doesn’t involve just the obvious Lenten alms giving. It can entail going out of our way to smile at a weary stranger or the mother whose life is overflowing with beloved yet boisterous children. They may look frazzled but we can make a difference by a smile, a kind word, or an offer of help with some small task. There are those who are poor for lack of love in nursing homes or those who are poor in catechesis and struggling to find Truth. We have untold opportunities to make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter.

7. Failing to Speak Out Against Evil In Media

It isn’t necessary to name them. We all know of movies, television shows, and music that are so offensive to moral sensibilities that the heavens cry out for their denouncement. How do we react? Are we content to stand by and revel in the fact that we, ourselves, don’t participate? Or do we take a stand? We certainly have the opportunities. Yes, posting a truthful warning on your Facebook wall or speaking out at a gathering may garner some uncharitable comments toward you, but is that really enough reason to abstain from doing what is right? We will often find that, when one person has the courage to take a stand, others will join in – relieved that someone took the initiative.

So how do we score when we ask ourselves these seven questions? Is there a bit too much complacency or is there something more we could do? These are things we would do well to ponder as we enter into Holy Week. As our priest told us during his homily today, we can’t bypass the Cross on our way to the Resurrection. To be fully immersed in the season we must partake of the sacrificial giving before we claim the Easter Joy!

“We can't let Holy Week be just a kind of commemoration. It means contemplating the mystery of Jesus Christ as something which continues to work in our souls.” Saint Joemaria Escriva

50 Shades of Nausea

I know sharing this makes me guilty of what I'm about to rant about...but, it's an attention-getter - an effort to make a point.

Ever since the pornographic series of books and then movie, 50 Shades of Grey, came out we've been inundated with 50 Shades of Everything. For example Target not only carried a line of 50 Shades products (lotions, hand cuffs, blindfolds, etc.) - in some stores they were even next to children's toothbrushes. Evidently mommies with kiddies are the chosen demographic. Kind of makes you think twice about letting Junior spend the night at Tommy's house, doesn't it?

Then we had teachers handing out 50 Shades of Grey word searches to middle school children and other horrifying examples of irresponsible adult example.

This was blatant coattail riding on the wildly successful, albeit perverted success of all things 50 Shades. At least you knew what they were about.

Now, however, we're seeing an entirely new use of 50 Shades - mainstream, 'normal' products are joining the porn coattails. I've seen 50 Shades of Gray Hair, 50 Shades of Savings, 50 Shades of Debt, and all sorts of 50 Shades references from sources who have nothing to do with bondage or perverted sexuality. Is this the direction we really want to go?

We've all seen the effects of advertising and how it colors our world. Hearing the same phrase over and over again, ad nauseum (pun intended), tends to normalize an otherwise offensive topic. Yes, many columnists have expended many keystrokes to objecting to (or recommending) the offending books and movie - and using some twist of the 50 Shades title garnered interest and readership - but using this phrase in mainstream advertising runs the risk of coloring (yep, I went there) the consciences of even the most sensitive souls.

In the same way that marketing PG-13 movies to the toddler set by licensing toys to fast food chains is a problem, so is this. Currently Subway is giving out Guardians of the Galaxy take home bags with their kids' meals, even though the movie is rated PG-13. Now I ask you, won't many children be inclined toward watching this movie, based on a favorable association with their meal and gift? Will you, a morally responsible parent, take them to see the movie in question? I would think not!

Why then, associate anything - especially morally neutral somethings - with a horrific display of sexual depravity? That's the question and that's what brings me to 50 Shades of Nausea.

What strange 50 Shades associations have you encountered?

To Be Prolife Is to Accept No Exceptions

Is your love conditional? Do you love one child more than the other, based on some perceived value? Who determines the right to life?

These questions may appear simple on the surface but what does the world tell us? When it comes to the unborn, how does your prolife walk measure up to your prolife talk?

The morally acceptable answer can be found in the Great Commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. (Matthew 22:37) And the second, which is like it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:39-40)"

If we follow this explicit instruction given by Jesus Christ, we can demand no exceptions and accept no compromise. We are to love our neighbor and our neighbor is everyone - every human being!

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shared this story with a lawyer who had attempted to entrap Him. The lawyer slyly asked, "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus left no room for doubt in His replay. The command was clearly stated and clarified. Even though some may shy away, repulsed, as they did with the unfortunate robbery victim, we are called to show loving care. If it means stepping out of our comfort zone, proves to be inconvenient, or takes an abundance of grace - we are still charged with obedience.

So how can we position ourselves to hold exceptions when it comes to the most vulnerable of all neighbors? The violent war being waged against the unborn, in our country and around the globe, begs an honest answer. These innocents have done no harm, have committed no crime. Like the man who was robbed on his way to Jericho, they are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Some babies come to this world with less than perfect credentials as well - at least from a secular viewpoint. There are babies who are conceive through rape or incest, those who have physical anomalies, or who could be a challenge to the economics of a family. Yet their worth, their right to life is not a choice we have a right to make. Even when based on flawed human preferences or false values.

The undeniable conclusion must be, then, that whether or not we are righteous in claiming to be prolife is decided by whether or not we attempt to put conditions on who deserves life. That's simply not our call. God, the Author of Life, has given the right to life to each individual at His desire. He, and only He, creates the life and only He has the right to call a life into eternity. The righteous heart acknowledges no exceptions and no compromise!

Evangelium Vitae Novena - Closing Prayer

Happy 20th 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.

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.

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

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Previous Evangelium Vitae Meditations:

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 1 - Contraception

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 2 - Abortion

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

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

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 5 - Sex Industry

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 6 - Legislators

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 7 - ClergyEvangelium Vitae Novena Day 8 - Laity

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 9 - Chastity

Evangelium Vitae Novena 20th Anniversary - Closing Prayer

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 9 - Chastity

Today's secular influenced society puts no value on chastity or modesty. Girls are not taught their value as women of God and boys are not instructed about valuing them as more than a plaything nor in their roles as protectors and defenders of virtue. We see sex used as recreation, immodesty in behavior and clothing, and a mindset that diminishes family/children. Mutual respect, partnership, and a return to godly behavior is sorely needed if we are ever to eradicate the evils the Culture of Death brings.

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 24 - 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 trivialisation 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.

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Evangelium Vitae Meditations:

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 1 - Contraception

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 2 - Abortion

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

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

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 5 - Sex Industry

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 6 - Legislators

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 7 - ClergyEvangelium Vitae Novena Day 8 - Laity

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 9 - Chastity

Evangelium Vitae Novena 20th Anniversary - Closing Prayer