Twilight Untwisted: A Catholic Mom's Perspective

Finally ready to share my musings on this series. If you are interested in reading it. Find it here: Living Water at Wordpress.com

The Hope of the Pro-Life Mission

Letter from Linda Gibbons – Pro – Life Prisoner

March 2, 2009

“ Hope is... Faith holding out its hand in the dark” George Iles

Considering the Bible says we should be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us, I wanted to share some thoughts on the hope our pro-life mission embodies while we are in the front of the abortuaries.

Pope Benedict in his Encyclical on Christian hope wrote, “From the hope of these people who have been touched by Christ, hope has risen for others who were living in darkness and without hope.”

We too, come in faith and in hope that those who have allowed themselves to be made prisoners of a death culture might be set free. (“Abortion represents the absence of freedom and the presence of bondage in an absolute sense.”)

It is not persuasive words that free these despairing mothers, rather our concerned presence with them gives them cause to hope. In us they might encounter Gods providence moving towards them, offering them relief from abandoned hope.

They can exchange the “ashen apples” of procured abortion for hope that is stronger than death.

We also acknowledge the hand of providence that places us there. When God is at work it is little to do with our efforts and everything to do with fulfilling his purposes and plans. His testimony of life is the bedrock for solid hope.

Our allegiance to life is unequivocal and we don’t allow pervasiveness of the present tyranny against unborn life to deter us or cause to relinquish our hope.
Pope Benedict warns, “If we cannot hope for more than is effectively attainable at any given time our lives will soon be without hope.”

In this paradox of becoming as the Bible describes, “prisoners of hope” we divest ourselves of liberty that the unborn’s intrinsic liberty might be made manifest. To not accept any liberty which the unborn cannot have is to insist on their equal rights before the law.

To be authentically human is to take up our civic responsibility to restore cohesion in the human family and build up the foundation of justice for the next generation so that they are free to be born and have their rightful inheritance of love. Our hope bears all trials and impositions’ looking to the future in faith, believing something worthwhile is being accomplished.

One wrote, “the best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it” We have a charge to keep to the next generation.

As the bird sensing the dawn commences to sing; while it’s yet dark our hope resonates with a lasting love that will be felt in generations to come.

Wishing you a most blessed and holy Easter.

Love in Christ the King,
Linda

Pro-Life Martyr in our Midst

In 2008, we learned about a Pro-life grandmother, Linda Gibbons, who is imprisoned for taking a stand outside an abortion clinic. There is a court order that prohibits any pro-life activity within 60 feet of this clinic.

You can learn more about her here: http://www.lifesitenews.com/gibbons/When we learned she was to spend Christmas in custody, we as a family decided to reach out to her, we sent her a simple Christmas greeting card to assure her of our prayers and encourage her in this mission of speaking for the unborn.

This was her response:

December 22, 2008

Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ...II Corinthians 2:14

Greetings in the Princes of Life, Pray this finds you well and rejoicing in al He is this Holy season.

Thank you for the lovely card of Mother + Child, quite lovely. It was so kind of you to remember me at this busy time of year and thanks too for your loyal prayers.
What glad news you bring me about 441 babies saved because of the 40 days of fasting and prayer project! What fasting! What prayers!

It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Who said, “Injustice must be rooted out by strong persistent and determined action.”

Our ex-Prime Minister, Mr. Chretien said Canada is at peace with abortion. There can be no peace where there is no justice. Till we return protection to innocent life in the womb, O Canada, the bell tolls for thee!

My mail which I am calling “The Canadian Response” speaks of better things – a country that stands on guard for each and every child.

So Fight the Good Fight!

All God’s Blessings and supply in 2009!

Love in the Christ Child,
Linda

We're on God's Time

Recently we experienced a death in the family. It’s interesting how God uses times like these to remind us that we are on His time and not ours.

You see we received a phone call early one Saturday morning that our family member was in the hospital and not doing so well. Being a Saturday, we had so many errands to run, the thought crossed our mind that we should forego the regular busy Saturday morning routine and rush to be there for our family, yet somehow we paid more attention to the idea that there would be time to run the errands and then be there for our family.

So we attempted to do just that. Assuming that the day would unfold as we had planned, with the time we believed we had.

It is only by the grace of God that we fit in a prayer for our dying loved one and the family in the midst of our errands. The Lord knew those prayers were very much-needed because we were on His time and not ours.

