Babies in the womb

In a mother's womb were two babies. One asked the other: "Do you believe in life after delivery?" The other replies, "why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later." "Nonsense," says the first. "There is no life after delivery. What would that life be?" The other replied "I don't know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths." The first says "This is absurd! Walking is impossible. And eat with our mouths? Ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies nutrition. Life after delivery is to be excluded. The umbilical cord is too short." "I think there is something and maybe it's different than it is here" said the other. The first replies, "No one has ever come back from there. Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness and anxiety and it takes us nowhere." "Well, I don't know," says the other, "but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us." "Mother??" said the first. You believe in mother? Where is she now?" Replied the other "She is all around us. It is in her that we live. Without her there would not be this world." "I don't see her, so it's only logical that she doesn't exist" said the first. To which the other replied, "sometimes when you're in silence you can hear her, you can perceive her. I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality...."

Talk of Heaven

"I have become increasingly amazed at how little most modern people think of heaven. Even Church-going believers talk little of heaven, priests preach little on it. Our main preoccupation seems to be making this world a more comfortable and pleasant place. Even in our so-called spiritual life, our prayers bespeak a worldly preoccupation: Lord, fix my finances, fix my heath, get me a better job. Almost as though we were saying, 'Make this world pleasant enough and I’ll just stay here.'” ~Msgr. Charles Pope

Classic quotes

"I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

‎"People travel to wonder
at the height of the mountains,
at the huge waves of the seas,
at the long course of the rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motion of the stars,
and yet they pass by themselves
without wondering. "
— St. Augustine of Hippo

Awesome quotes

‎"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tower high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
— J.R.R. Tolkien (The Return of the King)

“The issue is now quite clear. It is between light and darkness and every one must choose his side.”   (G.K. Chesterton, on his deathbed)

"I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequences of those effects down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives." (Dr. Peter Kreeft)

Parents, be aware! September 15, 2015 (LiveActionNews) -- Imagine sitting down with a 10-year-old child and not just talking to her about where babies comes from, but about her own “sexual rights” as a child in the third grade and how to engage in oral and anal sex to avoid pregnancy. If this seems odd – and inappropriate – to you, then why is Planned Parenthood receiving our tax dollars to do exactly that? Planned Parenthood, the same organization currently under investigation for illegally selling the body parts of aborted babies, has taken on the role of Sex Educator in our public schools, teaching children as young as 10 that they have the right to “sexual pleasure.” The International Planned Parenthood Federation showcases their work with children in their guide EXCLAIM! Young people’s guide to ‘Sexual rights: and IPPF declaration.’ The IPPF’s aim is to guarantee sexual rights for all young people so they are “able to explore, experience and express their sexualities in healthy, positive, pleasurable and safe ways.” IPPF says that sexual rights are the same as all other human rights: “universal, inalienable, indivisible, interrelated and interdependent” – unless of course we’re talking about the right to be born. IPPF actually promotes the idea that “sexuality is a central aspect of being human during all phases of each person’s life.” Here are some more shocking quotes from IPPF’s declaration: 1) “There is a common assumption that young people are incapable of making decisions for themselves, so parents or other adults should have full authority over decisions related to their sexuality.” Yes, young people are incapable of making good decisions until they are well into their twenties. It’s actually scientifically proven, but, as we know, Planned Parenthood is known for its denial of science, especially the fact that life begins at conception. 2) “Since each young person develops at their own pace, there is no universal age at which certain sexual rights and protections gain or lose importance.” So at what age do we protect children from sexual predators who trick them into relationships through lies and deceit? According to IPPF, any child, at any time, could be ready for sex – so who are we to stop them? 3) “All young people are entitled to sexual well-being and pleasure, whether or not they want to have children.” Because apparently pregnancy is not a direct result of sex and children and young people should be free to have sex without having the expectation that they should ever bear a child from it without wanting to. 4) “Everyone has the right to life.” Yes, Planned Parenthood actually admits this. 5) Young people are entitled to “autonomy to make decisions about one’s sexuality in line with the evolving capacity of young people and without forceful interference from parents, guardians or other adult figures.” “Forceful interference from parents”? I think we call that good parenting. 6) Young people are entitled to “removal of laws that require parental, spousal or guardian consent that discriminate against young people based on age or gender and prevent young people from accessing sexual and reproductive health services.” Because you can’t take Advil at school without a parent’s permission, but you can obtain dangerous birth control or receive an abortion that could kill you without your parents’ knowledge. 7) Young people are entitled to “access to a wide range of contraceptives and to the newest advances in reproductive technology.” Because that’s what makes customers for Planned Parenthood – and they make a good amount of money from birth control and other services. And when even that “advanced” birth control fails, guess what? More abortion customers. 8) Young people are entitled to “liberalisation of abortion legislation to enable all young women to access safe abortion care.” Because abortion is where Planned Parenthood makes its real money. Over 51 percent of Planned Parenthood’s clinic income comes from abortion. PP played huge role in creating the National Sexuality Education Standards promoted by the United States government. According to PP, they reach 1.5 million young people each year with their sexual education teachings. This is extremely bad news for our youth and for the future. According to the American College of Pediatricians, adolescent sexual activity is actually detrimental to young people, especially girls. They recommend and endorse abstinence until marriage and say that adolescent sexual activity is “detrimental to the well-being of all involved, especially young women, and society at large.” Children ages 10-19 are at a higher risk for contracting STDs due to an increased number of sexual partners and to the “immaturity of the cervical tissue of girls and young women.” Most teens who have been sexually active regret it. But Planned Parenthood chooses to ignore the science and data once again. Why? Because they make their money by playing the role of the stranger offering candy to children. They tell children they should be having sex and they offer them empty promises and lies. They teach our children how to engage in sexual activities that most of these children have likely never even thought of at 10 years old. They make children feel as though they aren’t normal if they don’t partake in these sexual activities. When these same children become pregnant or infected with an STD after listening to Planned Parenthood’s advice, PP is there to make more money from them. All the while, they are the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing. Nothing but the devil in disguise. (From Lifesite News)

Think you're healthy? Think again!

We all think of ourselves as being generally healthy. Sure, we have a few things that could be improved, but each morning we get out of bed with enough energy and strength to go through the day. We may not get 8 hours sleep, but we get by. We may not always eat healthy, but what we do eat keeps us going. We have our occasional, nagging aches and pains- headaches, joint pains, occasional stomach upset. We take our Tylenol, Pepcid, vitamin supplements. But for the most part, life goes on as usual with only a few bumps in the road. We expect nothing less! We take our basic health for granted. Then in comes microscopic germ warfare for a visit, and not your normal garden variety. Suddenly your expected ability to be able to live your life "normally" disappears. What the heck??! I ache all over and don't have enough strength to get out bed? I can't sit up without extreme nausea and the end result of it? Plain water and saltine crackers don't stay down! Fever comes and goes, with extreme chills. After several days of this, it becomes apparent- I need some help! And after IV fluids and meds for nausea, there is limited improvement- it will take days to recover. Our bubble of health was just popped by some organism we can't even see. It has been the case for me recently after contracting Influenza A- and yes, I had taken the flu shot. These past days spent flat on my back in bed allowed many hours to think. It occurred to me how fragile our balance of life really is. It seems we go through life looking the other way- it won't happen to me. I won't get in a car accident, I won't develop cancer, my children won't be abducted or abused, that violence that happens all over the world won't come here and affect me or my family....I am immune to this. Not so! We are all walking a thin line with our eyes closed. It's important to stop and think just how fleeting our health can be. And it's also important to give thanks every day for the many blessings we have which are expected and taken for granted. Thank you, God, for the gift of health, each day that I have it!

