be pro-life- smile at a mom & her screaming toddler

Pro-lifers are readying themselves for the annual March for Life  Different groups are doing different things, but prayer and demonstrations seem to be the popular manifestations for this time.  

If we say that we are pro-life- let's mean it and show this with our actions! Prayer is a beautiful thing, but maybe that mom needs your help with opening that door- she has 2 kids in her arms.  Please don't joke that that family needs a television; it's insulting and anti-life. Bring a meal to welcome the newest addition and have your teenager mow their lawn- with permission, of course. Hand-me-down clothes are very welcome, but check the clothing for rips and stains. If Goodwill wouldn't sell it, the local big family down the street probably wouldn't wear it to Mass. And perhaps above all, have mercy with little children that are squirmy at church. I guarantee you- the parents are doing their best to wrangle those kids.  They woke up, got the kids ready and out the door when the majority of Americans were still abed. They are in church, trying to instill in their children all the values of Christianity. Give that harried mom a smile as she takes a screaming  three-year old out of Mass. Invite them to your table at coffee and doughnuts. Make that super-sized family (in most parts of the US, any family with over 2 or 3 kids- not applicable to Franciscan U and TAC areas) welcome.

How in the world can inviting a big family to your coffee and doughnut table be pro-life, you ask? We need to build a culture of life where children are welcome. We need to make it easier for a family to have that next kid (perhaps through lower taxation?). Did you know that 60% of abortions are performed on women who are already mothers? (source- the blog "And Sometimes Tea") Prayer is essential, but action is too. If all pro-lifers were active in doing pro-life prayer and work (making meals, knitting booties, working at a soup kitchen, calling a new mom, mowing lawns, painting fences, fixing vans, babysitting for nothing or nominal fees, whatever is appropriate to the stage in life and ability or talent), we would make it less scary for these moms to welcome life even in difficult moments.

This post was inspired by an old post I read at Abigail's Alcove about needing help and not really getting it when her very ill baby was in the NICU 

Blessed Nativity Fast, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from priest's wife!

2017 has not been a good year in blogging for me. Only 13 posts. My peak was 2012 with 198 posts. Am I still blogging? Hmmm....with 13 posts in 2017, I don't think that qualifies as blogging. And this is not the sort of blog that can survive on a blog post every 3 months and 1,000+ comments of 'I love your blog! You are awesome! We love whatever posting you can do! You do you!' Somehow, even over the internet, everyone knows who the cool kids are. Wow- how INFP of me... anyway...

Click HERE for every post of mine with the label of 'Christmas' 

whether or not I blog- I pray you are having a blessed nativity fast

a guest post: reflecting on babies, fasting & spiritual health

"When a new baby is around, it's very rare for the softness of their skin NOT to be remarked upon. Why? Because, quite simply, it's remarkably soft & smooth. Worthy of remarking upon. When caring for the skin of my sweet boy today, the contrast between his skin & mine was easy to see. 

I'm more weathered, & my first thought was to lament my aging skin. It's been around for 37 years, & my freckles, scars, stretch marks, & fine lines are here to tell many tales. However, I was able to turn my lamentation into thanksgiving & appreciation. My eyes' fine lines reveal a lifetime of emotions experienced, the good & bad. The lines around my mouth & the grooves where my dimples hide speak of countless smiles. The stretch marks on my belly are scars from many victories & one terribly painful yet life giving loss. The callouses on my hands & feet are from hard work & adventuring, game playing & dancing, writing & being stepped on by the precious ones always at my feet. 

My second thoughts were of how hard we strive to take care of our skin as we age. We notice wrinkles, discoloration, dry skin, & yellowing teeth, so we buy creams for our eyes, use oils, put hope in lotions that promise intense moisturizing results, & hunt for the ultimate whitening toothpaste. 

If only we noticed the signs that our souls are taking a beating or being neglected just as easily! We look closely at our hands, feet, hair, face, teeth, & bodies so often, but do we really take the time to look closely at the condition of our souls?

 I strive for nightly reflection, but I will certainly admit to occasional weeklong neglect when it comes to deep contemplation. 

Would I ever not brush my teeth for a week? 

Certainly not! 

