Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 5: The Sex Industry

In today's fallen society there is a dark world of sexual industry. Human beings are being denied their God-given dignity and are traded, used, and sold. May our petition for the intercession of Saint John Paul II bring freedom and peace to these poor enslaved souls.

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 - 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

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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 Prayerr

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

Today we petition Saint John Paul II on behalf of the unborn and their mothers. We know that infertility is a heavy cross to bear and that it can be tempting to acquiesce to the scientific perversions of the conjugal act between husband and wife. May we always recognize that God alone is the author of life. 

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 - For an end to the commodification of unborn children and mothers.

This moral condemnation also regards procedures that exploit living human embryos and foetuses - 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

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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

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

Today we pray for an end to the atrocity of euthanasia of the elderly and the disabled. May Saint John Paul II intercede to almighty God on their behalf. We pray that society will see the beauty and value of each person, as a miracle of God's creation.

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 - 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 carers. AMEN

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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

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 2 - Abortion

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. Let us petition Saint John Paul II to intercede for these, smallest and most vulnerable brethren.

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 - 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

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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

Evangelium Vitae Novena Day 1 - Contraception

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 1 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 1: Monday, March 16, 2015 - For an end to the contraceptive mentality.

As the domestic church, the family is summoned to proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life. This is a responsibility which first concerns married couples, called to be givers of life, on the basis of an ever greater awareness of the meaning of procreation as a unique event which clearly reveals that human life is a gift received in order then to be given as a gift. In giving origin to new life, parents recognise that the child, "as the fruit of their mutual gift of love, is, in turn, a gift for both of them, a gift which flows from them." EV 92 

Heavenly Father, please grant all women the grace to acknowledge the awe-inspiring potential of their bodies to bear new life through your creative power. Allow a greater communication between men and women in order to help them use their creative potential wisely and to be open to life within the institution of marriage. 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

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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

20th Anniversary of Evangelium Vitae Novena

Twenty years ago, on the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope John Paul II (now Saint John Paul II) gave a gift to the prolife movement and the whole world in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life). The Culture of Death had taken hold of the world after the beautiful message of Humanae Vitae, a life affirming encyclical by Pope Paul VI had been largely ignored.

The spilling of innocent blood through abortion and other atrocities can only be reparated by the pure and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. As a plea for healing in our world we share a special Novena here. It was an inspired group effort, initiated by my friend in Australia. Her blog, Light Up the Darkness, shares a treasure trove of prolife information. The meditations were written by her hand and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Each day also brings a relevant excerpt of Evangelium Vitae. The text was approved and foreword written by Father Vincent Edward Mark Bertrand, MA, MDiv, JCLFounder/Director of Marian Advocates for Life. My part in this endeavor is the creation of the graphics and a bit of publicity.

We will be praying daily for issues concerning the following topics relevant to the respect for life. Each day will have a unique intention and excerpt of Evangelium Vitae:

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

How can you participate? I'm glad you asked! Here are a few suggestions:

• Please prayerfully consider joining us,these 9 days (March 16 - 24), in praying for the strengthening of respect for all life - from fertilization until natural death.  

• There is a Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event you may join 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.

• The text of Fr. Bertrand's foreword and the prayer by Pope John Paul II and daily meditations can be found here and here. 

• For your convenience, I will also be sharing the daily meditations as graphics daily. They will be available both on the Evangelium Vitae Novena Facebook event and on the Designs by Birgit Facebook fan page, as well as on this blog. 

• Use the hashtag #EvangeliumVitae when tweeting about this Novena or any prolife issue during this time.

• Use your own social media to share and promote this prolife effort.

Evangelium Vitae Daily 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

Please join us from March 16 until the final prayer on the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25. Thank you and God bless you for your advocacy for LIFE!

 In His Name for Life, Birgit J

Once Saved, Always Saved and Ezekiel

As any Bible reading Christian knows, a frequent theme throughout scripture is doing good - not evil. From the Ten Commandments to the Beatitudes, we are given rules and actions to emulate. It can't be a coincidence, then, to consider ourselves purposefully instructed to continue our quest for sainthood. We mustn't slack; we mustn't rest on past laurels - we are admonished to take the path less taken, the hard road.

Remember the young man, who kept all of the commandments but pressed Jesus for the way to Heaven? (Mark 10:17-22)

In keeping with this mindset, I find myself wondering about our Protestant brethren who cling to the 'once saved, always saved' philosophy. That's the point that leapt to mind when I heard the reading from Ezekiel during yesterday's Mass.