Adopt a Catholic Seminarian

Ten years ago, I would never have guessed I would be on Facebook- and not only every now and then, but daily. The internet age has provided us a way to communicate with others all over the world. When I first joined Facebook I assumed it would be a way to see family pictures of grandkids and that's about all. But I have found many fellow Catholics who share my love of our Church on that site. There are also countless pages dedicated to our faith. It was in February of this year that I saw a post from one of those pages with several comments from others. One comment caught my attention and I "liked" the comment. It was posted by a young seminarian in Uganda, and that day we became friends. We started communicating frequently and I learned a lot within a few weeks. Uganda is an extremely poor country where the average income is a dollar a day. Very few families have electricity or plumbing in their homes. The country is mostly Catholic, and families raise their children in the faith starting at a very young age. Many vocations to the priesthood are the result of frequent, usually daily, family mass attendance. However, seminary education is about 10 years of formation. It is not free, although very reasonable in cost compared to America. Families struggle to assist their sons, and some cannot pay. My new friend had been in seminary for several years and "cost sharing" had more than doubled recently. It was doubtful his family would be able to pay the higher cost. I decided to become his sponsor/benefactor. Since that time, I have gotten to know my young friend very well. We have used Skype several times and I was able to see him, other seminarians and the seminary where he studies. I have seen his family and talked to them. I have learned some of his language called Luo- just a few phrases but enough that his mother (who speaks no English) could understand me. I am so happy to assist him to reach the priesthood! He will be a fine priest in a few years. I hope to travel to Uganda for his ordination. I knew there were many more seminarians needing assistance, so I decided to start a page on Facebook called "Adopt a Catholic Seminarian." I posted pictures and a short description of others needing help. I currently have 7 young men listed, and 3 have received offers of partial assistance. There will be more listed as I know of them. The page just serves as a way to introduce the young men to those who may be able to assist. I suggest getting to know each other first. The cost sharing amount is $250 per semester which averages less than $50 a month. A sponsor can pay all or part of that- any help is greatly appreciated! Any funds are sent directly to the seminarian or to the rector at his seminary. Do you wonder what you can do to promote the Catholic faith? This is one way to do just that, and it is very rewarding. Please send a message to the "Adopt a Catholic Seminarian" page and I am glad to answer any questions. https://www.facebook.com/AdoptACatholicSeminarian

Setting Priorities

I don't have a huge amount of friends of Facebook- less than 300- but it occurred to me that many of my posts may irritate some people. I can imagine some of the thoughts- "is that all she ever posts about?"- "another post about religion"- "she has a holier-than-thou attitude." I admit, most of my posts focus on one thing. But we all post about what is important to us, and a relationship with God is at the top of my list. I do not claim to have the life of a saint! Far from it! But every day I cannot help but focus on that truth. It just is part of me, and comes to my mind constantly. It hasn't always been that way- something changed in me about 10 years ago. Before then, my life didn't include God much. I didn't particularly care about going to weekly mass. Outside of mass I never gave a thought to God. He was there, but in the background. I figured I could put Him off and concentrate on the "important" things. So what is important? Our family, friends, homes, jobs, health, wealth? Yes, to a degree! But our priorities need to look beyond and see the ONLY thing that truly matters! I recently saw a post about Joel Osteen, a wealthy television evangelist who preaches that God wants us to be wealthy. That may be true, but He expects us to use that wealth in ways other than buying multiple homes, private jets, and living like a king. If you are blessed with excess money, share it with those in need. If you don't have a lot of excess money, share as much as you can. I certainly am not rich, but I can look around and see excess in my life. What do I really need in this life? I need a relationship with the God who created me, because in the end, as Mother Teresa once said, it isn't about you and them, it's about you and God. Yes, I am Catholic and firmly believe in our faith. I depend on the sacramental gifts received there, especially the Eucharist. I wish all protestants knew of the joy and strength it provides! If you cannot accept those beliefs and choose to ignore the greatest gift given to us, so be it. I am quite well aware that there are many with a true love of the Lord in other denominations. But all need to have a relationship with God! Get out of the rut that keeps you from knowing Him. Everything you have is a temporary gift which will not last. Our lives are so short and can end at any time. I may have 30 years left, and I may have 30 days. God, help me to see past the clutter I have piled around myself, which blocks my view of You!

How much do we give to God? Something to think about

THE EXAMPLE SET US BY THE HOLY FATHERS CONSIDER the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered -- the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity. How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert! What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs. They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates. They desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them. They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue. Outwardly destitute, inwardly they were full of grace and divine consolation. Strangers to the world, they were close and intimate friends of God. To themselves they seemed as nothing, and they were despised by the world, but in the eyes of God they were precious and beloved. They lived in true humility and simple obedience; they walked in charity and patience, making progress daily on the pathway of spiritual life and obtaining great favor with God. They were given as an example for all religious, and their power to stimulate us to perfection ought to be greater than that of the lukewarm to tempt us to laxity. How great was the fervor of all religious in the beginning of their holy institution! How great their devotion in prayer and their rivalry for virtue! What splendid discipline flourished among them! What great reverence and obedience in all things under the rule of a superior! The footsteps they left behind still bear witness that they indeed were holy and perfect men who fought bravely and conquered the world. Today, he who is not a transgressor and who can bear patiently the duties which he has taken upon himself is considered great. How lukewarm and negligent we are! We lose our original fervor very quickly and we even become weary of life from laziness! Do not you, who have seen so many examples of the devout, fall asleep in the pursuit of virtue! The Imitation of Christ Thomas à Kempis The Eighteenth Chapter