How dry, wrinkled, & stained have our souls become? May we notice the signs & care for our souls, for they are lasting! For they are so much more precious than these bodies we will leave behind! Let us nourish them in the Lenten Spring! One thing is for sure, I'm hoping to make it a point to brush my teeth & apply rosehip oil to my face as reminders to care for my soul from this day forward. So let it be posted. So let it be done!" ---Susan Deane

This reflection is perfect for the beginning of the Dormition Fast! Thank you, Susan! 

7 reasons to say YES & marry your Byzantine Catholic seminarian boyfriend

In 2013, I wrote a post entitled '7 reasons NOT to marry your Byzantine Catholic seminarian boyfriend,' I was informed recently that this post betrayed my bitter and resentful heart, the ranting of a priest's wife who perhaps does not want to be one. As you might surmise, I disagree 100% with my critic and stand by my realistic view of married clergy life. I did feel inspired, however, to write a positive post with no qualifications or cautionary tales. Read my 'don't marry him' post for the other side if you like!

  "Marriage is a duel to the death which no man of honour should decline." G.K. Chesterton 

seminarians in the old country wear clerics... and get married in them

1. Why marry a seminarian? He is bound to be the spiritual head of the household- your own Saint Joseph, protector and provider for your family.

2. You will build character. You will be challenged. You will work on virtue. 

3. You can be assured that your husband is constantly praying for grace in marriage and for your salvation. Lots of husbands are like this, but a priest-husband is the best of them all when it comes to prayer for family. He sees the 'wages of sin' up close every day, so a holy priest-husband is alert to attacks from the evil one and prays and uses the sacraments to ward them off. 

4. You will build a strong family culture- father, mother and children. Besides confession and financial council meetings, the family will do just about everything with father, helping the church ministry. Your clergy family culture will mean that you all depend on each other because not many other people will understand your life with its triumphs and challenges. You will develop plenty of family culture inside jokes and 'auto-pilot' ways of getting through the week. Family traditions will come about- very different than other families, but good for you! Perhaps Saint Nicholas does not come until the afternoon; this was true for us for about 12 years. We are also blessed to have extended family comprised of devout Catholics because it really is we plus the extended family 'against the world.' 

5. You really will be the reason why he is able to minister to people on the saddest, most tragic, worst days of their lives. Knowing that there is a family at home depending on him will motivate him to work hard for the kingdom of God- and for you. Knowing that there is a wife waiting at home with a cup of chamomile tea might make it easier to make a sick call in the middle of the night!

6. You will be honored by being close to God is His sacraments. You will most likely need to be at every marriage, baptism and funeral to support your husband in his ministry. You will probably help at the house blessings as well, seeing families in their natural setting and getting to know them better. Because we borrow space from a Roman-rite parish, we have to reserve the Eucharist in our home for the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy on weekdays during the Great Fast. There is a lot of grace waiting for you and the children there in the little tabernacle. 

7. When he is dismissed, discounted, disrespected because of his marital status, you and the children will make it worth it. You, wife of a Byzantine Catholic or Orthodox seminarian, will have a front-row seat to seeing God's grace in action! The sacraments of marriage and holy orders really do work if we let them!

are cute puppies & kittens Satan's minions?

Wait, what? "Did you really say that cute puppies and kittens are workers of Satan, Lucifer, God's archenemy? Okay- priest's wife: you have proven yourself to be a hypocrite. Not only do you have a pet cat named Lucky who is pampered with soft food once a week:

You, priest's wife, also have a standard poodle named Duke that either travels with you (sometimes cuddling on daughter #1's lap in the van, naturally) or is put up in a $50 a day kennel (The Happy Dog Inn) when needed. 

Yes, dear readers, and we also have fish- a beta and two goldfish with Lord of the Rings-themed names that I cannot recall at the moment.

And I enjoy our pets. We take care of them as best as we can, remembering that they are animals without souls. They get doctor visits and food and exercise and a hug now and then. But they are not our babies. 

So, why would I wonder if dogs and cats were 'Satan's minions?'

I came across this 'news' item today: 'GoDaddy pulls Superbowl Ad after PETA complaints about Puppy Mill Humor." Here is the advertisement in question:

While I am very much against puppy mills (Duke was a rescue from a family farms with just too many poodles and Lucky was given to us from a family friend), this backlash against a silly ad and the passion for puppies over humans makes me believe that we are turning a corner in human history. For many people, human babies are disgusting, bothersome, inconvenient creatures, but one can call their puppy or kitten their 'baby.' PETA does not believe that it is strange that their formal policy on human abortion is explained away thus: "And just as the pro-life movement has no official position on animal rights, neither does the animal rights movement have an official position on abortion." 