"But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die. "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die." Ezekiel 18:21-28

If we remain kind, I wouldn't mind a charitable discussion on this topic. What say you?

Foster Vocations - Chasuble For Your Little Priest

Our little guy loves to play Mass, so I made him a chasuble (just the right size) to enhance his experience. After posting a few photos here and there, I received a request to make one for my friend's grandson. He enjoys going to the local Catholic book and gift shop, trying on the full sized vestments. My friend thought it would be nice to have one, in his size, instead.

She wound up purchasing the fabric in four colors - green, purple, red, and white - and I'll make two of each. One set will be for our Simon and the other for her grandson.

I'm considering making these and offering them for sale, but am offering this how-to post for those of you who are handy with a sewing machine. That way we can all encourage our little boys to play priest and foster vocations should they receive the Call.

Materials for the Chasuble and Stole

(makes two chasubles and matching stoles)

2 yards of fabric in the desired liturgical color - I started with green, for Ordinary Time. If you're like me and like to take shortcuts, using knit fabric will save hemming time since it doesn't fray.

1 spool of thread in the matching color

1 roll of gold-colored Duck Tape (easy, cheap, and surprisingly nice looking) or 10 - 12 feet of trim (more expensive, more authentic).

Construction of the Chasuble

• Fold fabric in half, width-wise (not the way it was folded on the bolt), and cut into two pieces. 
• Next, cut a strip of fabric about 5 or 6 inches wide, along the selvage on one side of the fabric. This will become the stole.
• Keeping the fabric folded width wise, also fold it lengthwise. Cut out a 5 1/2" hole at the center corner. This is your neck opening.
• Open the fabric and lay across a table top to prepare for adding the trim.

• According to preference, add trim/Duck Tape. I created mine by measuring 6" down from the center of the neck and 5" from the shoulder edge to form a 'V'. Next, I placed a long strip from the center of the neck to the center bottom. You could also make a cross or leave plain. It might be fun to have input from your little 'priest' and do some research.
• The next step is to hem all raw edges. Since I use a knit, I simply turn in 1/4" and stitch - no need to turn under twice. Since the trim goes to the edge of the chasuble, you will be stitching through it as well. This will help keep it secure and in place If your fabric is not knit, you could also us pinking shears along the raw edge before hemming. You might also want to use a zigzag stitch.
• When both the neckline and outer hem are stitched, iron backside of chasuble, taking care not to overheat the areas covered with Duck Tape trim. I use a steam setting and cloth.
• As a final step, I have found it beneficial to carefully iron the underside of where the trim is. The heat causes the Duck Tape to conform to the fabric, giving a textured look. I'd also imagine that it will help to bond the trim to the fabric.

Construction of the Stole

• Take the piece of 5" fabric you cut from the side of the chasuble and determine the type of stole you'd like to make. Some are curved and fit around the back of the neck, while others come to a point and are worn slightly below the neckline, down the back.
• The curved type of stole can be made by cutting a curve, similar to the neckline of the chasuble and the stole that comes to a point can be created by stitching a 45 degree line at the center. 
• Now you can either hem the stole, all the way around, or cut with a pinking shear. 
• Using small pieces of Duck Tape, you can also make tiny crosses at each end or one at the center of the tapered stole.

There you have it! A wonderful encouragement for little priests of the future - or daddies in the
making who want to share with their own kids some day.

I'd love to see your photos if you decide to make a chasuble for your special little man. Share!

It Couldn't Be Easier Potato Soup

I created a potato soup recipe a while back and, while it's delish, I found myself wanting to simplify this particular meal one Friday recently. As I rummaged through the pantry, I had an aha moment - why not just use a can of soup as a starter and then make it my own? So here's what I came up with. It's cheap, it's easy, and the boys say it's very tasty.

Couldn't Be Easier Potato Soup

1 can Nacho Cheese soup

3 cups almond milk

1 cup sour cream

6 small potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon of minced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper

Wash potatoes and cube, leaving the skins on. Place in steamer on stove-top and cook until tender. You can also boil them if you don't have a steamer. Combine soup, almond milk, and sour cream in crock pot (set on high) and whisk until smooth. Add spices to crock pot - either as listed or to taste. Drain potatoes and add them and butter to the crock pot. Using a potato masher or fork, smash potatoes until they are reduced to large lumps and/or desired consistency is achieved.

Voilà! That's it - ready to serve as soon as the potatoes are added. Serve with garlic toast or bread sticks for a quick, hearty meal. Great for Fridays or Lenten meals.