The Divinity of Christ

The doctrine of Christ's divinity is the central Christian doctrine, for it is like a skeleton key that opens all the others. Christians have not independently reasoned out and tested each of the teachings of Christ received via Bible and Church, but believe them all on his authority. For if Christ is divine, He can be trusted to be infallible in everything He said, even hard things like exalting suffering and poverty, forbidding divorce, giving his Church the authority to teach and forgive sins in his name, warning about hell (very often and very seriously), instituting the scandalous sacrament of eating his flesh—we often forget how many "hard sayings" he taught! When the first Christian apologists began to give a reason for the faith that was in them to unbelievers, this doctrine of Christ's divinity naturally came under attack, for it was almost as incredible to Gentiles as it was scandalous to Jews. That a man who was born out of a woman's womb and died on a cross, a man who got tired and hungry and angry and agitated and wept at his friend's tomb, that this man who got dirt under his fingernails should be God was, quite simply, the most astonishing, incredible, crazy-sounding idea that had ever entered the mind of man in all human history. Christ was either God or a bad man. The argument the early apologists used to defend this apparently indefensible doctrine has become a classic one. C.S. Lewis used it often, e.g. in Mere Christianity, the book that convinced Chuck Colson (and thousands of others). I once spent half a book (Between Heaven and Hell) on this one argument alone. It is the most important argument in Christian apologetics, for once an unbeliever accepts the conclusion of this argument (that Christ is divine), everything else in the Faith follows, not only intellectually (Christ's teachings must all then be true) but also personally (if Christ is God, He is also your total Lord and Savior). The argument, like all effective arguments, is extremely simple: Christ was either God or a bad man. Unbelievers almost always say he was a good man, not a bad man; that he was a great moral teacher, a sage, a philosopher, a moralist, and a prophet, not a criminal, not a man who deserved to be crucified. But a good man is the one thing he could not possibly have been according to simple common sense and logic. For he claimed to be God. He said, "Before Abraham was, I Am", thus speaking the word no Jew dares to speak because it is God's own private name, spoken by God himself to Moses at the burning bush. Jesus wanted everyone to believe that he was God. He wanted people to worship him. He claimed to forgive everyone's sins against everyone. (Who can do that but God, the One offended in every sin?) Now what would we think of a person who went around making these claims today? Certainly not that he was a good man or a sage. There are only two possibilities: he either speaks the truth or not. If he speaks the truth, he is God and the case is closed. We must believe him and worship him. If he does not speak the truth, then he is not God but a mere man. But a mere man who wants you to worship him as God is not a good man. He is a very bad man indeed, either morally or intellectually. If he knows that he is not God, then he is morally bad, a liar trying deliberately to deceive you into blasphemy. If he does not know that he is not God, if he sincerely thinks he is God, then he is intellectually bad—in fact, insane. The strength of this argument is that it is not merely a logical argument about concepts; it is about Jesus. It invites people to read the Gospels and get to know this man. A measure of your insanity is the size of the gap between what you think you are and what you really are. If I think I am the greatest philosopher in America, I am only an arrogant fool; if I think I am Napoleon, I am probably over the edge; if I think I am a butterfly, I am fully embarked from the sunny shores of sanity. But if I think I am God, I am even more insane because the gap between anything finite and the infinite God is even greater than the gap between any two finite things, even a man and a butterfly. Josh McDowell summarized the argument simply and memorably in the trilemma "Lord, liar, or lunatic?" Those are the only options. Well, then, why not liar or lunatic? But almost no one who has read the Gospels can honestly and seriously consider that option. The savviness, the canniness, the human wisdom, the attractiveness of Jesus emerge from the Gospels with unavoidable force to any but the most hardened and prejudiced reader. Compare Jesus with liars like the Reverend Sun Myung Moon or lunatics like the dying Nietzsche. Jesus has in abundance precisely those three qualities that liars and lunatics most conspicuously lack: His practical wisdom, his ability to read human hearts, to understand people and the real, unspoken question behind their words, his ability to heal people's spirits as well as their bodies; His deep and winning love, his passionate compassion, his ability to attract people and make them feel at home and forgiven, his authority, "not as the scribes"; and above all His ability to astonish, his unpredictability, his creativity. Liars and lunatics are all so dull and predictable! No one who knows both the Gospels and human beings can seriously entertain the possibility that Jesus was a liar or a lunatic, a bad man. No, the unbeliever almost always believes that Jesus was a good man, a prophet, a sage. Well then, if he was a sage, you can trust him and believe the essential things he says. And the essential thing he says is that he is the divine Savior of the world and that you must come to him for salvation. If he is a sage, you must accept his essential teaching as true. If his teaching is false, then he is not a sage. The strength of this argument is that it is not merely a logical argument about concepts; it is about Jesus. It invites people to read the Gospels and get to know this man. The premise of the argument is the character of Jesus, the human nature of Jesus. The argument has its feet on the earth. But it takes you to heaven, like Jacob's ladder (which Jesus said meant him: Gen 28:12; Jn 1:51). Each rung follows and holds together. The argument is logically airtight; there is simply no way out. What, then, do people say when confronted with this argument? Often, they simply confess their prejudices: "Oh, I just can't believe that!" (But if it has been proved to be true, you must believe it if you really seek the truth!) Sometimes, they go away, like many of Jesus' contemporaries, wondering and shaking their heads and thinking. That is perhaps the very best result you can hope for. The ground has been softened up and plowed. The seed has been sown. God will give the increase. But if they know some modern theology, they have one of two escapes. Theology has an escape; common sense does not. Common sense is easily convertible. It is the theologians, now as then, who are the hardest to convert. The first escape is the attack of the Scripture "scholars" on the historical reliability of the Gospels. Perhaps Jesus never claimed to be divine. Perhaps all the embarrassing passages were inventions of the early Church (say "Christian community"—it sounds nicer). In that case, who invented traditional Christianity if not Christ? A lie, like a truth, must originate somewhere. Peter? The twelve? The next generation? What was the motive of whoever first invented the myth (euphemism for lie)? What did they get out of this elaborate, blasphemous hoax? For it must have been a deliberate lie, not a sincere confusion. No Jew confuses Creator with creature, God with man. And no man confuses a dead body with a resurrected, living one. Here is what they got out of their hoax. Their friends and families scorned them. Their social standing, possessions, and political privileges were stolen from them by both Jews and Romans. They were persecuted, imprisoned, whipped, tortured, exiled, crucified, eaten by lions, and cut to pieces by gladiators. So some silly Jews invented the whole elaborate, incredible lie of Christianity for absolutely no reason, and millions of Gentiles believed it, devoted their lives to it, and died for it—for no reason. It was only a fantastic practical joke, a hoax. Yes, there is a hoax indeed, but the perpetrators of it are the twentieth-century theologians, not the Gospel writers. The second escape (notice how eager we are to squirm out of the arms of God like a greased pig) is to Orientalize Jesus, to interpret him not as the unique God-man but as one of many mystics or "adepts" who realized his own inner divinity just as a typical Hindu mystic does. This theory takes the teeth out of his claim to divinity, for he only realized that everyone is divine. The problem with that theory is simply that Jesus was not a Hindu but a Jew! When he said "God", neither he nor his hearers meant Brahman, the impersonal, pantheistic, immanent all; he meant Yahweh, the personal, theistic, transcendent Creator. It is utterly unhistorical to see Jesus as a mystic, a Jewish guru. He taught prayer, not meditation. His God is a person, not a pudding. He said he was God but not that everyone was. He taught sin and forgiveness, as no guru does. He said nothing about the "illusion" of individuality, as the mystics do. Attack each of these evasions—Jesus as the good man. Jesus as the lunatic, Jesus as the liar, Jesus as the man who never claimed divinity, Jesus as the mystic—take away these flight squares, and there is only one square left for the unbeliever's king to move to. And on that square waits checkmate. And a joyous mating it is. The whole argument is really a wedding invitation. ~Peter Kreeft

And then there was one

At mass last week, during the homily our priest talked about life as a journey. We have many people that are with us during the journey- friends and relatives, spouse, children- as well as countless people we will encounter but never know their name. We get very used to our lives being filled with other people. Most of us don't want to be alone. We like noise- TV, radio, crowded restaurants, movie theaters- it makes us feel somehow alive and connected to life. If we don't have plans to go somewhere on the weekend, we complain that we're bored. It is hard for us to deal with time alone, and we feel lonely and left out when not surrounded by people. It occurred to me that no matter how much noise or how many people we surround ourselves with, at some point we WILL be alone. Totally, achingly alone. It won't matter how important we have been, how much money we make, or how many friends we have. We all will experience dying alone, by ourselves. Sure, there may be others around us at that time. But the instant we take our last breath, we are on our own to face our creator. There will be no supportive friends or relatives- just us alone, face to face with God. What an odd concept for such a noisy, busy world! It's coming to us all, at an unknown time. Just you and me, God. What will I say to you? What will you say to me?