No, we just want to know if human life can be valued over animal life. When puppies and kittens are valued over human life, they are 'satan's minions,' distracting us from the eternal. 

In 2014, people in the US spent $350 million on Halloween costumes for their pets. There was a 6.5% rise on 'pet services' like grooming from 2012 and 2013 for spending in this category at 4.4 billion. This is when the overall US economy had a 'real growth rate' of 1.8%. And at least 1,000,000 human babies are aborted every single year.

Our priorities are changing. At a work-related dinner party recently, pet cat and dog videos were shared and cooed over among the diners. But it was clear that my children's exploits were not a welcome part of this adult conversation. But then, my baby girl is five years old, not as sweet-looking as a new baby puppy:

Our pets, however beloved and cared for, are not eternal. We should put most of our effort into the eternal: our soul and the care of the human people that God has entrusted us: our friends and family. C. S. Lewis wrote: 

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”

Let us focus on the eternal.

be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful

"I also will pray. I will beg our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ that he condemn this man to the deepest darkest pit of hell. I will beg Saint Michael Lord of the Host to intercede to keep this most demonic man in external pain and damnation separate from union with our Lord. We are all sinners, and I am one of the worst, but the Church teaches us there are different types of sin. This man had so many times to change course. Father Emmons prayed with an entire prayer circle for this demonic witch-doctor for over 15 years, yet for more than 15 years heaven had to watch the souls of the unbaptized innocents torn apart. 

This man kept the severed feet of babies on his desk, for Pete's sake. 

I will pray, I will pray hard for the external damnation of Gosnell and all murderers of the innocents like him, who right now, after complete knowledge of what just happened are tearing apart babies as we speak!"

This is a comment from 'The Bard' at Creative Minority Report, responding to a post which stated that Gosnell will receive life in prison instead of the death penalty for his crimes against the young. I was shocked that someone would take credit for such a comment and link their blog to it. 

I am not reflecting today on whether Gosnell should have received the death penalty. Abby Johnson doesn't feel that Gosnell should receive the death penalty while 'The Crescat' feels that society has the right to call for this.

I am not a philosopher able to answer the question "can God make a stone too large for Him to lift up?" but St Michael will not, cannot intercede to aid someone in going to hell. 

Pro-lifers are hurting; they hurt whenever one of these horrible abortion stories is on their newsfeed. Pro-lifers are weary of praying and working for the millions of hurting, exploited women. They sometimes cry themselves to sleep, mourning the loss of that baby they couldn't save that day at the abortion clinic. 

But we must be merciful as our Father is merciful. We must emulate Jesus and pray "not my will, but Your will be done." God wills that all will beg for His mercy. We have no right to pray for someone's eternal damnation. As a convert, one of the aspects of the Catholic Church that I love is that she declares persons saints- basically that person is officially in heaven. The Church does not officially declare anything about the state of the soul of a sinner. The Church lives in hope. Shouldn't we do the same? 

Quick Takes- Choose Life

This week commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Roe versus Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand in the USA. There have been an estimated 55 million legal abortions since then.

1. If you or a friend is suffering from the effects of abortion, perhaps Rachel's Vineyard could be the start of healing.

2. Small Things posted a wonderful link about Mary's Shelter, four homes for women in crisis pregnancies. They can stay as long as they need to! Click on the embedded video- just beautiful.

3. Have you watched this video entitled 'I Like Adoption?' We also have friends who have a 'United nations-style' family. They are really special people and the adopted children bring so much to the family life.

4. Jen Fulwhiler of Conversion Diary (and suffering from blood clots in the lungs while pregnant with her sixth child!) wrote a piece on why she used to be rabidly pro-choice. The title is 'Why My Support for Abortion was based on Love (and Lies)." It's a good reminder that we need to build a society where welcoming a child in a crisis situation won't be a disaster for the mother...in my opinion, economics more of a 'distributionist' variety would meet that goal.

5. The pro-abortion stance is changing from 'it's just a bunch of cells' to 'it doesn't matter if it's life.' The stance has to change because science is catching up very inconveniently. Viability? Well...that number is getting smaller and smaller as medical technology is becoming more advanced. The pro-abortion stance has to become like the opinions of journalist Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com. Her latest article is entitled "So What If Abortion Ends Life?" with the tagline "I believe that life starts at conception. And it's never stopped me from being pro-choice." Her honesty and flippancy is just a bit more elegantly put than the "Happy 40th Anniversary, Baby" video that I posted yesterday. The new direction of the pro-abortion argument is that much of life does not deserve to be on this earth.

