Building a Culture of Life - Part 8

8. "Replace Them"

Early last year I accompanied a group of teens from our catechism discussion group to a local talk by Archbishop Chaput on "Catholics in the Public Square". Because the audience was composed mostly of people older than myself, our big row of teens were pretty prominent. It was an interesting talk with lots of food for thought and one that we still bring up in our discussions on occasion.

One particularly memorable comment by the Archbishop was in a response to one of the audience questions after the talk. The questioner wanted to know what the Archbishop thought we should do about "Catholic" politicians who support abortion. The answer was perhaps a bit surprising, given our activist inclinations, but it made a lot of sense for me in the end, and was definitely a concept that inspired this blog series on Building a Culture of Life (which I've been pretty negligent of for many months).

Anyway, this is what he answered in a nutshell. He said that it was his duty as Archbishop to engage in dialogue with politicians who claimed to be Catholic, but supported abortions. He indicated that it was perhaps a bit of a "lost cause" (Though I like to keep in mind, of course, that lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.), but that it was necessary, nevertheless. Then he exhorted the audience to remember that they had a different job - their job was to replace those politicians. When he said this, he pointed to the young people in the audience and indicated that it was our job to prepare our young people to go out and change the world and be prepared to play their important roles in changing the culture.

This is beautiful!

hat-tip to everyone!

A Positive Life Message for Inauguration Day

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire." - Schindler's List

The beautiful theme for Mr. Obama's Presidential Inauguration is taken from Abraham Lincoln, "A New Birth of Freedom." Lincoln had some very compelling things to say about Freedom.

"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

He also said: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."

The freedom to live is the most fundamental freedom, without which we could have no other freedoms. And thus a new birth of freedom in our country needs to be broad enough to include and protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us; most notably the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn.

Please join us in celebrating this year's beautiful inaugural theme in this more complete way. On Inauguration Day, January 20th, please use these images to encourage others to remember the important connections between life and freedom. Images can be used to replace profile pictures (on Facebook, (on Flickr, Twitter, etc.) or to highlight the theme on your blog via sidebar picture or background image. Please pass it along by linking back to this page.

"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 that their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them." - Susan B. Anthony

Read more and pick up images here.

Building a Culture of Life - Part 7

7. Be Not Afraid

While preparing for tonight's catechism discussion on the first half of 1 Corinthians (by browsing through various books on topics relating to our reading) I found this post starting to write itself. I'm sure there's a lot more to be said on this topic, but here, I think, is an interesting start.

First I wanted to mention that these tidbits reminded me of last Sunday's gospel on the Talents (Mt 25:14-30), which Pope Benedict recently commented on:

"The mistaken attitude is that of fear," the Bishop of Rome stated. "The servant who fears his master and fears his return, hides the coin in the ground and it does not produce any fruit. This happens, for example, to those who, having received baptism, Communion, and confirmation bury such gifts beneath prejudices, a false image of God that paralyzes faith and works, so as to betray the Lord's expectations."

"But," Benedict XVI continued, "the parable puts greater emphasis on the good fruits born by the disciples who, happy at the gift received, did not hide it with fear and jealously, but made it fruitful, sharing it, participating in it. Indeed, what Christ gives us is multiplied when we give it away! It is a treasure that is made to be spent, invested, shared with all, as the Apostle Paul, that great administrator of Jesus' talents, has taught us."

Read the rest here

In Cardinal Ratzinger's book What It Means to be a Christian (in a chapter entitled "The Law of Superabundance"), he provides a very helpful exposition of what it really means to be a Christian...

But first a little connected piece from the previous chapter...

...everything we encounter in dogma is, ultimately, just interpretation: interpretation of the one truly sufficient and decisive fundamental reality of the love between God and men. And it remains true, consequently, that those people who are truly loving, who are as such also believers, may be called Christians.

Then, in the context of this quote from the Sermon on the Mount, "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire." has this to say:

Whenever we read this passage, it weighs on us; it crushes us. Yet there is a verse just before that gives the passage its whole meaning when it says, "I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5:20). The key word in this verse is "exceeds". The original Greek is still more strongly expressed, and only that really shows the basic intention here. In literal translation, it says, "Unless your righteousness has more superabundance than that of the scribes and Pharisees..."