Abortion: A Woman's Right/A Baby's Death

The HHS Mandate prompts me to post this, as well as those who continue to push for "women's rights." I haven't posted on this page for a long time but thought everyone should know what abortion actually is. This is graphic stuff. How is a suction (vacuum) aspiration abortion performed? Suction aspiration, the most common abortion method, is typically performed when the fetus is 6-12 weeks, but can be used up to 16 weeks.  The cervix is dilated, and a hollow plastic tube with a sharp tip is inserted into the cervix and then into the uterus.  An aspirator attached to the tube tears the body of the fetus apart and suctions the pieces through the tube. Source: Willke, John, MD and Barbara Willke. 2003. Abortion: Questions & Answers. Cincinnati: Hayes Publishing Company. How is a D&C Abortion Performed? In a D&C (dilation and curettage) abortion, typically performed in the first trimester, a curette (a sharp looped knife) is inserted into the uterus to scrape its walls.  The curette is then used to dismember the fetus and placenta. Source: Willke, John, MD and Barbara Willke. 2003. Abortion: Questions & Answers. Cincinnati: Hayes Publishing Company. How is an Intracardiac Injection Abortion Performed? In an intracardiac abortion, a needle is guided into the fetus’ heart with the aid of ultrasound, and poison (often potassium chloride or digoxin) is injected, causing an immediate heart attack.  Intracardiac injection is most commonly used for “pregnancy reduction” abortions following in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, if multiple embryos were implanted to increase the likelihood of pregnancy.  In these cases, the procedure is typically performed between 10 and 12 weeks gestation.Intracardiac injection is also used in late term abortions when there is likelihood of delivering a live baby, in order to avoid state laws that would require the baby to be resuscitated and given medical care. Sources: Clowes, Brian, PhD. 2001. The Facts of Life. Front Royal: Human Life International. Jain, John K. and Daniel R. Mishell, Jr. 2001, February. Misoprostol regimens for termination of second trimester pregnancy, Human Reproduction, 16(2).abortion  facts How is a D&X or “Partial Birth” Abortion Performed? A D&X (dilation and extraction) or partial-birth abortion is typically performed in the late second or third trimester.  As with a D&E abortion (see above), the cervix must first be dilated, usually with laminaria (dried seaweed sticks).  Forceps are then inserted into the uterus to grasp the fetus’ legs.  The fetus is delivered breech while the head remains inside the birth canal.  Using blunt-tipped surgical scissors, the base of the skull is pierced, and a suction catheter is inserted to extract the contents of the skull.  This causes the skull to collapse, and the dead fetus is then fully delivered. Despite the fact that the United States Supreme Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2007, D&X abortions are still being performed.  An abortionist can avoid violating the law by first injecting the fetus with a lethal intracardiac injection to ensure that the fetus will already be dead when it is partially delivered. Sources: Goldberg, Carey. 2007. Shots assist in aborting fetuses. Boston Globe, August 10, Health and Fitness section. Willke, John, MD and Barbara. 2003. Abortion: Questions & Answers. Cincinnati: Hayes Publishing Company. How is a D&E Abortion Performed? A D&E (dilation and evacuation) abortion is typically performed in the first half of the second trimester (13-20 weeks), but can be used up to approximately 28 weeks.  At this stage of pregnancy, the fetus’ tendons, muscles, and bones are more developed.  In a D&E abortion, forceps are inserted into the uterus to forcibly dismember the fetus, and the pieces are removed one by one. Larger fetuses must also have their skulls crushed so the pieces can pass through the cervix. Typically, the cervix must be dilated for a period of one to three days prior to a D&E abortion.  This is most often done by inserting laminaria (dried seaweed sticks) into the cervix.  Therefore, a D&E abortion usually requires two visits to the abortion facility. Source: Clowes, Brian, PhD. 2001. The Facts of Life. Front Royal: Human Life International. How is an Instillation (Saline) Abortion Performed? In a saline abortion, amniotic fluid is removed from the uterus and replaced with a saline solution, which the fetus swallows.  The fetus is killed by salt poisoning, dehydration, brain hemorrhage and convulsions. Saline abortions, typically performed in the second and early third trimester, are rarely used today, due to the risk of particularly serious health complications to the woman. Source: Clowes, Brian, PhD. 2001. The Facts of Life. Front Royal: Human Life International. How is a Prostaglandin Abortion Performed? In a prostaglandin abortion, a dose of prostaglandin hormones is injected into the uterine muscle, which induces violent labor resulting in the death of the fetus.  Prostaglandin abortions, typically performed in the second and early third trimester, are rarely used today, due to the relatively high chance that the fetus will survive the abortion and be born alive. Source: Clowes, Brian, PhD. 2001. The Facts of Life. Front Royal: Human Life International. How is a Chemical (Medical) Abortion Performed? In a chemical abortion, also called a medical abortion, a woman is administered an abortifacient compound called mifepristone (also called RU-486 or Mifeprex). Mifepristone blocks the action of progesterone, the natural hormone vital to maintaining the lining of the uterus. As the nutrient lining disintegrates, the embryo starves.  Subsequently, the woman takes a dose of artificial prostaglandins which initiate uterine contractions and cause the embryo to be expelled from the uterus.  Abortions by mifepristone are usually done prior to 49 days gestation. Read more: Abortion Facts - Abortion Facts http://www.whyprolife.com/abortion-facts/#ixzz22QoPnrpx

Upon this Rock I will build my church(es?)

I was driving down the road the other day and had to turn around and get a picture of this sign (click on the picture for a larger image). I had to chuckle when i thought how silly such denominationalism is — and the series of infighting and splits that must have brought this name about.

Think about it! Christians were first called Christians in Antioch in Acts 11:26. Jesus used the word Church in Matthew 16 and 18. From the 1st century, Christian communities were referred to as Catholic — the Catholic Church, as can be seen as early as the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch. And Catholic it from then on. 

Then in the 16th century, Luther came along and broke with the Catholic Church and decided to ditch the name. His group became known as Lutheran. Then a large group broke away from Luther and his new denomination because they rejected the infant baptism of Catholics and Lutherans. They were called Anabaptists — “ana” meaning again — baptizing again.

This group was obviously spawned from the break with Luther in the 16th century (see my article on Baptist Successionism). They eventually shortened the name from Anabaptists to simply Baptists.

Then someone decided to start their own little church within the Baptist tradition when they began to send missionaries around the world — usually to convert Catholics. Their parent group of Baptists must not have been sending missionaries. It was worthy of a split. They must have set themselves apart and taken the name MISSIONARY Baptist Church.

But what happened then? Maybe the Missionary Baptist Church got old fashioned and stoggy and so there was another split and the Progressives started their own denomination. They happily called themselves the PROGRESSIVE Missionary Baptist Church.

But the Progressives started infighting about something or other and finally a group of elders or deacons rose up and split off again and started a new group down the street named the NEW Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.

Now what? Who knows! Tomorrow they may split again and make the FIRST New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church and the Second. And then it will probably split again into the NEWEST First New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church or the Holy First New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. And then we will add multiple sects to the already 33,000 Protestant denominations.