6. "So what if abortion ends life?" Mary Elizabeth? Well-  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. " Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

7. Some very serious words on abortion from the Church fathers:

The wealthy, in order that their inheritance may not be divided among several, deny in the very womb their own progeny. By use of' parricidal mixtures they snuff out the fruit of their wombs in the genital organs themselves. In this way life is taken away before it is born .... Who except man himself has taught us ways of repudiating children?"  St. Ambrose of Milan ca 339-397 A.D.-Hexameron 

Why sow where the ground makes it its care to destroy the fruit? Where there are many efforts at abortion? Where there is murder before the birth? For you do not even let the harlot remain a mere harlot, but make her a murderer also. You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder; or rather something even worse than murder. For I have no real name to give it, since it does not destroy the thing born but prevents its being born. Why then do you abuse the gift of God and fight with His laws, and follow after what is a curse as if a blessing, and make the place of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter? St. John Chrysostom ca 340-407 A.D.-Homily 24 on Romans

more quick takes at conversion diary

Let's Respect Human Life

"Sweeter even than to have had the joy of caring for children of my own has it been to me to help bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them." Susan B. Anthony 1889

"When we consider that woman are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."  Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1873

"I am in no position to judge other women, you know. But I mean, why did she get pregnant? It's not good for women to go through the procedure [abortion] and have something living sucked out of their bodies. It belittles women. Even though some women say, 'Oh, I don't mind to have one,' every time a woman has an abortion, it just crushes her self-esteem smaller and smaller and smaller." Dolores O'Riordan: Lead Vocalist, The Cranberries: (Source: You! June/July 1996)

"But despite their differences of nature and moral gravity, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree. It is true that in many cases contraception and even abortion are practiced under the pressure of real- life difficulties, which nonetheless can never exonerate from striving to observe God's law fully. Still, in very many other instances such practices are rooted in a hedonistic mentality unwilling to accept responsibility in matters of sexuality, and they imply a self-centered concept of freedom, which regards procreation as an obstacle to personal fulfillment. The life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs, and abortion becomes the only possible decisive response to failed contraception."  Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 13, March 25, 1995

If you or a friend have been hurt by abortion, there are places of healing- the one I know of is Rachel's Vineyard which offers help from Catholic and other Christian perspectives. Feminists for Life and Atheist & Agnostic Prolife League would be resources for abortion healing with a secular focus. 

LIFE- worth fighting for

"Sweeter even than to have had the joy of caring for children of my own has it been to me to help bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them." Susan B. Anthony 1889

"When we consider that woman are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should Treat our  children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."  Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1873

"I am in no position to judge other women, you know. But I mean, why did she get pregnant? It's not good for women to go through the procedure [abortion] and have something living sucked out of their bodies. It belittles women. Even though some women say, 'Oh, I don't mind to have one,' every time a woman has an abortion, it just crushes her self-esteem smaller and smaller and smaller." Dolores O'Riordan: Lead Vocalist, The Cranberries: (Source: You! June/July 1996)

I found the above video link at Faith and Family Live, and I just had to share it here. Gloria Purvis is speaking from a Catholic standpoint, but I think many other Christians and freedom-loving Americans will find truth here, too. If you or a friend have been hurt by abortion, there are places of healing- the one I know of is Rachel's Vineyard which offers help from Catholic and other Christian perspectives. Feminists for Life and Atheist & Agnostic Prolife League would be a resource for abortion healing with a secular focus. 

