Theology
A Simple Way To Pray
01 17 , 12:01
By Sadeer Farjo
There are so many different ways to pray. A simple way that works for me is to read a short sentence from the Gospel, usually one that Jesus has spoke and then I pray "speak LORD for your servant is listening"1 Samuel 3:9 and "speak Lord for your adopted son is listening." Then I do just that, I listen.
Many people have a hard time listening. I am often asked how do I listen? Simply put, I stop talking, shut my mouth, and listen. When I find my mind wandering I just go back and read the Gospel verse and go back to listening.
Does God speak to me? The answer is yes. Does God speak to me with audible words? No. So then how does God speak to me? Read More...
On Judging Others
11 16 , 13:24
We have been told, “Judge not and you shall not be judged,”-Luke 6:37 and rightly so, we must obey this as it was our Lord Himself that instructed us to do so. However, does Jesus mean this unilaterally in all situations for all people or was there a context that we may have missed? If we are diligent in studying the Apostolic faith, we may yet have our answer. With St. Paul, the concept of judging others was clearly within the framework of the Church and not those outside of it. As we read, “For what have I to do to judge them that are without? Do not you judge them that are within? For them that are without, God will judge. Put away the evil one from among yourselves.”- 1 Cor. 5:12-13. St. Paul is making a distinction here. In this context, he was making a righteous judgment against an incestuous adulterer and admonishes the Corinthians to purge this offender so that sin may not linger among them. Even going as far as saying, “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,” but recall that St. Paul was “judging” the matter within the Church as he said those outside the Church, God will judge. In this context, we have to recognize that judgment against someone IS wrong but to make distinction and call out what is evil in the Church is necessary even at the point of naming the offenders within the Church.
But what of those that are outside of the Church that are causing terrible harm to the Church? Read More...
Faithful Priest Encourages Prayer, Fasting, & Voting For Upcoming Election
10 16 , 15:53
Fr. Ben Kosnac is the pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Fr. Ben explains what we need to do as American Catholics when choosing the president of our country. For the presidential election, Father Ben encourages his parishioners to pray the Rosary in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, fast, and vote. Fr. Ben clearly outlines that when we are voting for the president we are not merely voting for one person. Rather, with the President comes the Vice-President, Supreme Court Justices, and other federal officials. Also outlined in the video are the 5 nonnegotiables: abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and so-called "homosexual marriage." Fr. Ben goes on to explain that it is important for Catholics to vote to promote certain goods. He also articulates that it's also important to vote to diminish certain evils. I encourage everyone to watch the video.
Read More...
Fasting Teaches, Self-Control, Patience, & Discipline
10 16 , 17:11
There are so many ways to follow after God. That is another way of saying there are many holy things you can do to please God. Some of these things can be easy and others can be hard to do. These “things” that we can do to please God are what Catholic's call penance. Penance is the holy work of giving to God our love and attention for the good of all people. Penance is also used as a way of 'paying for the cost of sin'. Let me explain with an example, let's say you were playing baseball and you threw the ball into my window and broke it! So you come to my house to tell me how sorry you were and let's say that I forgave you for breaking my window. Great! So all is well right? Well, not really because the window is still broken. Who do you think is going to have to pay for that window? It would be good 'penance' to work in some way so that you can assist me in getting the window fixed. In this way, you are not only forgiven but you also do something with that new found forgiveness and increase that goodness by doing something right. This is the same thing we experience in the Sacrament of Confession where we come to confess our sins with great sorrow for sinning (to have contrition) and the Priest gives Absolution (Priestly authority to forgive sins) but before the Priest forgives you, he asks you to do a penance that will help pay the cost of your sins. For as Scripture says, “the wages of sin are death” so therefore we do many penances for the sake of holiness but also to bring holiness to our lives that we may enter fully into Christ. As I said before, there are many different kind of penances, some easy and some not. One of those difficult ones is to 'fast'.