That still small voice that nudged us to drop everything to be there physically, the one we so easily ignored, was the one we first recalled when events unfolded more quickly than we’d anticipated.

Why are we surprised when days don’t unfold the way we had planned? Why do we hang on to this notion that we have some control over how much time we have to get things done?

Isn’t that exactly what the devil needs from us? That we’d live our lives believing we have plenty of time…

Thank you Lord, for reminding me and my family that we are on your time! Help us to be more attentive to your still, small voice. Help us to live a life that is well-balanced between the sense of urgency required to respond effectively to your call and the sense of peace that comes with knowing that you are in control.

Letter to the Editor at National Catholic Register

There is something very humbling about seeing your name in print next to these well formed, and informed Catholic writers. They actually printed my letter in the National Catholic Register!

It was in response to a letter by another individual that felt abortion and contraception should be included as part of womens health in foreign aid.
Fellow Canadian’s Chagrin

Keep up the good work. It was nice to see Canadian news included in the paper.

Responding to the letter submitted by Elena Shen of London, Ontario, in the March 14 edition. She was responding to the headline “Northern Fights” in the Feb. 28 print edition.

I was compelled to respond to this letter, as I was saddened by this response. I agree that abortion and contraception are opposed to women’s health and challenge those who think otherwise to research the effects that contraception and abortion have on the woman’s body, as well as her psychological well-being. Even if we eliminate the moral implications of contraception and abortion, it is still very clear that contraception and abortion only causes more harm. Pregnancy is not a disease; it is a natural process for women who engage in sexual activity. What is needed as part of women’s health is education on how the woman’s body provides fertile and infertile times within her cycle.

To claim that abortion can assist in improving children’s health is to say that murder is all right and should be legal if it means killing someone who makes my life more difficult. Murder is illegal in Canada when it involves a person outside the womb, yet murders still happen. Does this mean we should rethink this law and make it easier? What is a safe abortion? Abortion is murder.

Poverty is not the result of overpopulation; in fact, it is the result of corrupt governments. Many of us have forgotten that we are all responsible to care for others, the poor and marginalized, the sick and the dying. Offering contraception and abortion as part of women’s health, even to underdeveloped countries, is like offering a soiled tissue as a bandage to someone with a severed limb.

In my opinion, Harper’s government should be working to ensure Christian ideologies are part of their decision-making at home and abroad. This is not Harper’s theology; this is God’s.

Obviously, there is much more to say on this topic, especially if we include the moral implications and Church teaching on contraception and abortion. Instead, I’ll conclude with the words of Christ:

“The poor you will always have with you, but you do not always have me” (Matthew 26:11).

“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18: 5-6).

Fatima Borges

New York former Jewish mayor addresses anti-Catholocism in the media

Koch's Comments New York's legendary Jewish former mayor Ed Koch address' anti-Catholicism in the media.

Koch's comments:

I believe the continuing attacks by the media on the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI have become manifestations of anti-Catholicism. The procession of articles on the same events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate.

The sexual molestation of children, principally boys, is horrendous. This is agreed to by everyone, Catholics, the Church itself, as well as non-Catholics and the media. The pope has on a number of occasions on behalf of the Church admitted fault and asked for forgiveness. For example, The New York Times reported on April 18, 2008, that the pope "came face to face with a scandal that has left lasting wounds on the American church Thursday, holding a surprise meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Boston area.... 'No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse,' the Pope said in his homily. 'It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention.'"

On March 20, 2010, the Times reported that in his eight page pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, the pope wrote, "You have suffered grievously, and I am truly sorry ... Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated."

The pope also "criticized Ireland's bishops for 'grave errors of judgment and failures of leadership.'"

The primary explanation for the abuse that happened - not to excuse the retention of priests in positions that enabled them to continue to harm children - was the belief that the priests could be cured by psychotherapy, a theory now long discarded by the medical profession. Regrettably, it is also likely that years ago the abuse of children was not taken as seriously as today. Thank God we've progressed on that issue.