"But despite their differences of nature and moral gravity, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree. It is true that in many cases contraception and even abortion are practiced under the pressure of real- life difficulties, which nonetheless can never exonerate from striving to observe God's law fully. Still, in very many other instances such practices are rooted in a hedonistic mentality unwilling to accept responsibility in matters of sexuality, and they imply a self-centered concept of freedom, which regards procreation as an obstacle to personal fulfillment. The life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs, and abortion becomes the only possible decisive response to failed contraception."  Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 13, March 25, 1995

UPDATE:

A pro-life thing we can all do today: DONATE to Malcolm's adoption fund so he is not sent to an adult mental institution.

for all human life

In the next 40 days, many are praying for the sanctity of human life to be upheld and supported. May women in difficult situations be inspired to choose life, and may they be supported in overcoming whatever hardships would cause them to abort their child. And may we all really understand the underpinnings of the militantly pro-abortion groups. Here's a little hint:

read more at What Does The Prayer Really Say

Crafters for Life

Have you seen this youtube video where a Vietnamese man has single-handily saved at least 50 babies from abortion? This video was an inspiration to the Little Flowers Catholic Girls club, and they are slowly starting a crafting club to aid crisis pregnancy centers and perhaps orphanages. Only time will tell how far they go.

PrettyHappyFunnyReal--- Crafters for Life

To be Mary and Martha simultaneously---My daughters decided to extend their fun after a year of Little Flowers Catholic Girls' Club, so they got some friends to form 'Crafters for Life,' a group that meets to crochet, knit and sew baby goods to donate to the local crisis pregnancy center. They are starting small, but it is a dream for them to actively use their talents for a pro-life cause.

Pretty

little baby booties for a precious life made by a young crafter

Happy

girls sewing and some projects to donate to the center---my girls are so happy that their dream is coming true to help babies and inspire mothers

Real

Making hand crafts means reading directions and tearing out a few hours of work when the pattern just isn't coming together. It can also mean tired hands and eyes- But every stitch is a prayer....The video below was an inspiration to my oldest daughter. She wants to do something similar for life, but for now, she is making crafts for babies in her own backyard.

Rachel weeping for her children

There is no utopia here on Earth. While we set off fireworks and sing anthems to the greatness that is the United States (for fellow American readers), we know we aren't perfect and we fall short of our constitution and God's laws. Our true citizenship lies with Heaven. We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.

But even though we fall short, there is such an evil in communist China today with their one-child policy that forces sterilizations and abortions on women. Women's rights to basic health care, education, safety and other freedoms (the vote, right to own property, right to hold a passport) are a challenge throughout the world, but China is able to continue their abusive and satan-inspired policies with impunity. They are so huge economically. The West depends on their cheap goods. The West depends on China's buying of their debt. 

Watch this video (found at deltaflute's blog)(the middle of the video has a sad, disturbing image- skip over if you are sensitive- I closed my eyes) for a little 'inspiration' to work harder at boycotting Chinese goods as much as possible....I just got an old, American made sewing machine. The interior is all steel- not plastic components like the new Chinese made ones. A little creativity goes a long way...try clicking on my label 'shopping' for older blog posts on China and shopping.

TMI Re: NFP

Don't worry; I'm not going to regale you with tales of CM....but NFP has been on my mind after reading Simcha's post and the subsequent comments. The original writing speaks for itself; I certainly couldn't have said it better....but Mr. 'Last Catholic in Boston' in the combox inspired this post.

Remember when, as a teenager, you said "Everybody's doing it" as a response to Mom and Dad being so mean as to not let you stay out until midnight on a school night? Mom and Dad knew that everybody was not doing it; in fact, all the teenagers were using the same argument in the hopes that their parents would fall for it.

What does this have to do with NFP and passionate commenters? Well- everybody (some statistics state that 90% of baptized, married Catholic couples use artificial birth control- I can't believe that it is that bad) is doing it, using artificial means to avoid a pregnancy. We remnant of remnant-type people who follow the Church's teaching on life are not immune to criticism from the super-duper trads, however. From what I could surmise, 'Last Man' believes that if a couple isn't actively seeking pregnancy, the couple needs to abstain for months and years on end instead of using the signs of fertility that God has given us. Then WHY- 'Last Man' did God give women monthly cycles?

One use for NFP (ignored by 'Last Man')- or simply being aware of a body's cycles- is to actually try to conceive or stay pregnant. Here's where the TMI comes in: After Baby #2 was born, I got sick (black mold in clergy housing....long story) and had lupus symptoms. We lost our next pregnancy at 20 weeks.  Then, I experienced what may have been very, very early (less than a week) miscarriages. So....I got a pro-life doctor to give me a standing prescription for progesterone to take when I could be less than a week pregnant to sustain the pregnancy. He also gave me blood thinners to counteract any autoimmune problems that would attack the placenta as it had with the 20-week old. Not very romantic, but it is not against Church teaching to sustain the pregnancy this way after natural conception. So- using NFP made it possible to know when I was pregnant so I could take the drugs to stay pregnant. And we have two extra-special, much-loved kids because of that. So take that, 'Last Man'!