Here we meet with a theme that runs through the whole of Christ's message. The Christian is the person who does not calculate; rather, he does something extra. He is in fact the lover, who does not ask, "How much farther can I go and still remain within the realm of venial sin, stopping short of mortal sin?" Rather, the Christian is the one who simply seeks what is good, without any calculation. A merely righteous man, the one who is only concerned with doing what is correct, is a Pharisee; only he who is not merely righteous is beginning to be a Christian. Of course, that does not, by a long way, mean that a Christian is a person who does nothing wrong and has no failings. On the contrary, he is the person who knows that he does have failings and who is generous with God and with other people because he knows how much he depends on the generosity of God and of his fellowmen.

Finally, I haven't read this book, yet but did a little browsing in Archbishop Chaput's Living the Catholic Faith: Rediscovering the Basics and stumbled upon this lovely and challenging tidbit:

"Go, make disciples of all nations" was the last command Jesus gave to us before returning to His Father. It's a big one. How can simple people like us convert the world? That brings us back to Mary, and to the apostles at Pentecost. They changed the world by letting God change them and work through them. We don't need to be afraid. We need to be confident in the promise made by Christ Himself: "I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Don't be afraid of the world. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley once sneered that "I could believe in Christ if He did not drag along behind Him that leprous bride of His, the Church." Yet Shelley is long dead, and the Church is still here, still alive and young, still bringing life to the world. Don't be afraid of the world. The Holy Spirit is on your side. Charles Spurgeon once said, "The way you defend the Bible is the same way you defend a lion. You just let it loose."

and

Understand your purpose in life. C.S. Lewis once said that "Christianity, if false, is of no importance; and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."

Building a Culture of Life Series

This is the menu page for the whole Building a Culture of Life Series. With so many pieces floating around (and addendums that keep getting written inside my head - especially in the middle of the night), I figured I at least need to give it a little organization. I will probably be adding to old posts quite a bit as there seem to be additional points and clarifications worth making as I try to clarify this whole issue in my own mind.

To have Christian hope means to know about evil and yet to go to meet the future with confidence. The core of faith rests upon accepting being loved by God, and therefore to believe is to say Yes, not only to him, but to creation, to creatures, above all, to men, to try to see the image of God in each person and thereby to become a lover. That’s not easy, but the basic Yes, the conviction that God has created men, that he stands behind them, that they aren’t simply negative, gives love a reference point that enables it to ground hope on the basis of faith (Cardinal Ratzinger, Salt of the Earth).

1. Respond with Love

2. Support the Disabled

3. Rejoice in the Good

Related quote to this part

4. Live What You Believe

5. Solidarity

6. Faith and Reason

7. Be Not Afraid!

8. "Replace Them"

Other Planned Sections:

9. Supporting NFP

10. Understanding and Talking About Contraception

Miscellaneous:

Sidenote on the Culture of Life Series

Amy Welborn on Building a Culture of Life

Amy Welborn has a post today on changes that can be made to make parishes more fervently pro-life. I thought this connected nicely with the series I'm working on here:

There’s where the work needs to begin, as I have said many, many times before -to stop treating abortion simply as a “social issue,” but as a reality among Catholics themselves. To have every Catholic parish in the United States be a pro-life place, not just because there is educational material in the back but because it is a place where:

1) Children are welcomed and prayed for - as in the prayer for “a respect for life in our nation” will be supplemented by a prayer “in thanksgiving for the children of our parish and in hopes that God will bless the families of our parish with more children.”

2) It is stated bluntly and directly in every way possible: “If your teenager gets pregnant or fathers a child, please don’t be ashamed. We’re with you. Let us know what we can do to help, and let us pray for the young parents.”

3) It is stated bluntly and directly in every way possible: “We’re rejoicing in the birth of the special-needs children in our parish. Here’s the assistance we give parents of special-needs kids. There’s lots of it.”

4) In which foster parenting is promoted and regular workshops and training on fostering are presented.

5) In which adoption is promoted and the parish participates in funds that financially assist adoptive families.

Read the whole thing here.

Next Up in the Culture of Life Series

I'm hoping to tackle the double topic of Contraception and NFP next. Though it's sort of a subset of the previous one on studying church teaching (and keeping faith and reason in balance), it's so big that it'll probably require at least two posts just to get it started here. May not get to it today. Prayers for coherency would be appreciated. :)

P.S. I'm also hoping to put together a list of books, movies and links for each of these topics both for further educating and inspiring ourselves on these topics and for passing them along to others (especially our children).

