Is the abortion debate over?

I just wanted to share this well thought out and highly critical article, which I think speaks a lot to the position we need to take.

March for Life

Say a prayer for an end to abortion everywhere today! Our parish is having 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration and I'm about to head out for the evening to go to it. More on this later I hope!

One more note, I read this on CNN:

"A fetus is not a life, sorry," NOW President Terry O'Neill told CNN. "And no, nobody's religious conviction justifies taking women's ability to shape their own futures away from them."

Well, as my professors would say in graduate school, we need a citation on that first sentence (about what a Fetus is or is not) and secondly, note the language shift to make it look like we are trying to "take away women's ability to shape their own futures" rather than trying to protect the future of children.

In another language twist, CNN continues to call us "Anti-Abortion" protesters, refusing to use the term pro-life. More prayers tonight!

"Being Like the Early Christians"

So I was asked by an anabaptist what was wrong with "Being like the Early Christians" - so I wanted to take up this question as a blog post.

First, obviously we would disagree about what an early Christian was like. Most Protestants who want to "be like the Early Christians" would deny that they believed the bread and wine became the actual body and blood of Christ. Actually, all evidence we have and all the writings of the early Christians indicate that they did, along with the New Testament record and Christ's own words. They would also reject that the Church followed a liturgical worship schedule, which it historically obviously did. So, when you wanted to "be like the early Christians", you would actually be a Catholic - obviously not what they think an early Christian was. Also, with their belief in "sola scriptura" they would have a hard time understanding how the New Testament wasn't laid in stone until 400 A.D. how the early Christians would base almost everything they did off sacred Tradition (there I said the "T" word!)

But, perhaps even more importantly, if we were to "become like the Early Christians" we would have to forsake the Church as it is today. Christ created a living body to be his Church; His Body. An organic body doesn't simply stay in a static state, unable to adapt and grow, but instead it becomes a much stronger, more well defined, larger entity growing daily and becoming more aware of truths of faith and morals. This organic, dynamic body is what the Catholic Church is, and to forsake 2000 years of growth would be ludicrous to say the least. Here, if someone was more interested, they might pursue more about the Catholic Church and doctrinal development.

I think Christ put it best when he referred to the Church (or Kingdom) as a mustard seed:

Mark 4:30-32 (RSV)

"And he said "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade"

Update on Mass. Senate Race

Well, as most of you know by now, Brown won! Let's pray for him that he make wise decisions when in office, especially regarding the most innocent of human beings, the unborn. Let's also pray that we get real health care reform that helps the most defenseless people (the unborn, children, the elderly and the poor) and doesn't tear down life.

Finally, pray for him on issues where he might not agree with the Church, whatever those might be.

Massachusetts

Tonight at around 8 o clock the polls close in Massachussetts. If you read this before then, say a quick prayer about the election. One of the candidates has already proven herself to be an anti-Catholic bigot with her remarks about how Catholics shouldn't be doctors or nurses in emergency rooms, not to mention being all around obnoxious in general with her attitude towards this election. This could also be a big impact on whether abortion funding gets cut out of the health care bill. We'll see!

Xavier Sports New Duds

I wanted to make this my first blog post and show off my new outfit from EWTN!

Prophecy

Just wanted to share a bit. Perhaps it is more common than I thought, but did anyone else notice how the readings from Sunday prophesied the Magi coming to Christ? I guess I just never came across these passages, except the last couple years when I've been Catholic but had not gotten to take them in.

Reading I
Is 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.
(cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading II
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they departed for their country by another way.

January 22

I did not know this prior to today, but January 22nd is a special day set aside by the Church to perform penance for violations against human dignity caused by abortion in our world today. I think it's a good if, as a small New Year's resolution, we all promise to perform some special act of penance (abstinence from meat, the rosary, get up early, fast, etc.) Just wanted to share, but maybe everyone else already knew about this!


In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass "For Peace and Justice" (no. 22 of the "Masses for Various Needs") should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373