In any case, Simcha has it right- the percentage of couples that don't use artificial means to prevent pregnancy is sadly minuscule- can't we NFPers and really-big-family-types all get along?


totally off-topic- but if you don't follow "Like Mother..." read this post anyway- it's the best ever!

Pro-Life Ninjas

According to Google News:

Gabrielle Giffords (Democrat congresswoman critically injured in Arizona shooting)- 30,000 news items in past month
Jared Loughner (mentally-ill shooter in Arizona)- 18,500 news items
+Judge John Roll (Conservative federal judge killed in shooting)- 4,420 news items
Kardashian family- 2,990 news items

March for Life 2011- 760 news items

Simcha calls them "pro-life ninjas;" nobody sees them even though they march in thousands. cartoon: Getty Images

Babies are...

So, if babies are not the enemy, why does the United States abort minimally 846,181 pregnancies (In 2006, 846,181 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). I chose this statistic because I am sure it minimizes the impact of abortion so I could not be accused of bias) a year? What are the causes for so many abortions- many sources putting the abortion number at 1.5 million per year. If babies are not the enemy, what is?

• poverty
• a promiscuous society and
  
• general dehumanization are a few reasons why abortions are so common.

Although women can and must always choose good over evil, staring at an empty cupboard must make it more difficult to choose life. Living in a society where there are very few good jobs which don't require higher education (an education that is financially out of reach for much of the U.S. population) also contributes to this poverty. Times have changed. When I was a young child, there were four kids, only my dad worked (at a job which did not require a college degree), and we had a house and a half acre to play around in. Now, living in the same area, my four kids have a townhouse with a cement patio even though they have a mom with a Master's degree who works part-time and a dad with two Master's who has a good full-time job. We are by no means poor, but it seems to be harder to earn a good living nowadays.

I was picking up my big girls from choir when there was a debate over music perferences. My girls said they enjoy classical music along with Elton John and the Beach Boys. A few of the kids made fun of them; I tried to be a cool mom and suggested to them that they go to youtube and find the 'backing up song.' Basically, it shows how talking can be turned into a pop song with a computer and autotune. A cute little boy- the one who still sings the soprano parts- mentioned that Katy Perry uses auto-tune more than Lady Gaga. Says he: Gaga is the true artist whose meat dress will soon be in a museum. It is a promiscuous society that allows an eight-year old boy to listen to and watch the videos of these two so-called artists. When a good boy with an intact family finds their music and videos to be acceptable, we are setting ourselves up for acceptance of evil- one of those evils being abortion.

A 6-pound baby was found in the garbage today, just another news item on the radio. My last baby was 4 pounds, and her neighbor in the NICU was born just under 2 pounds. So, this is personal; I admit it. When a society condones the dehumanization of the smallest, weakest and oldest, it is a sick society. Yes, the ancient Spartans would expose an imperfect child to the elements, but aren't we supposed to be better than that now? For believers, we are all sanctified by Christ. We are made in God's image, so all life is sacred. For others, science shows us that humans develop from a fertilized egg and are always human. The fetus, no matter how small, never was something other than human. But in the early months, the baby looks strange, so we can destroy the life? Analyze a two-year old's face. His proportions are different than a teenager's. Then, compare the teenager with a middle-aged adult. They will also look different from each other, but they look the way they do because of the stage of development they are in.

My theme needs to be developed much more- Red Cardigan's blog is a good pro-life blog to peruse. I just find it sad and ironic every year that Roe v Wade and Martin Luther King Day are so close to one another. Would Dr King be pleased (as Obama celebrated Roe V Wade so his daughters will have choices) that so many African-Americans, a disproportionate number, do not exist because of abortion? He had to know the work of Margaret Sanger, founder of the eugenic Birth Control League, later named Planned Parenthood. King's niece now makes it her life's mission to speak out against abortion, perhaps to heal from the pain of having had two abortions herself. The mercy of God is so great! One last thing...

"There are currently 15,000 mentions of Jared Loughner [shot down 6 in Arizona 2 weeks ago] in the news recently, according to Google. But as of Sunday night there are less than 1,400 mentions of Dr. Kermit Gosnell [soon to be on trial for the murder of two women and for murdering seven babies who survived abortions]. That’s 10 percent. Truly, silence is the deadliest bias." (Creative Minority Report)

update: OK- Fr Barron says it best again.