Building a Culture of Life - Part 6

6. Faith and Reason.

I have this vision in my head that Catholics are actually in a position to be the bridge builders between various political extremes. I think it's partly about that faith-and-reason thing that we believe needs to be kept in balance. It seems to me that at this point in time one side tends to be off-balance in a reason-without-faith direction while the other side is inclined to embrace faith without reason.

So what does this Faith-and-Reason balance entail, anyway?

Man can touch the eternal only in sensible realities, but the things of this world are also intrinsically designed to mediate contact with God. (Cardinal Ratzinger, Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism)

A lot of people misunderstand this concept of Faith and Reason and assume that the "reason" part has something to do with an in-depth intellectual background.

Nope.

Intellectual studies are a good thing and have always been valued by the Church, but are not absolutely required for what we're talking about here. It's much more about using the gifts God has given us - including our reason and our common sense (I'm also thinking of the two-boats-and-a-helicopter joke here) - to make the best decisions we can. It's certainly about prudence, too.

It may be helpful to keep in mind that as much as it is a scandal for Christians to be confronted with those who believe God should be driven out from public view, it is *also* a scandal to those with secular-leanings to be told that they have to throw out even good science and common sense in order to embrace Christianity. (I think it's similar to the conflict between St. Peter and St. Paul in the early Church. St. Peter was tempted to side with those who argued that Gentiles, in order to become Christians, needed to embrace all the tenets of the Jewish faith. I think it's fairly easy to see now both why that would be a tempting position and why that was so controversial!) The truth is that neither view is complete or accurate. God is reasonable, He created our world and we can actually learn about God through science and reason.

Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth. Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made then what they are. (The Catechism of the Catholic Church #198)

and also...

In studying nature we have not to inquire how God the Creator may, as He freely wills, use His creatures to work miracles and thereby show forth His power: we have rather to inquire what Nature with its immanent causes can naturally bring to pass. (St. Albert the Great, circa 1200 AD)

This brings me to a corollary to this part of our discussion.

Study Church Teaching.

What the Catholic Church has to say about our social obligations and how societies should function is truly beautiful and sensible. It has great possibilities for bridging that gap between Faith and Reason that our society constantly struggles with. If only people would familiarize themselves with these principles!

First of all, Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum should be required reading for every Catholic high school student and every serious Catholic armchair politician. Also required reading should be Pope Benedict XVI's important encyclical Deus Caritas Est, which has very helpful things to say about social justice and works of charity. I've heard that the Holy Father has an encyclical on social justice in the works as well.

Here's a small sampling:

Christian charitable activity must be independent of parties and ideologies. It is not a means of changing the world ideologically, and it is not at the service of worldly stratagems, but it is a way of making present here and now the love which man always needs. The modern age, particularly from the nineteenth century on, has been dominated by various versions of a philosophy of progress whose most radical form is Marxism. Part of Marxist strategy is the theory of impoverishment: in a situation of unjust power, it is claimed, anyone who engages in charitable initiatives is actually serving that unjust system, making it appear at least to some extent tolerable. This in turn slows down a potential revolution and thus blocks the struggle for a better world. Seen in this way, charity is rejected and attacked as a means of preserving the status quo. What we have here, though, is really an inhuman philosophy. People of the present are sacrificed to the moloch of the future - a future whose effective realization is at best doubtful. One does not make the world more human by refusing to act humanely here and now. We contribute to a better world only by personally doing good now, with full commitment and wherever we have the opportunity, independently of partisan strategies and programs. (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)

At the very least, understanding these principles should help keep us from getting overly wrapped up in party politics. Catholics by their nature should be independent anyway, weighing each candidate as best they can with a clear understanding of the various issues at stake. There certainly isn't a major political party out there that entirely represents our beliefs. I've always liked this quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

True followers of Christ were meant to be at odds with the world: The pure of heart will be laughed at by the Freudians; the meek will be scorned by the Marxists; the humble will be walked on by the go-getters; the liberal Sadducees will call them reactionaries; the reactionary Pharisees will call them liberals.