Or maybe they will just chuck it all and call themselves the First Baptist Church and start all over again.

And probably, as actually happenings hundreds of times a day, many will leave these sects and return to the REAL First Missionary Church which understands true baptism and is always progressive. I happen to be speaking of the Catholic Church!

Man, am I ever glad that I left that nonsense and became a Catholic. I think the first name of the Church was the best — and the first teaching as well.

(Shared from Steve Ray's blog. If the picture didn't show up, it was of a church sign for the New PROGRESSIVE Missionary Baptist Church)

Fellowship of the Unashamed

I AM A PART of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.


The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God’s hands. I am finished and done with low living, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith. I lean on Christ’s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God’s grace.

My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I am a Catholic. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

On Sexual Abuse in schools and churches

This was written by John Martignoni and worth sharing:

The priest sexual abuse scandal that was brought to light in the first few years of this new millenium is indeed a shameful chapter in the history of the Catholic Church. Every priest who preyed on and abused any child, in any manner, did an absolutely horrible thing and should be justly punished for their actions.

Having said that, however, I wish to offer a few observations that need to be kept in mind, particularly by those who would, seemingly gleefully, exploit this scandal to further their own anti–Catholic agenda. And, I want to make clear, that nothing I say below is any way, shape, or form, meant to excuse or somehow justify anything that was done by these priests who acted in such a shameful manner.

The first thing I would say is this: Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. If anyone says something to you about the priests scandal, the first thing to do is to acknowledge that is was shameful, sinful, horrible, disgusting, and is indeed a blight upon the Church. But, if someone is trying to use the scandal to promote their anti–Catholic bigotry or some such thing, then the second thing to do is to ask this person if they can name a single Protestant denomination that has not had a minister or ministers commit sexual abuse. Or, one that has not had a minister or ministers commit murder, steal, lie, cheat, engage in adultery, or any one of a number of sins against God and man. They cannot do it because there is no such denomination.

Which means that if the sins of the leaders of the Catholic Church somehow prove that the Church is not of God, or that it is indeed the Whore of Babylon as many of them contend, then the sins of the leaders of any particular faith tradition “prove” that that faith tradition is not of God. Which means then, that there is no faith tradition that is of God, because there is not a single one that has leaders who are 100% without sin.

And, in point of fact, according to studies and surveys done in the last few years, it appears that the incidence of sexual abuse within Protestant denominations is higher than it is within the Catholic Church. Again, not to excuse the actions of a single miscreant priest, but to point out that if non–Catholic Christians are going to be righteously angry about the priest sexual abuse scandal (and they should be), they need to also recognize and be righteously angry about the sexual abuse scandals that are going on inside of their own congregations and denominations.

The Washington Post did a survey a few years ago that showed less than 1.5 percent of the estimated 60,000 men who have been priests in the previous 40 years had been accused of child sexual abuse. Now, there are undoubtedly a number of priests who committed child sexual abuse and were never accused, but there are undoubtedly a number of priests who were accused of child sexual abuse who never actually committed such abuse, but we can’t know for sure what these numbers are either way. The N.Y. Times also did a survey and found that about 1.8 percent of priests ordained from 1950 to 2001 had been accused of child sexual abuse.

So, those are the figures relating to the Catholic clergy, but what about the Protestant clergy? In a 1984 survey, 38.6 percent of ministers reported sexual contact with a church member and 76% said they knew of another minister who had had sexual intercourse with a parishioner. In 1990, a study found that 10% of ministers admitted to having had an affair with a parishioner and 25% admitted to having “some sexual contact” with a parishioner. In a 1993 survey, 14% of Southern Baptist ministers said they had engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior.” In a 2000 report to the Baptist General Convention, it was noted that in the 1980’s, 12 percent of minsters had “engaged in sexual intercourse with members” and nearly 40% had “acknowledged sexually inappropriate behavior.” One thing to note here, is that these figures dealing with the Protestant clergy do not focus specifically on child abuse, but include all manner of sexual sins. The point, though, is that it appears the incidence of sexual abuse amongst Protestant clergy is as serious, if not more serious, than it is among Catholic clergy.

However, specifically in regard to child abuse, in 2002, the Christian Science Monitor reported that, “Despite headlines focusing on the priest pedophile problem in the Roman Catholic Church, most American churches being hit with child sexual–abuse allegations are Protestant.” In Pedophiles and Priests, a work by Penn State professor Philip Jenkins, it was determined that between .2 and 1.7 percent of priests are pedophiles, while between 2 and 3 percent of Protestant clergy are pedophiles. So, according to this study, the number of pedophiles among Protestant clergy range from just slightly higher than Catholic clergy to as many as 10 to 15 times higher than Catholic clergy. Finally, the New York Times reported in 2007, that just three insurance companies that insure Protestant churches said they receive an average of 260 reports a year of children young than 18 being sexually abused by members of the clergy, church staff memers, volunteers, or congregants. In other words, the problem is not one that is found solely within the confines of the Catholic Church.

So, why do you hear so much about the incidence of sexual abuse among the Catholic clergy and little to nothing about the incidence of sexual abuse among the Protestant clergy? A few reasons, but I believe the most important one is that the nice people in the media hate the Catholic Church more than they hate any other Christian church and will use any excuse to try to bring her down. They hate the Church’s stance on abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, contraception, and many other such things. So, because they hate the Church so much, they go after her with great gusto every chance they get, and this priest abuse scandal was like waving a red flag in front of a bull for them.

Another reason for the spotlight shining so brightly on the Catholic Church, is that the abuses of a number of different priests were exposed all at the same time so it seemed like the problem was larger within the Catholic Church compared to anywhere else. The fact is, most of the abuse cases go back to the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. So, when they came out, they didn’t trickle out here and there, they came out all at once. And, because of the size of the Church, compared to any single Protestant denomination, it makes it seem like the problem is more prevalent in the Catholic Church because of the numbers you hear talked about. So, you hear about 40 or 50 priest abusers in one archdiocese on national media one night, while in the back pages of the Eastaboga Times you read about the sexual abuse perpetrated by Pastor Jones over at the 1st Baptist church. The thing is, though, that when you add up all of the Pastor Jones abuse situations in all of the Protestant denominations, it is apparently a bigger problem than that which exists in the Catholic Church.

Which means, again, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Now, is the situation in the Protestant churches something for Catholics to gloat over? “Yeah, we’ve got sexual abuse in our Church, but at least it’s not as bad as what you Protestants have, hah!” No, that should not be the reaction of anyone who calls themself a Christian. Sexual abuse, whether of children or of adults, is a crime that destroys lives, and it is something that we all need to pray comes to an end in both the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. Just as no one should be trying to exploit the situation of the priest abuse scandal to “score” points against the Church, Catholics should not try to exploit the situation of the minister abuse scandal to “score” points against the Protestant denominations. We should all be equally outraged against all of these abuses and work and pray to lessen the incidence of such despicable acts.