A Blessed Byzantine Advent

Advent (St. Philip's Fast) begins on Monday for Byzantine Catholics. This is a time of both penance and preparation for the nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. May the light of Christ be with all! (artwork by churchads.net)

The Perfect Catholic Mom

The Perfect Catholic Mom

• doesn't have a television.
• either homeschools with a classical, Catholic-centric curriculum or has enrolled the children in an independent- perhaps Legionaire- Catholic school.
• takes the kids to daily Mass and confession once a week.
• smiles serenely as her husband drinks wine and smokes cigars a la G.K. Chesterton.
• prepares only vegan food every Wednesday and Friday and everyday during the fast periods like Advent (St Phillip's Fast) and Lent (Great Fast) for her Byzantine Catholic family- or meatless every Friday for her Western-rite family.
• doesn't celebrate non-Catholic holidays like Halloween or the secularized versions of Christmas and St. Valentine's Day.
• stays out of politics except to vote.
• only buys fast food during the 40 Days for Life.
• smiles serenely as strangers gawk at her 8 kids at the supermarket.
• knits and/or crochets while she waits for her sons to finish altar server training and/or her girls to finish Little Flowers.
• knows that her kids know their catechism perfectly.
• can keep her kids quiet in church with a simple look and doesn't need juice, a toy or a book to calm her toddlers.
• smiles serenely as her OB/GYN sighs when she comes in for a 12-week pre-natal check-up again.

The Perfect Catholic Mom (TM) is a figment of fantasy, of wild optimism, of impossible expectations and perhaps depression over self-imposed perfection that hasn't been met. Still, many of us Regular, Doing-Our-Best Catholic Moms (TM) find it difficult to reconcile ourselves to reality and our humanity. I am one example of:

The Regular Catholic Mom

• has a television, but most likely with no cable. She likes the kids to be able to watch Blues' Clues while she gets dinner ready. She even might let the kids' see Veggie Tales. Less screaming when Dad gets home. Dad might like to decompress after work with a DVD, as well.
• educates her kids in many different ways. Some kids go to parish schools, and others even might go to a public school. All good, regular Catholic moms, however, know that it is her and her husband's responsibility to be extremely involved in the kids' education. They know what is happening in the classroom.  I, a regular Catholic mom, homeschool my kids, using the resources of a homeschooling, public charter school.
•  is always at Mass on Sundays and major feast days.
• tells her husband that GKC wouldn't want him using Catholicism as an excuse for smoking. I might grumble about a cigar if it isn't to celebrate a new baby.
• struggles with going meatless- it's so easy to throw a chicken in the oven! We have been doing well with going without meat during Advent and Lent- going all vegan is another story.
• lets her kids go trick or treating- just no scary costumes, please! Balance everyone! Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus is fun, but Mrs. Claus- sorry- all bishops are celibate. She doesn't exist- Rudolph also doesn't exist- he's not in the original poem :)
• can be a bit passionate about politics, talking too much at dinner parties and running to turn off talk radio when the kids can hear.
• sometimes has pizza night from Dominos or another place just because it is Wednesday- and perhaps only made it to a pro-life event a few times this year with promises to herself that she'll improve. Meanwhile- where is my knitting bag?
  
  I think you have got the idea! We regular Catholic moms have the same goal as those fictitious perfect moms- we want to do what is right for our kids and help get ourselves, our husbands, and our kids to heaven. We expect a big family reunion- face to face with God and His saints. My greatest hope is that imparting a sense of balance with my kids will help them love the Lord. I might let them buy themselves Silly Bands to trade with girls after ballet, but they will participate in church and be proud of the faith that has been given to them. My big kids will sing in front of a casket at a wake, but I won't expect them to go to the three-hour funeral the next day if they don't  personally know the deceased. We might just say a prayer and make a good dinner for Dad when he gets home.
  
  
  I'm just a regular Catholic mom, 
  doing my best like all the rest- 
  trying to learn to 'smile serenely'...

This Moment- together at last

After 5 weeks in the NICU and with no sibling allowed to touch her, she finally came home. We are blessed to live in a country where siblings are possible; this beautiful picture of brother and sister together is nearly impossible in China.  If interested, please read my post from Tuesday.

Memories from last year