Another Quote regarding "Rejoice in the Good"

Addendum to Building a Culture of Life Part 3

Today I read the book of Tobit aloud to John and the kids in preparation for our catechism discussion tomorrow night. I thought that this particular quote was particularly pertinent:

And the angel called the two of them privately and said to them: "Praise God and give thanks to him; exalt him and give thanks to him in the presence of all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to praise God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God. Do not be slow to give him thanks." (Tobit 12: 6)

Building a Culture of Life - Part 5

5. Solidarity

I think there might be a better word for this one, but I can't think of it. Whatever it's called, it has a number of different aspects and has something to do with being witnesses for Life *as* the Body of Christ.

a. Solidarity with other Catholics and pro-Lifers around the world. Did you know that there are terrible persecutions going on in India and that a Catholic University in Spain was bombed last week? The point here isn't to burden you with more evils to pray for, but to remember to not be over-focused on just the problems of our own country. Also, there are many reasons to be grateful for the freedoms we have here in the U.S.

b. Sacrifice and Solidarity. No matter what the election outcome tomorrow may be, we still have a lot of work to do in putting an end to abortion. I'd like to propose an idea for a sacrifice with a financial aspect. I think it would be a wonderful idea for those who are able to give up something as a semi-permanent sacrifice (like cable TV or some sort of food luxury) to offer up for the intention of ending abortion AND use the money saved to assist those in need who may choose abortion. I mentioned pregnancy help centers in a previous post, but there are many fine organizations that could be considered.

Though this is perhaps only obliquely related, I'd like to put a plug in for food pantries. I have a special attachment to these organizations as John and I benefited from their services once upon a time - when Ria was a small toddler, in fact. When we were first married, John still had a few semesters of engineering school left (which he alternated with semesters of working co-op jobs at minimum wage). I worked for almost a year as a teacher (at extremely minimal pay). We were extremely frugal, but really needed a little extra help. We decided to turn to the food pantry which happened to be directly across the street from our apartment (a good thing since we only had one car and it was only open while John was away at work or school). They were a lovely organization willing to help anyone who needed it without a lot of forms or fuss. A few days before Thanksgiving (the year was 1994), they sent us home with complete fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. A kind man from the pantry carried the box all the way up to my apartment for me since my arms were full carrying Ria. I was completely blown away by this unexpected gift. Perhaps it wasn't exactly *needed* as we had family to spend Thanksgiving with, but I cried tears of gratitude for the lovely generosity of those who were willing to give us a helping hand.

Another area to consider is to donate goods to those in need.

Do good, and evil will not overtake you. Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. (Tobit 12:7-9)

A Sidenote on the Culture of Life Series

I just wanted to mention a general point about this series, because I think it's worth clarifying. First, I don't feel I have much to contribute on this blog regarding the current election itself. My quietness on the blog for so many weeks (months?) was partly because I was simply getting bogged down in election news and opinions. I'm hoping for a particular outcome (which you don't really need to know, though I think it's rather obvious - particularly if you've been following my links section in the sidebar over the past few months), but praying that God's will be done.

The point of this series, as something that might be of value to others (and is certainly helpful to me in writing and clarifying my thoughts on it) is that as we pray for our country and the upcoming election, we would do well to reflect on and renew our commitment to being better witnesses to Life in our communities and in our country. Without ordinary people as witnesses, I think the political realm of the pro-Life movement has little chance of success anyway. And no matter who wins the election on Tuesday, there's a lot of work to be done in this regard - which is the sort of work available to families and busy homeschool moms with little ones and such.

Building a Culture of Life - Part 4

4. Live what you Believe!

I watched a really thought-provoking movie a few years ago. It's an old classic from the 60s, though I suppose somewhat controversial in its day because it deals with a white woman marrying a black man. I thought it was interesting and classic because it went much deeper than the typical political divides between those who take one position over another. Instead it plunged deeply into the challenge of a couple being confronted with the reality of their OWN beliefs!

The movie is called Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and it stars Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as a white couple from San Francisco who are completely on board with the civil rights movement - until their daughter becomes engaged to a black man! What a fascinating and honest piece - and thought-provoking!

What does living our beliefs mean in the context of the pro-Life movement? Many things, I'm sure. Here are just a few (feel free to share others in the comments box - keep the tone nice, though, please, as I'm perfectly willing to delete or edit questionable comments - though I won't delete things simply because I disagree with them - I love open discussions):

1. Remember that pregnancy is not a sin. Yes, it can be the result of a sin, but in our culture we often get mixed up between these things (with an overemphasis on what is visible to others) and it does make a difference! As Catholics, we believe that marriage is not a sacrament intended to fix mistakes. Being supportive of a pregnant daughter or other close relative does not include pressuring her to rush into marriage.