One more thing to keep in mind, though, which provides a bit more perspective on the whole situation, particularly as to the motivation of the media – by all accounts, while the sexual abuse problem is bad in the Catholic world and the Protestant world, it is apparently many times worse in the public school systems around this country. It has been reported, by the Journal of Education Research, that as many as 17.7 of males who graduated high school, and 82.2 of females, reported sexual harassment by faculty or staff during their years in school. And consider this, in the State of New York, teachers accused of sexual misconduct cannot be fired. In a 1994 study of 225 cases of sexual abuse by educators, every single one of them admitted the abuse, but not a single one was reported to authorities, and only 2 or 3 of them lost their license to teach. Studies show that up to 5% of teachers sexually abuse children. So, have you heard about this on the nightly news? Of course not! Why not? Because the teachers’ unions and the mainstream media outlets are allies in many areas.

So, is the media zealous in their pursuit of these priest abusers? You bet they are and, quite frankly, I’m glad they are – or else a lot of this crap may have never seen the light of day. My criticism of the media is not that they shouldn’t be exposing abuse within the Church, they should be. My criticism of the media is that their outrage over the sexual abuse of minors appears to be rather selective, depending on who is committing the abuse. They need to go after all incidences of sexual abuse wherever it is found.

So, if someone comes up to you and starts railing on the Church because of the priest abuse scandal, you can agree with them 100% that it is something heinous and scandalous and that every one who perpetrated these crimes and/or covered them up, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and their conversions should be prayed for to the full extent of Christian charity.

But, if they try to use the scandal to start questioning the underlying legitimacy of the Church…its authority…its teachings, then point out the facts as I have above, but also mention that the Church nowhere taught that the actions of these men were ever moral. These men in fact committed acts that were directly contrary to the Church’s teachings and to their oaths. Nor did the Church ever condone these actions. And that a few Bishops covering up for these abusers does not constitute the approval of the Church, it constitutes sin. Even if it is ever found out, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Pope himself knew about the sexual abuse and sought to cover it up or to somehow excuse it, that does still not constitute approval of the Church. It constitutes sin. The Pope can sin right along with the rest of us.

The sexual abuse scandal in the Church should rightly be condemned by one and all, but sexual abuse by ministers outside of the Catholic Church should be condemned just as strongly, as should sexual abuse within the schools. The Church should not escape scrutiny and criticism, but scrutiny and criticism should be applied without prejudice to all. Those who try to exploit the sexual abuse scandal to further their own agenda are loathsome people. Those who simply question the Church regarding the scandal should be given the full facts and the full context of the situation, and should be made to understand that it is not our problem alone.

Our Sad Society

"What has come to pass in our society is most lamentable. There is a terrible moral and religious void. Today all seem frantically directed toward material conquests: make money, invest, surround oneself with new comforts, live the "good life." Few think also of "doing good." God, who should fill our life- has, on the contrary, become a very distant star, to which people look only at certain moments. People believe they are religious because they go to church; but outside of church they want to lead the same life as many others, marked by small or big deceits, acts of injustice, sins against charity, and thus they totally lack coherence." Pope John Paul I

How true today as it was years ago when this was written, and we continue our downward spiral.

A Joyful Attitude

I was reading todays meditation from In Conversation With God by Francis Fernandez. It talks about how our attitude affects others. "Alongside charity we have to also show the world our joy...It is essential to the apostolate. Who would be attracted by a sad and negative critic or gloomy complainer?" (Ouch! I resemble that, as the saying goes, much of time.) "The apostolic fruitfulness of the first Christians was the result, in good part, at their joy in being heralds of the Good News. They were the messengers of the One who had brought salvation to the world. They shone forth as happy people in the middle of a world in anguish. Their happiness spread abroad their faith in Christ. It was a special gift that they shared in their families and among their friends....at every moment, since it was their reason for living."

I had to cringe reading this, thinking back on today as I grumbled and whined at work when it got hectic. I catch myself doing that a lot. I have to make a conscious effort to correct that! What do I have to complain about? I have a job, family, roof over my head and most of all my heavenly Father who is always there for me.

"Let us ask ourselves whether we reflect Christian joy in our ordinary life. We have so many reasons for being happy: the wonder of our divine filiation, the comfort of divine mercy, the knowledge that we are on the road to heaven..., the joy of being able to receive communion often!"

I think I definitely need an attitude adjustment. Per St. Josemaria Escriva in The Forge, number 858: "The first step in bringing others to the ways of Christ is for them to see you happy and serene, sure in your advance towards God." Bingo.

Neverending Light

Jesus, Light of the World
This is one light that will never go out
Fr. Tom Forrest, C.Ss.R

 I want to tell you a story about something that happened to me a long time ago. I had to take a plane trip from Boston to New York City. I got on the plane, and everything began to progress in the usual way. We got clearance from the tower, moved away from the gate, rolled out onto the tarmac, and then stopped moving. And we sat there, and we sat there, and we sat there. Finally, I looked out the window and what I saw was absolute darkness. There wasn’t a single light on in the airport. All the lights had gone out. Then the pilot came on the speaker system and told us that not only were there no lights in the airport, there were no lights anywhere in the city of Boston, anywhere in the state of Massachusetts, or anywhere in the New England region of the United States.

It was the “Great Blackout of New England.” That whole corner of the United States, where sixty or seventy million people lived, was suddenly without light. So, I had to get off the airplane and with great care find my way back to the house where I had been staying. There were no street lights. Traffic was jammed up at every corner. No electric trains were working. There was very little security protection for the people on the streets. Elevators in skyscrapers stopped wherever they were, most of them between floors. People had to walk down from the top of the highest buildings in the world, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, even one hundred floors, to get out on the street and try to get home.

Restaurants couldn’t serve meals. Shopping malls and movie theaters went totally dark. People couldn’t get to the hospitals. Mothers about to give birth had great difficulties. Doesn’t that sound sad? But that’s not the worst. Wait till you hear how sad it gets. For thirteen or fourteen hours, that whole area of the world was without television. How sad! What were they going to do with their lives? How could life be worth living without television?

Best-selling books were written about this great blackout. They even made a comical movie telling the story. And for years and years afterward, the people of that area shared with each other their personal experiences of where they were when the lights went out. That’s how powerful an impression the darkness made on them.

People Trapped in Darkness. Now, dear people of God, there are many people in this world, perhaps countless millions, who live their whole lives in darkness. Why? Because they are living without the light that has come into the world. They are living without the light whose name is Jesus Christ.

I’m not just talking about places like Africa or China where there isn’t a strong Christian tradition. I’m also talking about the West. In Europe and the Americas, the light of Jesus Christ is fading. In Ireland, for instance, for the first time in its history, people are saying that young people aren’t coming to church. And in the United States, statistics show how relatively few come to give God Almighty even one hour of the 168 hours he gives us every week.

We had better take notice of this fact because we--let me rephrase that--because you have the job of getting the light back on. It isn’t enough to say, “Well, we have Jesus Christ in our history. We have Jesus Christ in our art, in our music, in our literature.” No, we have to get the light of Jesus Christ shining brightly again in human hearts. And we have to start with our own hearts.

Living without the Light. Being without spiritual light is far worse than being without physical light. Without the light of Christ, we have no protection. The devil loves the darkness. He’s called the “Prince of Darkness.” Without the light of Christ he is free to kill our hope and fill us with fear. Without the light of Christ, we are unable to move forward, unable to grow in holiness as God calls us to. Without the light of Christ, we are spiritually paralyzed, just as those planes on the tarmac, those cars on the streets, those trains in the city, and those elevators in the buildings were paralyzed without the light.