Reduce your setting to warm and you can feed your family in shifts, since the soup will be ready to serve all day. Great for snow days when a quick warm-up would be appreciated, with little effort or time required.

Note: Stores well and can be frozen. Use regular milk if you prefer.

Lenten Roundup for You and Your Family

With Lent only a couple of weeks away, there has been a flurry of activity on Catholic blogs and Facebook. As good Catholics we know that this penitential season, leading up to Easter joy, is long - especially for children. Our goal is to lovingly teach them the benefits of holy patience, self denial, and giving.

My goal here is to compile a list of various activities, meals, and devotions to assist families in making their Lenten experience a positive one for all members. I've also included some thoughts about social media.

I'd like to invite you to share your ideas here. As you comment on this blog, I'll add your ideas, posts, and links below.

Let's Get Started With Lenten Inspiration

For starters, you can read about Why I'm Not Leaving Facebook for Lent. As an electronic evangelization tool, there are few more powerful ways to share your faith!

Lenten Devotional Crafts

Stations of the Cross Craft - There are several different ways you can use this craft, once it's completed. It could even be taken to church as a devotional tool for littles.

Easter Egg Rosary - This simple, inexpensive and effective craft combines reciting a nightly decade of the Rosary with some good actions and creativity thrown in for good measure.

My Lenten Journey - Here I used various links to coloring pages, Stations of the Cross carousels, and other ideas to create a Lenten Journey Book for Kids.

Lenten Friday Meals

Garlic Alfredo Shrimp - An easy, creamy Alfredo sauce creates a tasty addition to seafood and broccoli. Bonus - this dish is also low carb!

Hearty Crock Pot Potato Soup - This crock pot recipe can be prepared ahead of time, yet accommodates busy families with varied schedules and eating times. Comfort food at its finest!

Quick 3 Ingredient Pasta Meal - Hmmmm...it's Friday and the troops are hungry, but I've simply been too busy to worry about cooking...that is until the rumbling bellies begin to sound! Here's a quick solution, using only three ingredients.

Tantalizingly Tasty Tuna Salad - an easy, rich tuna salad that lends itself well to sandwiches or scooped onto a bed of lettuce. Packed full of veggies and other good things, this is kid friendly and healthy. It's also low carb, if served without bread.

Meatless Pierogies Stroganoff -  This recipe can be served over pasta, potatoes, or rice as well. Another tasty comfort food recipe sure to be a family favorite!

It Couldn't Be Easier Potato Soup - Starts with a can of Nacho Cheese Soup and tastes delish. So quick and easy, they'll come back for more.

Okay! Here Are Lenten Posts From Others

What are you waiting for? Share your links with me in the ComBox and I'll add them here!

Emily from Our Home...Under Mary's Mantle is certainly not lacking ideas on how to fully immerse your family in Lenten devotions. Click over to For The Love of Lent…  for some great inspiration!

Tracy from A Slice of Smith Life shares a ton of ideas in her post, Christmas is Over, Feast Days and Lots of Lent Posts! Take a look and be inspired!

Chris from Campfires and Cleats has a mega post, 

7 DIY Lenten Crafts & Books ~ Wreaths, Crown of Thorns, Mercy Crosses, Crucifixion Art, Books, just chock full of ideas. You won't leave her blog without some great ideas!

If you're looking for something that's all neatly planned out and ready to use, you have to check out Monica's Family Rosary for Lent this year? New Mysteries of the Rosary Craft Kit! over on Equipping Catholic Families.

Are you looking to begin the good habit of saying a family Rosary? Then Jennifer's Lacing Rosary Set - Get a Good Habit Started! will offer you a great project. Check out Catholic Inspired for other, equally great ideas. Jennifer posts often.

Abortion and Class Discrimination

When we think of discrimination we often leap to an image of race. Yes, race discrimination is certainly an atrocity and we see it often - even in the choice of location for abortion facilities and the percentages of those affected. That abortion centers are primarily located in poorer, black neighborhoods has been documented. After all Margaret Sanger's intent was to eliminate the 'human weeds' among us - all the way to eugenics.

There are other classes of people who are cast aside when it comes to shielding babies from abortion, however. As a society, we've come to accept the abortion 'exceptions'. That small, but nonetheless worthy, segment of society is those who were conceived in rape or incest.

This is a deeply flawed attempt to deflect from the real issue of the humanity of any unborn child, by employing hypotheticals. “What about the rape or incest conceived child?” we are asked. If we allow ourselves to be distracted from the main issue - the humanity of all of the unborn - we do a diservice to humanity and to the unborn.. If we stray from the reality of the humanity of the child, we endanger our message – all life is precious. In the eyes of God, the wanted and the 'unwanted' are equally worthy. We must not allow our message to be diluted or we surrender to a world that will always allow abortion in some instances.