Read More...Offer It Up
09 16 , 20:35
Offer It Up
We all have bad days. Sometimes we do not get what we want and that can make us sad or even upset. When we go through a hard time we usually call that a suffering. When we suffer it is hard to know what to do. We can even wonder why we have to suffer in the first place. Questions on what to do and why bad things happen to good people can sometimes make us confused and angry. And when our emotions are hurt we need to do the best thing to make us feel better. This is one of many reasons why we pray to God for help. But how should we pray especially when we are hurt? Read More...
Did Simon or Jesus Carry the Cross To Calvary?
07 16 , 22:25
Husbands, Love Your Wives
05 16 , 22:47
As a man, I knew the moment when I was called to Holy Matrimony. I knew in my heart without a shadow of a doubt that I could not serve God more completely than if I was a husband and thank God, a father as well. However, this was then and is now a serious matter of a man seeking out a spouse to become one with in the sight of God. But how is a man to do this that will please God since that is the primary goal for every humans soul.
Understanding this truth, the first step then is to reconcile ourselves to that very command by Christ Himself. As men, we must pray diligently for the graces to first love God before all things and then your neighbor. This of course does not happen overnight, just like meeting the love of your life cannot possibly blossom into an everlasting romance on one date regardless of how wonderful it might have been. This takes personal reflection and meditation on the words of Christ and also on the words of the saints who without a doubt cast off all possibility of affection for the flesh. And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense that we should first fall in love with God as we would the woman we plan to spend the rest of our life with. Compare and contrast if you will on the relationships you may have had with a woman you adored and the Almighty God. How long did you talk to her on the phone? Does that possibly compare with the amount of time you spent in prayer? Or how many times have you gone out of your way to show your love and affection for her. Now how about with God? Are you seeing a pattern? Reflect on that for a moment before continuing. Read More...
No Jesus, No Hope. Jews and the Old Covenant
02 16 , 18:04
These days we hear a lot of discussions, debates, and even outright attacks on Catholic truth. One of these truths is the unchangeable defined teaching of the revocation of the covenant of the Jews with God. In other words, those claim Judaism as their faith and by extension deny the Apostolic Catholic faith cannot hope for salvation (I am not referring to those who are innocently ignorant) . No doubt, many that read this statement may be offended and even recoil at its implications and unfortunately many of those that disagree with this statement claim to be Catholic. But how is it that this covenant is now invalid? Aren't the Jews the “chosen people” of God? How is it that they are not to partake in eternity in heaven? To find the answer to these questions, we must start with holy scripture.
In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with Abraham of which He promised to bless his decedents with an eternal dwelling place. This covenant was based off of faith and therefore God fulfilled this covenant through the new covenant with His only Begotten Son, Jesus [1]. We also know from the Gospel according to John and in the First Epistle of John that no one may obtain the Father without the Son [2,3]. We even have Jesus Himself making it abundantly clear that those that deny Him, Jesus will also deny before the Father [4]. Jesus also cleared the air regarding unbelief in stating that those that deny Him as the Son of God is already condemned [5]. Some would say that this would be enough to settle the matter about the Jew's old covenant but of course even our Lord said that the Church would always be assailed by Satan even though it cannot be destroyed. And so some have misquoted Romans 11:29 saying the Jews are still among the chosen since God has not withdrawn the “gifts and calling of God”. The response to this is yes, it is true. God has not withdrawn his gifts from among the Jews nor has he stopped calling for their repentance. Especially when they denied His only Son and continue to do so, yes, he still loves them but without their conversion they cannot be saved. So therefore there are those that are severely misguided or maybe even resentful of the Church's history and lean on recent pastoral teachings for the sake of peace between different religions. These pastoral teachings, though well meaning, can have disastrous results if not first sealed with Apostolic teaching. For example, the Council of Florence (1438-1445) infallibly decreed that,
" It firmly believes, professes, and teaches that the matter pertaining to the law of the Old Testament, of the Mosaic law, which are divided into ceremonies, sacred rites, sacrifices, and sacraments, because they were established to signify something in the future, although they were suited to the divine worship at that time, after our Lord's coming had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began; and that whoever, even after the passion, placed hope in these matters of the law and submitted himself to them as necessary for salvation, as if faith in Christ could not save without them, sinned mortally. Read More...