Without the light of Christ, our human actions have no traffic lights. We have no red light saying, “stop,” to our selfish passions, emotions, and self-interest. Even more importantly, we have no green light telling us, “go, get moving,” in accomplishing the good works that God created and destined for us. We have no red light saying, “don’t do evil,” and no green light saying, “go, produce fruit in abundance.”

Without the light of Christ, human beings are engulfed in the utter darkness of egotism and selfishness. Do you know what the selfish person wants? He wants the right to be the only selfish person on earth. He doesn’t want anybody around him to be selfish, but he thinks that being selfish is his right. What a sadness!

Another darkness is resentment. If you have any resentment in your heart, please be healed of it. It does you more harm than the person you’re resenting. It’s poison in your life. Bad memories, bad relationships--this is the darkness for so many people. Greed is another one: wanting more than you could ever use. Imelda Marcos was said to have had three thousand pairs of shoes. I calculated that if she were a centipede, she could put on a new pair of shoes every day for two months. There’s also the darkness of addictions. What a horror in our world! People are addicted to alcohol, drugs, food. What are they hiding from? They’re trying to hide from the darkness, but they only enter into it more and more deeply.

Longing for Peace. For so many people, the darkness in their hearts makes it impossible to say, “I have peace. I have enough.” What a blessing peace is! This is what evangelization is all about. St. John called Jesus the light that shines in the darkness, then he went on to say that Jesus is the light that darkness cannot overcome (John 1:5). Jesus, and only Jesus, can fill our lives with light.

Have you ever lived through a hurricane? I have several times while I was in the Caribbean. During a hurricane, it’s as if your whole world is filled with darkness and wind and rain. But when the hurricane passes, it blows away with it every cloud in the sky, and the sun comes out again. After so much fear and worry, the world is filled with light. That’s the way Christ should come into our lives, bringing us beauty, bringing us color, bringing us goodness. Well, like John the Baptist, each of us must be a witness to the true light that gives light to every man. Our job is to turn the light on in this world so that people can walk in light and never return to darkness.

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied what would happen when the Messiah came. He said that the Messiah would shine on those who sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:79). This isn’t the death that ends our time on earth. It’s the death called sin, the death called fear. This is what you must be doing as an evangelizer. And it’s your mistake and your sin if you don’t get at it. Zechariah’s next words tell us what we have to do: We must guide people’s feet into the way of peace. That’s what we do when we bring light into someone’s life. Now, if you’re in utter darkness, you won’t see where to put your feet. You won’t know where to walk. But the light shows you the pathway, and Scripture says the path takes you to peace.

How many people in the world are hunting for, yearning for peace? All the alcoholics, all the drug addicts, all those mad, mad, shoppers who think material things will give them peace. No, the Prince of Peace gives us peace. Jesus calls himself the Light of the World, the Light of Life (John 8:12). He doesn’t give light to your streets, he puts light, color, joy, happiness, and direction into your very life.

Live as Children of the Light. How good Jesus is to us! This is how he expresses his mission: “The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). Who are the blind? They’re the poor people we’re talking about, the people who are spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically blind. They have no understanding of where they came from, where they are right now, or where they should be going. They are emotionally paralyzed. But Jesus said, “I have come to the world as its light to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the darkness” (John 12:46).

Oh, it’s so beautiful, it’s such a wonderful, kind thing to do. We give it a fancy name--evangelization--but it really means bringing sight to the blind. What an incomparable act of love and kindness to light the pathway of someone who is lost in darkness! What an act of love it is for us to proclaim with Paul, “There was a time when you were darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).

It’s not that you have to go from darkness to light. It’s more than that. You have to go from being darkness to being light in this world. Paul goes on: “Well then, live as children of the light. Awake, O sleeper! Arise from the dead”--from the darkness of the tomb--“and the light of Christ will shine upon you” (Ephesians 5:8-14).

This is why we call the gospel good news. We can walk in the light. Without any doubt, evangelization is the supreme Christian service of teaching the spiritually blind to cry out like that man in the gospel, “Lord! That I might see!” (Mark 10:51). And so many blind will see if they just cry out those words.
 

The Point of It All

The point of Christianity cannot be contained in words because the point of Christianity is the living Christ. He is not an ancient ideal but a real person here and now, ready to barge in and transform our lives. Being a Christian is more like having your soul possessed by a spirit than having your mind clothed with new beliefs. It is more like being well-possessed than well-dressed. It is like being haunted by the Holy Spirit. We are haunted temples.

The love of God is the answer not only to (1) the quest for the supreme value–the summurn bonum–and to (2) the quest for the supreme reality-the fundamental principle of the cosmos-but it is also (3) the answer to a third quest, the quest for life's deepest meaning and purpose.

Kant said there were ultimately only three important questions:

(1) What can I know? (2) What should I do? (3) What may I hope?

What I can know is truth, truth about being. Since the ultimate nature of being is love–either in God or in some creature that reflects God–God's love is the answer to Kant's first question.

Love is also the fundamental value. It is the answer to Kant's second question, "What should I do?" On the two commandments to love God and neighbor "depend all the law and the prophets" (Mt 22:40).

Finally, love also gives my life meaning and purpose. It gives me a goal or a hope to shoot for. Hopelessness means purposelessness. Since the ultimate purpose of my life is to learn to love, love is also my hope.
What to Believe, How to Live, and What to Pray For

Thomas Aquinas said that there are only three things we absolutely need to know, and they correspond nicely with Kant's three questions: what to believe, how to live, and what to pray for. Aquinas then says that the Creed answers the first question, the Commandments answer the second, and the Lord's Prayer answers the third. Therefore if we fully understand just these three things, the Creed, the Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, we will know everything needful, What do these three things have to do with love?

On close inspection, each article of the Creed, each of the Commandments, and each petition of the Lord's Prayer is a form of love. They can be rightly understood only relative to that center. Let us sample each of them to see how this is so.

"I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." The point of each word of this first article of the Creed is unlocked by the key of love if we really think about it. "I"–what is the I? What is the center of the self? What most fundamentally determines who I shall be? Answer: How and what I love. Lovers of God or of self, of good or of evil, of persons or of things-these are different I’s.

"Believe"–what does it mean to believe? What determines belief? Is it logic and evidence? If so, why don't all believe the same things? The evidence and the logic is public and universally available. No, the key to faith is love. We believe only if we love. Trust is the middle term; only if we love, do we trust; and only if we trust, do we believe.

"In"–what is the difference between just believing that and believing in? To believe in God is to trust Him and to love Him. I believe that the sun will appear tomorrow, but I do not believe in the sun as I believe in the Son. Belief that something is so is just an opinion. I would not die for an opinion. But belief in someone is a personal relationship of faith and trust and love. That is worth dying for.

"God"–who is this God we believe in? "God is love."

"The Father"–God is our Father. What does a father do? He loves his children into existence and into maturity.

"Almighty "–why is God almighty? What is the secret of His power? What was the secret of Christ's power? He did not march on Rome with arms. He did not compel anyone's will with miracles. He did not even save Himself from death on a cross. Yet no man ever had more power over the human race. The secret of power is love. Amor vincit omnia: "Love conquers all." It may take time, and it may work invisibly, but it works infallibly.

"Creator"–why did God create? He needed nothing, being perfect and eternal. There is only one possible motive: altruistic love, sheer generosity, the desire to share His goodness and glory with others.