Many of those in the media who are pounding on the Church and the pope today clearly do it with delight, and some with malice. The reason, I believe, for the constant assaults is that there are many in the media, and some Catholics as well as many in the public, who object to and are incensed by positions the Church holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay sex and same-sex marriage, retention of celibacy rules for priests, exclusion of women from the clergy, opposition to birth control measures involving condoms and prescription drugs and opposition to civil divorce. My good friend, John Cardinal O'Connor, once said, "The Church is not a salad bar, from which to pick and choose what pleases you." The Church has the right to demand fulfillment of all of its religious obligations by its parishioners, and indeed a right to espouse its beliefs generally.

I disagree with the Church on all of these positions. Nevertheless, it has a right to hold these views in accordance with its religious beliefs. I disagree with many tenets of Orthodox Judaism - the religion of my birth - and have chosen to follow the tenets of Conservative Judaism, while I attend an Orthodox synagogue. Orthodox Jews, like the Roman Catholic Church, can demand absolute obedience to religious rules. Those declining to adhere are free to leave.

I believe the Roman Catholic Church is a force for good in the world, not evil. Moreover, the existence of one billion, 130 million Catholics worldwide is important to the peace and prosperity of the planet.

Of course, the media should report to the public any new facts bearing upon the issue of child molestation, but its objectivity and credibility are damaged when the New York Times declines to publish an op-ed offered by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the issue of anti-Catholicism and offers instead to publish a letter to the editor, which is much shorter and less prominent than an op-ed.

I am appalled that, according to the Times of April 6, 2010, "Last week, the center-left daily newspaper La Repubblica wrote, without attribution that 'certain Catholic circles' believed the criticism of the Church stemmed from 'a New York Jewish lobby.'" The pope should know that some of his fellow priests can be thoughtless or worse in their efforts to help him. If the "certain Catholic circles" were referring to the Times, the Pope should know that the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., is Episcopalian, having taken the religion of his mother, and its executive editor, Bill Keller, is also a Christian.

Enough is enough. Yes, terrible acts were committed by members of the Catholic clergy. The Church has paid billions to victims in the US and will pay millions, perhaps billions, more to other such victims around the world. It is trying desperately to atone for its past by its admissions and changes in procedures for dealing with pedophile priests. I will close with a paraphrase of the words of Jesus as set forth in John 8:7: He [or she] that is without sin among you, let him [or her] cast the next stone.

http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/koch/entry/he_that_is_without_sin

Seeking the Truth

My take on the media's response to the Pope's letter to Ireland...

While it may be a tough time to hold fast to our Catholic faith, we must recall that this is why we detest sin...it causes distrust, confusion, scandal and so much pain.

Christ who is the author of truth and justice defeated death the day of his resurrection. I pray for all of you who are struggling to understand how this happens and questioning or doubting your faith as a result of what you are hearing in the media, I implore you to look at Christ, and spend some time with him in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Christ became sin look what it did to Him. He sweat blood!

Take courage! In Church history we see that during the times of great scandal there was also great renewal and many devout saints who were hard at work. So let’s get to work and not allow ourselves to be discouraged. Let’s continue to defend Christ and His Church, this way we do not let Christ suffer alone.

I include this article from ZENIT for those of you who would like to know the truth and not the distortions that secular media are providing for us.

Have a Blessed Holy Week!

Vatican Notes "Mere Speculation" in New York Times
Reiterates Information Provided by Munich Archdiocese
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 26, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Attempts by the New York Times to personally embroil Benedict XVI in the sex abuse scandals are "mere speculation," the Vatican spokesman said today.

In an article today, the Times took up a story reported earlier about a priest allowed to do pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Munich even though he was receiving psychological treatment for a history of abuse. The archbishop at the time was Joseph Ratzinger. Since the story of the priest has been reported, Archbishop Ratzinger's then vicar general, Monsignor Gerhard Gruber, has accepted full responsibility for the priest's assignment.

Today, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, was asked about the Times article.

He answered by making reference to a communiqué from the Archdiocese of Munich this morning. The communiqué states: "The article in the New York Times contains no new information beyond that which the archdiocese has already communicated concerning the then archbishop's knowledge of the situation of Father H."

Father Lombardi thus confirmed that the Munich Archdiocese rejects any version of events that attributes knowledge of the case to Archbishop Ratzinger, calling it "mere speculation."

This is the second day in a row that the Times has tried to implicate the Pope personally in abuse scandals. An article Thursday regarding a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee also spoke of his role, this time as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

ZENIT reported the Vatican's response to that article and clarified certain details of the case on Thursday.