God's great mercy
02 16 , 03:16
Make no mistake about it. Our Lord Jesus Christ, True Man and True God, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, is the source of mercy itself. Also let us not forget that Jesus Himself let us clearly know that we may ask Him for all that we need (Mathew 7:7) but do not be mislead, we are not to ask amiss (James 4:3) but rather petition Our Lord for all that would merit eternal salvation (Mathew 6:33). Jesus also made it clear that He has sent us into the world as sheep among wolves. Among countless deceptions of the wolves, one is the disorientation of mercy. We can know when mercy is being disoriented when we know what mercy actually is. In other words, if your job was to study the authenticity of dollar bills, you would not study the counterfeits as there will likely be innumerable false bills produced. No, you would study the legal tender first making sure you understood everything there is to know about what makes it authentic down to the minuet detail. Likewise we are to understand the difference between true and false mercy. As I said, there are wolves among us that they would have us to believe that mercy has no prerequisites. Yes, I said prerequisites. Let me explain... Read More...
ATHEISM AS IRRATIONAL
04 15 , 00:29
As far as I'm concerned, the only thing different about the new atheism, when compared to the old atheism, is that the new atheism is newer than the old atheism! In fact, David Hart (who wrote a book on this subject) is of the opinion that the old atheists were actually better atheists than the new ones. He laments:
"The principal source of my melancholy, however, is my firm conviction that today’s most obstreperous infidels lack the courage, moral intelligence, and thoughtfulness of their forefathers in faithlessness."
("Believe it or Not" www.firstthings.com)
Frankly, these new atheists need to show a little more humility. It's not like they've
suddenly discovered the answer to the age old question: "Why is there something rather than nothing?" Point in fact: the well known physicist, Stephen Hawking, who responded to the question, "Why does the universe bother to exist?," by saying: "I don't know the answer to that."
I have to admit that it is always a little amusing to me when a mere creature, who has only been alive no more than a handful of decades, proclaims with noticeable hubris that his mind has reached the conclusion that the universe - and human beings - are nothing but an accident. I have greater respect for the deist who sees the implausibility of denying a creator, but has a great distaste for actually having any sort of relationship with such a being. In any event, if the computer I am typing on was to suddenly start shouting at me that it had no ultimate designer, and that it came about by mere chance, I would have to tell it to, well, shut-up!
Recently I had the idea of pretending to be an atheist. I wanted to see what it felt like
to be an atheist (to believe somehow that all that we see, hear, feel and touch is nothing but an accident). I even thought of praying to the ungod of the accidental universe to see how he managed to bring it all together by accident (although here I could be accused of reverting to primitive religious superstition). But I prayed to this ungod anyways. And as I prayed my lovely wife walked into the room: and I said, "ungod, you are truly amazing."
There's my wife, and she is sort of like a perfect partner to me! She's all so feminine
(thanks for those gentle curves), and I'm masculine (I played football in seventh grade).
I must be insane to think that you pulled off this amazing complementarity between my wife and I by accident, and so hats off to you, ungod, because the chances of this happening by accident must have been, well, zero." I paused then to see if ungod would say anything back to me, but he didn't, and the whole thing actually backfired on me as I began to see the complementarity between my wife and I as a rather obvious revelation that I did have a creator.Then I remembered that quote by C.S. Lewis: "A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading." In my case, it simply wasn't a good idea to pray to ungod.
Years ago Carl Sagan (the astronomer) was the unofficial High Priest of atheistic scientism. Sagan helped to popularize Haeckel's theory of recapitulation, a theory that maintains that human embryonic development recapitulates in miniature the grand course of human biological evolution. It is well known, now, that Haeckel forged some of his well known drawings of human embryonic development (ones that were standard for years in biology texts), and the theory is now generally regarded as defunct. We therefore need to be careful not to grant to scientific theory an aura of infallibility that ultimately serves merely as a disservice to science. Even scientists need to distinguish carefully between scientific fact and scientific theory. Thus, in the current debate over evolution, it is important to know that the two leading proponents of the theory - Dawkins and Gould - have seemingly diametrically opposing views as to how evolution happened ,i.e., the dispute between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Gould opted for punctuated equilibrium due to the paucity of the fossil record.