2. Be generous to those in need and never scornful of their mistakes. Support your local pregnancy help center! These guys do great work and I am just in awe of how the donation of small material things can make all the difference in a needy mother choosing life. It might only cost you the price of an infant car seat!!! Even for those who don't have much financial help to offer (or much time to volunteer) there are other things you can do. For example, our family signs up the pregnancy help center for gifts on our parish giving tree at Christmas. My husband then delivers the car seats, playpens, snowsuits, etc. to the center, which is not far from his workplace. It's also nice to get the kids involved. We often coordinate this with making fleece blankets (the kind you tie around the edges - which all of my kids can now help with to some degree) to donate at the same time.

3. Be supportive of families and children. Being pro-child and pro-family includes exercising patience with little ones we come across in church or in a restaurant. Don't criticize the poor mother's parenting skills. She may need some help in that department, but she may simply be having a bad day. Maybe she's a military mom whose husband is away at war. Give her the benefit of the doubt and treat her and her children with kindness.

Building a Culture of Life - Part 3

I'm a little behind on these as I've had incredibly packed days lately. Hope to get more than one written today.

3. Rejoice in the Good

The world needs people who discover the good, who rejoice in it and thereby derive the impetus and courage to do good. Joy, then, does not break with solidarity. When it is the right kind of joy, when it is not egotistic, when it comes from the perception of the good, then it wants to communicate itself, and it gets passed on. (Cardinal Ratzinger, Salt of the Earth)

There's so much that could be said on this topic that I hardly know where to begin. First, I suppose is that we should all keep learning to recognize the good. Contrary to an unfortunately common opinion, it is not simply something that's "not bad". And so, for example, a "clean" movie is not automatically a good movie!

Another consideration is that, though politics and protests and boycotts can be worthwhile things, they will not in-and-of themselves repair our culture. They're generally defensive measures to keep things from getting worse. But if no one is out there evangelizing and proposing the good and showing by example the value of being a Christian, we really won't get anywhere. So these aren't things we can completely set aside because we're too busy with the other stuff.

There are many wonderful things about the pro-Life movement and by its nature the movement is completely unselfish. We're trying to save children who will likely be raised to vote and think differently from us and yet we think their lives are intrinsically worthwhile, so that part doesn't even matter to us! That's something worth thinking about!

One thing that the movement can use some work on, though, is hope. When we despairingly say (and I've heard it said often from many directions) that we haven't made any progress in the pro-Life movement in the last thirty years, I have to think that they haven't been around the movement long enough. Parental notification laws and 24 hour waiting periods are really good things and very reasonable, helpful restrictions. When we proclaim that we haven't made any progress it leads many to conclude that the political aspect of the pro-Life movement is completely irrelevant. It's really just a sign of our impatience.

Rejoicing in the good shows gratitude to God and builds perspective, which helps us keep our balance in tough times. Balance is important not just so that we don't fall into despair (which does not come from God!) but also so that we don't make ourselves irrelevant by giving people excuses to ignore us.

One thing I've observed over time is that it simply takes a lot of patience for grass-roots movements to connect up with the mainstream. But it does happen! I've especially seen a change in recent years in many parishes welcoming things like pro-life activities and apologetics speakers that were not very common just a few years ago.

And with patience, goes humility. The things that need changing in this world are not all the job of one person. If we each play our unique role, using whatever gifts God has given us for the purpose, we can make real progress.

This proper way of serving others also leads to humility. The one who serves does not consider himself superior to the one served, however miserable his situation at the moment may be. Christ took the lowest place in the world - the Cross - and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid. Those who are in a position to help others will realize that in doing so they themselves receive help; being able to help others is no merit or achievement of their own. This duty is a grace. The more we do for others, the more we understand and can appropriate the words of Christ: "We are useless servants". We recognize that we are not acting on the basis of any superiority or greater personal efficiency, but because the Lord has graciously enabled us to do so. There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely when we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est - emphasis mine)

Building a Culture of Life - Part 2

2. Support the Disabled. It seems to me that a certain reverence is owed to the disabled because they're sort of like veterans of abortion - they've survived "to tell the tale" and serve as a reminder, too, of those who didn't.