Classes of Discrimination

A child conceived in rape is no less human; she is no less a child of God. She is a gift to the world, brought about in a horrific way, but not at the expense of her worth. Her mother underwent a traumatically violent experience, yet this has no bearing on her right to live. The sins of the man who violated her mother could never be justly rectified by another act of violence against an innocent.

And what about the complete, yet developing baby before she hits the 20 week milestone? Again, if we allow our resolve to become dependent on specifics, our message is diluted. If the child couldn't feel pain, would it be okay to kill him? Of course not! That's why I'm uncomfortable with setting criteria for the worth of preservation. A child will turn away from a prodding tool in the womb when he is much younger than 20 weeks, but even if he didn't would he be any less human?

Tools of Division

Divide and conquer. Deflect and confuse. These are the tools of abortion advocates. We must not allow them to weaken our case. It's easy to become distracted but, in order to do the most good on behalf of our littlest brothers and sisters, we need to stay on course. All unborn children are human - at fertilization. They all have a God-given right to life, as individual people with souls. 

Whether they are at the earliest stages of development, how they were conceived, and if they feel pain really isn't the issue. These are simply details that can be applied to their description - just as they can be described as black/white, male/female, blue/brown eyed, Catholic/agnostic, or heterosexual/homosexual. These descriptive details have absolutely nothing to do with their worth or their rights. 

Let's support all humans. No exceptions, no distractions, and no compromise!

Amazing Facts About the Miraculous Life of the Unborn

My passion for prolife advocacy is pretty obvious to anyone who even marginally knows me. As an art major in college, I honed not only my creative side, but my public relations skills. These two gifts made the perfect combination for all of the jobs I have ever held - from Executive Director (x2) of a prolife organization to Field Representative for Congressman Ron Lewis (R-KY) who was truly prolife.

Back in the day my favored media consisted of pencils and paper or paint and canvas. As the world become more computerized, the use of graphic design and photography stepped up as the media of the day.

As our family grew and extended into grandchildren, I picked up my camera and compulsively documented their every move. Those babies just make me smile. So it was a natural progression to seize the day and share my images in an effort to win hearts for life. 

This series of 10 Amazing Facts about the unborn was born of an effort to modernize my prolife posters. I experimented with dimension while using photos of now 6 year old Simon. The facts were taken from an article that appeared on LifeSiteNews (my favorite prolife publication).

The first step to changing hearts for life, is educating the public with facts and soft images. We need to humanize the unborn.

I hope you enjoy these posters and consider sharing them to your Facebook friends from my album here.

Is Designs by Birgit Sheenazing?

WoooHooo! Sheenazing! 

I don't know what else to say about being an official nominee for the 2015 SHEENAZING Awards! The nomination for an award with such an amazing (Sheenazing) name is certainly an honor and I want to give many thanks for being included.

You can vote here. Designs by Birgit is listed under the 'Smartest Blog' entry. I know, LOL!

You may or may not know the specifics of Designs by Birgit so I'll introduce myself as a Catholic, prolife, mother, wife, and Nana. My aim is to share my faith, through creativity, with anyone who reads or views my offerings.

The topics on the Designs by Birgit blog range from encouragement to fellow Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to a bit of homespun fun. An experience in my youth brings a fervent need to share the prolife message. And my love of family drives attention to posts about homeschooling, crafts, sewing, cooking, and such. As an Art Major, I like to share my own creative work - especially photography.

All of the posters and most of the photos you see are my own work and can be freely shared - as long as my copyright/watermark stays in place. So far my prolife posters have been used all over the US of A as well as in other countries such as Ireland and Brazil.

I know several of the nominees and am a fan of some that I don't know. Best wishes and good luck in being as Sheenazing as you can! You can vote here. Designs by Birgit is listed under the 'Smartest Blog' entry. I know, LOL!

+JMJ+

The hostess of these awards, Bonnie from A Knotted Life, has this to say in explaining this award:


"The Sheenazing Blogger Awards are named for Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. Sheen was amazing at using the newest forms of media to communicate the beauty of the Catholic Church and his love of Christ to the world. I'm positive that Sheen would be a blogger were he alive today and that he is in Heaven, totally approving of this award."

You can vote here.
Designs by Birgit is listed under the 'Smartest Blog' entry. I know, LOL!