Dawkins' book, The Blind Watchmaker, shows just how unscientific scientists can be.
Frankly, Dawkins (one of the top "new atheists") must be embarrassed for having said what he said. In his book, Dawkins maintains that if one was to see a statue of the Virgin Mary wave its hand, such an occurrence, although improbable, could be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry. Here are Dawkins own words from the book:
"In the case of the marble statue, molecules in solid marble are continuously jostling against one another in random directions. The jostlings of the different molecules cancel one another out, so the whole hand of the statue stays still. But if, by sheer coincidence, all the molecules just happened to move in the same direction at the same moment, the hand would move. If they then all reversed direction at the same moment the hand would move back. In this way it is possible for a marble statue to wave at us. It could happen. The odds against such a coincidence are unimaginably great but they are not incalculably great. A physicist colleague has kindly calculated them for me. The number is so large that the entire age of the universe so far is too short a time to write out all the noughts! It is theoretically possible for a cow to jump over the moon with something [[171]] like the same improbability. The conclusion to this part of the argument is that we can calculate our way into regions of miraculous improbability far greater than we can imagine as plausible."
Let's give Dawkins a break. Perhaps he was having a bad day when he wrote this rubbish.But how can I trust anything he says in light of the scientific foolishness employed by him in the just cited quotation.
Michael Corey, in discussing the possibility whether our "wondrous universe could have evolved by blind chance" quotes the distinguished University of Montreal psychiatrist Karl Stern as labeling such a view of the universe as "crazy." He further quotes Stern as saying: "And I do not at all mean crazy in the sense of a slangy invective but rather in the technical meaning of psychotic. Indeed such a view has much in common with certain aspects of schizophrenic thinking" (God and the New Cosmology, p.220). Stern is basically maintaining that it is flat out irrational to believe the universe came about by chance or accident.
Theism is grounded in common sense. It need not be intimidated by the "bio-mythology" of an accidental universe.
References . Answering the New Atheism (Wiker and Hahn). Concerning the complementary relationship between faith and science, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 159, 283 and 284. In October of 2014, Pope Francis stated the following: "The Big Bang, which nowadays is posited as the origin of the world, does not contradict the divine act of creating, but rather requires it. The evolution of nature does not contrast with the notion of creation, as evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”
Tom Mulcahy, who has an M.A. in Religious Studies, is an independent Catholic writer, faithful to the Church, who does not necessarily agree with every opinion or commentary where his writings may appear.
"The principal source of my melancholy, however, is my firm conviction that today’s most obstreperous infidels lack the courage, moral intelligence, and thoughtfulness of their forefathers in faithlessness."
("Believe it or Not" www.firstthings.com)
Frankly, these new atheists need to show a little more humility. It's not like they've
suddenly discovered the answer to the age old question: "Why is there something rather than nothing?" Point in fact: the well known physicist, Stephen Hawking, who responded to the question, "Why does the universe bother to exist?," by saying: "I don't know the answer to that."
I have to admit that it is always a little amusing to me when a mere creature, who has only been alive no more than a handful of decades, proclaims with noticeable hubris that his mind has reached the conclusion that the universe - and human beings - are nothing but an accident. I have greater respect for the deist who sees the implausibility of denying a creator, but has a great distaste for actually having any sort of relationship with such a being. In any event, if the computer I am typing on was to suddenly start shouting at me that it had no ultimate designer, and that it came about by mere chance, I would have to tell it to, well, shut-up!
Recently I had the idea of pretending to be an atheist. I wanted to see what it felt like
to be an atheist (to believe somehow that all that we see, hear, feel and touch is nothing but an accident). I even thought of praying to the ungod of the accidental universe to see how he managed to bring it all together by accident (although here I could be accused of reverting to primitive religious superstition). But I prayed to this ungod anyways. And as I prayed my lovely wife walked into the room: and I said, "ungod, you are truly amazing."