I married into a family that understands the day-to-day reality of living with the disabled. But that's partly why the subject is so poignant to me. (In a way, I wish that I could share more on this topic, but not everything is appropriate to the public eye.) You can see the beauty and value in their lives and at the same time be faced with the reality that many are denied that chance to live.

But this isn't an evil that weighs only on the doctors and parents involved in aborting such lives. We need to consider what *we* can do to make a difference. Being pro-Life is about so much more than voting! We have many opportunities in our lives to support the disabled - and families of the disabled. This involves patience, understanding and sometimes even a little imagination.

For some reason what comes to mind for me is the old Jimmy Durante song that goes: "It's so important to make someone happy, just one someone happy..." I know it's about romantic love, but somehow it works beyond that too. Having the opportunity to share unconditional love with others - without necessarily getting anything in return - is a beautiful and powerful thing.

I'm always pleased when the dignity of disabled people is presented in a beautiful way on television (one particular episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition comes to mind in which the team re-built a camp for severely disabled children - and fell in love with them!) especially in this aspect of love. The disabled can be such a powerful witness of love in their families and communities that these stories are well-worth sharing. Our society needs to see this sort of example!

We also need to strike from our hearts attitudes that lean toward questioning the intrinsic value of those who might not earn an income or be able to live independently. This can be very difficult in a society that tends to value people according to how much money they make.

I really love what Pope Benedict XVI said in his encyclical on hope about being willing to share in the sufferings of others. His use of the words "com-passion"(literally suffering-with) and "con-solation" (or "being with the other in solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.") were particularly striking to me. Although this is partially a repudiation of modern culture, it should also serve as a reminder of the charity we owe to those who suffer.

A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through "com-passion" is a cruel and inhuman society. Yet society cannot accept its suffering members and support them in their trials unless individuals are capable of doing so themselves; moreover, the individual cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth in maturity, a journey of hope. Indeed, to accept the "other" who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solation, "consolation," expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth, and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie. In the end, even the "yes" to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my "I," in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.

I think Thomas Vander Woude, who gave his own life to save the life of his disabled son, is a perfect hero for us to emulate, even in the small ways that we can do good for the "least" of our brothers. The opportunities we come across to show our love and support to the disabled (and, by extension, the sick and the elderly too) don't generally involve giving our lives and probably the most difficult part will be to learn to be comfortable treating them as a person with needs, desires and dignity. Prayer and practice will help us see Christ in them.

One more thought on the value of suffering (from Pope Benedict XVI on St. Paul - General Audience, November 8, 2006):

...although faith unites us closely to Christ, it emphasizes the distinction between us and him; but according to Paul, Christian life also has an element that we might describe as "mystical", since it entails an identification of ourselves with Christ and of Christ with us. In this sense, the Apostle even went so far as to describe our suffering as "the suffering of Christ" in us (II Cor 1: 5), so that we might "always [carry] in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies"

I've done my share of griping about the amount of parking spots reserved for the handicapped. So maybe the government has gotten a little carried away in places, but honestly, it's nice to see them overdo it on behalf of (and even out of respect for the dignity of) those in need. In the future I'll try to remember to offer my frustrations up for those less fortunate than me.

Building a Culture of Life - Part 1

I'm sure we're all familiar with the political ramifications of the abortion issue and it's certainly been popping up around the blogosphere plenty. Rather than dig further into the most commonly talked about aspects of how we can fight abortion and other evils (i.e. politics, prayer and sacrifice) I'd like to focus here over the next week or so on less talked about, but quite important, aspects of building a culture of life. It seems to me that as we pray for God's will to be done in the elections, we should also reflect on what *we* can do to make a difference even after the elections are over (no matter what the outcome is).

We mothers have frequent and significant opportunities to do the little things with love (a la St. Therese) which will help build a culture of life. This all depends, of course, on God weaving our little actions together into something significant. And we know that He does!

In the next few posts, I'm going to offer some concrete ideas for building up the culture of life along with some inspirational quotations to put things in perspective. I've been thinking about these ideas partly because of our readings on St. Paul for our teen discussion group. So many things I've been reading and studying point in this direction - how can we go about actually *changing* the culture rather than merely setting up an alternative sub-culture.