"Heaven and earth"–it follows that Heaven and earth, the whole creation, is a song of love because Love is the singer.

Do you see the pattern? Each article in the Creed, each word of the Creed, is about God's love. Rather than going through every other word in the Creed, I will assume that the pump has been primed and let you the reader finish the meditation. That would have more educational value than leaving someone else do it for you. All you have to do is to think deeply about the meaning of the words, and you will find God's love. You don't have to stretch the point. You don't even have to connect each article with love, as if love were something extraneous. You just have to look, and you will see love lurking there at the center each time.

The same is true, of course, for the Commandments. They are ways of loving. Everyone knows that Jesus made it perfectly clear that "on these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets"–to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is not just that the Commandment to love is the most important one. It is really the only one. "Love, and do what you will", wrote Augustine dangerously but accurately. It is dangerous because the saying seems to invite the misinterpretation that "doing what you will" could be anything at all. But it is accurate nonetheless because if we do love God, then we will love His will and His law. We will keep His Commandments, but out of love and not just fear or even duty.

Each Commandment makes sense only when you see it in the light of love. Take the first, for example: "You shall have no other gods before me." Why? Because God is an egotist? No, because God is a lover. What lover wants half the heart of his beloved? Also God is a realist. He knows that false gods simply cannot make us happy, however many times we are deceived into believing and acting as if they could. Love, of course, seeks the beloved's happiness. It is God's love of us, not self-love, that is behind His jealousy.

The one Commandment that may seem not to conform to the pattern–love does not murder, love does not steal, love does not bear false witness against neighbor–is: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." It seems that it is precisely love that does commit adultery. But it is not true love, not unadulterated love. True love respects marriages and will not lay them waste.

Each of the Commandments is specific and clear. They show us how to act out of love in different situations. We must love only the beloved and not graven images. Love honors the name of the beloved and does not take it in vain. Love takes time, a sabbath, a sabbatical, or a honeymoon with the beloved. Love honors the authors of its being, the father and mother whose love gave birth. Love does not defraud, deceive, debunk, debar, devour, or dehumanize. Love is the fulfillment of the law.

Finally, everything we are commanded to pray for in the world's most perfect prayer–the only one straight from the lips of God Incarnate in direct answer to the request, "Teach us to pray" (Lk 11:1)-is also love.

We call God "our Father" because we believe in His fatherly love and care.

We want His name hallowed and loved and praised, because we love Him and want others to do the same.

We want His kingdom to come because His kingdom is the kingdom of love.

We want His will to be done, even in preference to our own–we will the abolition of our own will when it is out of alignment with His–because we know His will is pure love. Ours is not.

If this is done on earth as it is in Heaven, then we will approach heaven on earth, the annihilation of lovelessness.

We ask for our daily bread because we know His love wants to give it. Love longs to fulfill the needs of the beloved.

We ask to be forgiven as we forgive because love forgives. "It is not irritable or resentful" (1 Cor 13:5).

We ask to be delivered from temptations against love and fromthe evil that comes when love leaves, because we know "the one thing necessary".

Finally, we praise His kingdom, His power, and His glory because they are nothing but the reign of love.

"Why do you speak of nothing else?" "Because there is nothing else." John the Beloved Disciple knew the point of it all.


(This excerpt is taken from chapter two, "The Point Of It All," of The God Who Loves You.)

Excerpt on Sola Fide

The Scott Hahn Conversion Story:

But the more I studied, the more I came to see that for the ancient Hebrews, and in Sacred Scripture, a covenant differs from a contract about as much as marriage differs from prostitution. In a contract you exchange property, whereas in a covenant you exchange persons. In a contract you say, "This is yours and that is mine," but Scripture shows how in a covenant you say, "I am yours and you are mine."

Even when God makes a covenant with us, He says, "I will be your God and you will be my people." After studying Hebrew, I discovered that 'Am, the Hebrew word for people, literally means, kinsman, family. I will be your God and father; you will be my family, my sons and my daughters, my household. So covenants form kinship bonds which makes family with God.

I read Shepherd's articles, and he was saying much of the same thing: our covenant with God means sonship. I thought, "Well, yeah, this is good." I wondered what heresy is involved in that. Then somebody told me, "Shepherd is calling into question sola fide." What! No way. I mean, that is the Gospel. That is the simple truth of Jesus Christ. He died for sins; I believe in him. He saves me, pure and simple; it's a done deal. Sola fide? He's questioning that? No way.

I called him on the phone. I said, "I've read your stuff on covenant; it makes lots of sense. I've come to pretty much the same conclusions. But why is this leading you to call into question Luther's doctrine of sola fide?" He went on to show in this discussion that Luther's conception of justification was very restricted and limited. It had lots of truth, but it also missed lots of truths.

When I hung up the phone, I pursued this a little further and I discovered that for Luther and for practically all of Bible Christianity and Protestantism, God is a judge, and the covenant is a courtroom scene whereby all of us are guilty criminals. But since Christ took our punishment, we get his righteousness, and he gets our sins, so we get off scot-free; we're justified. For Luther, in other words, salvation is a legal exchange, but for Paul in Romans, for Paul in Galatians, salvation is that, but it's much more than that. It isn't just a legal exchange because the covenant doesn't point to a Roman courtroom so much as to a Hebrew family room.

God is not just simply a judge; God is a father, and his judgments are fatherly. Christ is not just somebody who represents an innocent victim who takes our rap, our penalty; He is the firstborn among many brethren. He is our oldest brother in the family, and he sees us as runaways, as prodigals, as rebels who are cut off from the life of God's family. And by the new covenant Christ doesn't just exchange in a legal sense; Christ gives us His own sonship so that we really become children of God.

When I shared this with my friends, they were like, "Yeah, that's Paul." But when I went into the writings of Luther and Calvin, I didn't find it any longer. They had trained me to study Scripture, but in the process, in a sense, I discovered that there were some very significant gaps in their teaching. So I came to the conclusion that sola fide is wrong.

First, because the Bible never says it anywhere.

Second, because Luther inserted the word "alone" in his Germantranslation, there in Romans 3, although he knew perfectly well that then word "alone" was not in the Greek.

Nowhere did the Holy Spirit ever inspire the writers of Scripture to say we're saved by faith alone. Paul teaches we're saved by faith, but in Galatians he says we're saved by faith working in love. And that's the way it is in a family isn't it? A father doesn't say to his kids, "Hey, kids, since you're in my family and all the other kids who are your friends aren't, you don't have to work, you don't have to obey, you don't have to sacrifice because, hey, you're saved. You're going to get the inheritance no matter what you do." That's not the way it works.
So I changed my mind and I grew very concerned. One of my most brilliant professors, a man named Dr. John Gerstner, had once said that if we're wrong on sola fide, I'd be on my knees outside the Vatican in Rome tomorrow morning doing penance. Now we laughed, what rhetoric, you know. But he got the point across; this is the article from which all of the other doctrines flow. And if we're wrong there, we're going to have some homework to get done to figure out where else we might have gone wrong.

I was concerned, but I wasn't overly concerned. At the time I was planning to go to Scotland to study at Aberdeen University the doctrine of the covenant, because in Scotland, covenant theology was born and developed. And I was eager to go over and study there. So I wasn't particularly concerned about resolving this issue because, after all, that could be the focus of my doctoral study.