There's my wife, and she is sort of like a perfect partner to me! She's all so feminine
(thanks for those gentle curves), and I'm masculine (I played football in seventh grade).
I must be insane to think that you pulled off this amazing complementarity between my wife and I by accident, and so hats off to you, ungod, because the chances of this happening by accident must have been, well, zero." I paused then to see if ungod would say anything back to me, but he didn't, and the whole thing actually backfired on me as I began to see the complementarity between my wife and I as a rather obvious revelation that I did have a creator.Then I remembered that quote by C.S. Lewis: "A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading." In my case, it simply wasn't a good idea to pray to ungod.
Years ago Carl Sagan (the astronomer) was the unofficial High Priest of atheistic scientism. Sagan helped to popularize Haeckel's theory of recapitulation, a theory that maintains that human embryonic development recapitulates in miniature the grand course of human biological evolution. It is well known, now, that Haeckel forged some of his well known drawings of human embryonic development (ones that were standard for years in biology texts), and the theory is now generally regarded as defunct. We therefore need to be careful not to grant to scientific theory an aura of infallibility that ultimately serves merely as a disservice to science. Even scientists need to distinguish carefully between scientific fact and scientific theory. Thus, in the current debate over evolution, it is important to know that the two leading proponents of the theory - Dawkins and Gould - have seemingly diametrically opposing views as to how evolution happened ,i.e., the dispute between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Gould opted for punctuated equilibrium due to the paucity of the fossil record.
Dawkins' book, The Blind Watchmaker, shows just how unscientific scientists can be.
Frankly, Dawkins (one of the top "new atheists") must be embarrassed for having said what he said. In his book, Dawkins maintains that if one was to see a statue of the Virgin Mary wave its hand, such an occurrence, although improbable, could be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry. Here are Dawkins own words from the book:
"In the case of the marble statue, molecules in solid marble are continuously jostling against one another in random directions. The jostlings of the different molecules cancel one another out, so the whole hand of the statue stays still. But if, by sheer coincidence, all the molecules just happened to move in the same direction at the same moment, the hand would move. If they then all reversed direction at the same moment the hand would move back. In this way it is possible for a marble statue to wave at us. It could happen. The odds against such a coincidence are unimaginably great but they are not incalculably great. A physicist colleague has kindly calculated them for me. The number is so large that the entire age of the universe so far is too short a time to write out all the noughts! It is theoretically possible for a cow to jump over the moon with something [[171]] like the same improbability. The conclusion to this part of the argument is that we can calculate our way into regions of miraculous improbability far greater than we can imagine as plausible."
Let's give Dawkins a break. Perhaps he was having a bad day when he wrote this rubbish.But how can I trust anything he says in light of the scientific foolishness employed by him in the just cited quotation.
Michael Corey, in discussing the possibility whether our "wondrous universe could have evolved by blind chance" quotes the distinguished University of Montreal psychiatrist Karl Stern as labeling such a view of the universe as "crazy." He further quotes Stern as saying: "And I do not at all mean crazy in the sense of a slangy invective but rather in the technical meaning of psychotic. Indeed such a view has much in common with certain aspects of schizophrenic thinking" (God and the New Cosmology, p.220). Stern is basically maintaining that it is flat out irrational to believe the universe came about by chance or accident.
Theism is grounded in common sense. It need not be intimidated by the "bio-mythology" of an accidental universe.
References . Answering the New Atheism (Wiker and Hahn). Concerning the complementary relationship between faith and science, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 159, 283 and 284. In October of 2014, Pope Francis stated the following: "The Big Bang, which nowadays is posited as the origin of the world, does not contradict the divine act of creating, but rather requires it. The evolution of nature does not contrast with the notion of creation, as evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”
Tom Mulcahy, who has an M.A. in Religious Studies, is an independent Catholic writer, faithful to the Church, who does not necessarily agree with every opinion or commentary where his writings may appear.
Pope Benedict on Homosexual Marriage
06 14 , 18:09
"The Church's conscientious effort to resist this pressure calls for a reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation. Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage."
"Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law. Homosexual acts close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. This same moral judgment is found in many Christian writers of the first centuries and is unanimously accepted by Catholic Tradition."
"Such unions are not able to contribute in a proper way to the procreation and survival of the human race."
"Civil laws are structuring principles of man's life in society, for good or for ill. They play a very important and sometimes decisive role in influencing patterns of thought and behavior. Lifestyles and underlying presuppositions these express not only externally shape the life of society, but also tend to modify the younger generation's perception and evaluation of forms of behavior. Legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage."
"As experience has shown, the absence of sexual complementarity in these unions creates obstacles in the normal development of children who would be placed in the care of such persons. They would be deprived of the experience of either fatherhood or motherhood. Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependence would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development."
"The principles of respect and non-discrimination cannot be invoked to support legal recognition of homosexual unions. Differentiating between persons or refusing social recognition or benefits is unacceptable only when it is contrary to justice. The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to forms of cohabitation that are not and cannot be marital is not opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires it."
"Because married couples ensure the succession of generations and are therefore eminently within the public interest, civil law grants them institutional recognition. Homosexual unions, on the other hand, do not need specific attention from the legal standpoint since they do not exercise this function for the common good."
"In those situations where homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage, clear and emphatic opposition is a duty. One must refrain from any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application of such gravely unjust laws and, as far as possible, from material cooperation on the level of their application."
In conclusion: "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behavior, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basis values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity."
EFFECTS OF ABORTION ON WOMEN
04 14 , 22:58
By Joan Hartzell
Abortion can cause both short-term and long-term physical complications and can significantly affect a woman's ability to have healthy future pregnancies.
Although reporting data is not required, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have received reports of the deaths of 386 women from legal abortion between 1973 and 2004. Accurate assessment is difficult due to lack of surveillance methods.
Long-term physical consequences include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies. Preterm birth is the most frequent cause of infant death in the U.S. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa result in high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, perinatal death, and maternal morbidity.
Scientific studies have indicated that induced abortion can adversely affect a woman's future risk of breast cancer. The termination of a pregnancy causes a significant drop in the level of estrogen secreted in a woman's body, resulting in a rapid growth in the number of cells in the breast tissue, this cell multiplication greatly increasing the risk of developing breast cancer.
A 25-year research project, the most comprehensive, long-term study ever conducted on the issue by a "pro-choice" team in New Zealand, and controlling for multiple factors both pre- and post-abortion, found conclusively that abortion in young women is associated with increased risks of major depression, anxiety disorder, suicidal behaviors, and substance dependence.
Post-abortion Syndrome has been identified in research as a subset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in which women may experience depression, anxiety, anger, flashbacks, guilt, grief, denial, and relationship problems. Side effects are thoughts of self harm and suicide, increase in dangerous activities, inability to perform normal self-care activities, difficulty sleeping, panic disorders, eating disorders, codependence, abusive parenting or overly-protective parenting, compulsivity in work or sex, and sexual dysfunction.
Studies analyzing the effects of induced abortion in adolescents have shown that those who abort report more frequent problems sleeping, more frequent marijuana use, and an increased need for psychological counseling when compared to adolescents who give birth.
The most common method of abortion is the surgical method vacuum aspiration. The complications that can occur are excessive bleeding, abdominal swelling, pelvic infection, uterine perforation, cervical tears, incomplete abortion, and in extreme cases death. Medical treatment consists of taking mifepristone, followed by misoprostol, with associated risks of frequent uterine pain, excessive uterine bleeding, pelvic infection, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, incomplete abortion, vomiting, diarrhea, and in extreme cases death.
RU-486 complications include hemorrhage, infection, and missed ectopic pregnancy (a potentially fatal complication). Since 2000, at least 8 women have died from RU-486 due to hemorrhage and infection.
Secondary infertility can be a risk of abortion, which means that a woman who has previously conceived a child is no longer able to do so. Directly, a surgical abortion can cause scarring of the uterine wall. Indirectly, fertility can be affected through the risk of an infection of the fallopian tubes.