1. Respond with Love. Remember that this is supposed to be a defining characteristic of Christians. Good humor helps too. Mothers of large families are particularly susceptible to creating situations in which these responses are necessary. I *loved* Kim's story here. It doesn't require a clever answer - and is often an occasion for humility (!) - and sarcasm probably doesn't help. Naturally this doesn't apply *only* to those grocery-store line questions about family size (though these can often be answered with a simple smile and "thank you"). It applies to people whose ideas or political views we disagree with. It applies to people who are being ugly to us! It applies to everyone!

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

The critic without love resembles rather a man who scratches himself all the more furiously, the more fiercely he itches, a process which of course can only result in exacerbating and spreading the inflammation. The great saints were reformers of the Church but they were edifying reformers. Not all great reformers were saints, that is to say those who truly loved; many of them destroyed more than they built up. (quoted in Fr. Thomas Dubay's Authenticity, I believe it's St. Catherine of Siena)

Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave. Here we can see the necessary interplay between love of God and love of neighbor which the First Letter of John speaks of with such insistence. If I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God. But if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be 'devout' and to perform my 'religious duties,' then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely 'proper', but loveless. (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Another Thought on the Importance of Hope...

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1917) says,

One is entitled to think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism.

This is a really important concept to me, especially when looking at things like the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and how I want to prepare my children to make a difference in this world one day. Also, it seems to me that faith and hope go hand-in-hand, because it is so often a lack of faith that blocks the way.

Travesty and Hope

I'm following the D.C. March for Life through the articles listed in my sidebar.

My daughter is there with grandparents and some cousins and I'm really glad she can be there for so many reasons. Born in 1970, I'm one of the youngest generation born before Roe vs. Wade. Growing up, I remember a lot of people saying that Roe vs. Wade would end up being overturned by those whose siblings and friends and classmates are not with us because of that travesty, signed thirty-five years ago today.

When I was a child, our family was very involved in the pro-life movement. My mom became involved in the movement literally weeks before Roe vs. Wade was decided - starting with the issue of euthanasia. My parents distributed talks on audio tape about euthanasia from a priest at our parish; later she ran a pregnancy help center. It's amazing how many people (some of the greatest blessings in our lives - the effects of whom are certainly experienced in our family to this day) came into our family's lives through these activities - truly an example in my mind of how God provides. We frequented the pro-life walks in our area, including an annual 32 mile weekend walk from the South Bay all the way into downtown San Francisco that ran for many years. It was quite an experience and an opportunity to witness, though rather small (perhaps 200 people).

It's encouraging to see, even while commemorating a tragic day in which were signed the death warrants of millions of children, that America's conscience is awakening - the movement is growing and so many more people are active and involved. For example the 4th annual West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco brought 25,000 people!!!! It brings tears to my eyes when I see the pictures (and I'm pleased to know that many people from my alma mater made the six hour+ drive to attend!). I truly believe that they will make a difference and that their prayers will be heard.

The Monk and the Murderer

This is a story about how God leveled time and space, breaching prison bars and cloister walls, lining up the Catacombs of Rome with Death Row in McAlester, Oklahoma, through the life of a hidden monk in the 21st century.

The monk, Brother Vianney-Marie Graham of the contemplative Clear Creek Monastery in Hulbert, Oklahoma, had long been praying for inmates on Death Row because he considered them "the abandoned of the abandoned."

He had a famous precedent for his prayers. St. Therese of Lisieux had prayed for the conversion of the notorious and unrepentant killer Henri Pranzini in 1887 and was able to read in the newspaper of his last-minute grab for a crucifix as he approached the scaffold. He kissed the wounds of Jesus three times before being guillotined.

Read the rest here
hat-tip Clairity's Place

Please Pray...

...for all those traveling to the March for Life in Washington D.C. and the West Coast March for Life in San Francisco including our daughter Ria who is leaving tomorrow.

Love2learn Moments #29 - Attitudes and Actions

We live in a society that tends to value people according to how much money they earn. Society tends to devalue people and vocations that fall outside their narrow formula. This can include... the disabled, stay-at-home moms, the poor, priests and religious, the sick, the elderly, and even ... children.

Because our attitudes tend to be shaped by society and our own attitudes in turn play a major role in the formation of our children, it's important to examine and consider how our words and actions reflect what we value most.

For example, being pro-Life includes not only opposing abortion, but also supporting the disabled and seeing Christ in them. Being pro-child and pro-family includes exercising patience with little ones we come across in church or in a restaurant.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:"Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons."

See all of my radio moments on the Love2learn Moments Blog.