Shame and guilt are the most prevalent outcomes of abortion, this secret often being hidden for years.
Family Research Council
TheGospel.org
Abortion, Questions & Answers, by Dr. & Mrs. J.C. Willke
Abortion can cause both short-term and long-term physical complications and can significantly affect a woman's ability to have healthy future pregnancies.
Although reporting data is not required, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have received reports of the deaths of 386 women from legal abortion between 1973 and 2004. Accurate assessment is difficult due to lack of surveillance methods.
- Physical complications include:
- Cervical lacerations and injury
- Uterine perforations
- Bleeding
- Hemorrhage
- Serious infection
- Pain
- Incomplete abortion
Long-term physical consequences include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies. Preterm birth is the most frequent cause of infant death in the U.S. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa result in high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, perinatal death, and maternal morbidity.
Scientific studies have indicated that induced abortion can adversely affect a woman's future risk of breast cancer. The termination of a pregnancy causes a significant drop in the level of estrogen secreted in a woman's body, resulting in a rapid growth in the number of cells in the breast tissue, this cell multiplication greatly increasing the risk of developing breast cancer.
A 25-year research project, the most comprehensive, long-term study ever conducted on the issue by a "pro-choice" team in New Zealand, and controlling for multiple factors both pre- and post-abortion, found conclusively that abortion in young women is associated with increased risks of major depression, anxiety disorder, suicidal behaviors, and substance dependence.
Post-abortion Syndrome has been identified in research as a subset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in which women may experience depression, anxiety, anger, flashbacks, guilt, grief, denial, and relationship problems. Side effects are thoughts of self harm and suicide, increase in dangerous activities, inability to perform normal self-care activities, difficulty sleeping, panic disorders, eating disorders, codependence, abusive parenting or overly-protective parenting, compulsivity in work or sex, and sexual dysfunction.
Studies analyzing the effects of induced abortion in adolescents have shown that those who abort report more frequent problems sleeping, more frequent marijuana use, and an increased need for psychological counseling when compared to adolescents who give birth.
The most common method of abortion is the surgical method vacuum aspiration. The complications that can occur are excessive bleeding, abdominal swelling, pelvic infection, uterine perforation, cervical tears, incomplete abortion, and in extreme cases death. Medical treatment consists of taking mifepristone, followed by misoprostol, with associated risks of frequent uterine pain, excessive uterine bleeding, pelvic infection, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, incomplete abortion, vomiting, diarrhea, and in extreme cases death.
RU-486 complications include hemorrhage, infection, and missed ectopic pregnancy (a potentially fatal complication). Since 2000, at least 8 women have died from RU-486 due to hemorrhage and infection.
Secondary infertility can be a risk of abortion, which means that a woman who has previously conceived a child is no longer able to do so. Directly, a surgical abortion can cause scarring of the uterine wall. Indirectly, fertility can be affected through the risk of an infection of the fallopian tubes.
Shame and guilt are the most prevalent outcomes of abortion, this secret often being hidden for years.
Family Research Council
TheGospel.org
Abortion, Questions & Answers, by Dr. & Mrs. J.C. Willke
HOW TO MEDITATE?
02 14 , 06:15
By Thomas Mulcahy
"Knowing how much is at stake, the devil wants at all costs to keep us from being faithful to mental prayer." (Father Jacques Philippe)
"Mary treasured all these things [about Jesus], pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)
The great Catholic spiritual writers agree that regular meditation is a crucial component of the spiritual life and of growth in holiness. Meditation is important because it helps us focus with intensity and depth on what is of utmost importance to our lives - the reign of Jesus Christ in our hearts. The focal point for our meditations should, in fact, be the life of Jesus Christ - he who came into the world to enlighten all men (see John 1:9 ). Admittedly, some of the books and manuals on meditation propose long and complex methods of meditation that may be more advisable to professional religious than busy lay men and women. Here is a very simple way to meditate which I am formulating from good books I have read.
Begin your meditation by placing yourself mentally - recollected - in the presence of God and ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to guide you through the meditation and make it profitable for you. The heart of the meditation will then be:
1. Read over slowly and carefully and with deep attention the written material (text) you have chosen to meditate on (for example: the Parable of the Prodigal Son or a few paragraphs from The Imitation of Christ or any suitable book);
2. When the meditation strikes at your heart, and you are moved, make acts of love, praise and thanksgiving to God. These "acts" are the beginning of prayer. The ultimate purpose of the meditation is to produce these acts of affection - to ignite the flame of love in our hearts for God and His truths, etc.
3. Full of love for God, enter into conversation with Him in a deeply personal manner. Converse with God. Talk to Him. Share your heart with Him. Listen. Rest in Him. Saint Teresa of Avila is very adamant that this conversing with the Lord through meditation is the fuel which propels the spiritual life to much greater growth! If helpful to your conversation, you can use your imagination to enter into a Bible scene to talk to Jesus or Mary (for example, kneeling before the Lord during his Agony in the Garden and talking to him and consoling him, and letting him console you).
When the meditation is over, you can then thank the Lord for the graces and love you have received through the meditation, and perhaps make a line or verse from the meditation into your "go-to" prayer for the day!
That's it! The length of the meditation depends upon the amount of time you have and your preference. However, even a fifteen minute meditation can be quite profitable. With practice you will develop your own style and method of meditating which need only incorporate acts of worship towards God and personal conversation with Him.
References: I am relying completely on four excellent books by four priests. The key point from these books is
that meditation should lead to acts of love and worship to our God, and also to deep and intimate conversation
with Him (telling Him, as well, our needs and difficulties). Here are the books:
1. Conversation with Christ by Thomas Rohrbach
2. Time for God by Jacques Phillippe
3. Progress through Mental Prayer by Edward Leen
4. Difficulties in Mental Prayer by Eugene Boylan
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PERISH?
02 14 , 01:54
By Thomas Mulcahy
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
The question was brought up the other day, "What does it mean to perish?" Besides John 3:16 (quoted above) we also have 2 Peter 3:9 letting us know that it is not God's will that anyone should perish. The verse says,"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." But the question is: what does it actually mean to perish?
Blessed Pope John Paul II (in his Apostolic Letter, SALVIFICI DOLORIS) has specifically addressed, in very sobering words, what it means to perish. In answering this question the Pope first says, "Salvation means liberation from evil, and for this reason it is closely bound up with the problem of suffering. According to the words spoken to Nicodemus, God gives his Son to 'the world' to free man from evil, which bears within itself the definitive and absolute perspective on suffering." A few lines later the Pope specifically tells us what it means to perish. The Pope says:
What, then, does it mean to perish? It means to enter into the definite and never-ending suffering of hell caused by sin. The only liberation from this sin-driven eternal death is Jesus Christ. The Pope explains:
"Christ goes towards his Passion and death with full awareness of the mission that he has to fulfill precisely in this way. Precisely by means of this suffering he must bring it about "that man should not perish, but have eternal life". Precisely by means of his Cross he must strike at the roots of evil, planted in the history of man and in human souls. Precisely by means of his Cross he must accomplish the work of salvation. This work, in the plan of eternal Love, has a redemptive character" (no.16).
Our escape from the ravages of sin is the Merciful Love of God manifested through His son, Jesus Christ, who died and gave his life for us (see Galatians 2:20), so that we need "not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Let us, therefore, draw closer to the Lord.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
The question was brought up the other day, "What does it mean to perish?" Besides John 3:16 (quoted above) we also have 2 Peter 3:9 letting us know that it is not God's will that anyone should perish. The verse says,"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." But the question is: what does it actually mean to perish?
Blessed Pope John Paul II (in his Apostolic Letter, SALVIFICI DOLORIS) has specifically addressed, in very sobering words, what it means to perish. In answering this question the Pope first says, "Salvation means liberation from evil, and for this reason it is closely bound up with the problem of suffering. According to the words spoken to Nicodemus, God gives his Son to 'the world' to free man from evil, which bears within itself the definitive and absolute perspective on suffering." A few lines later the Pope specifically tells us what it means to perish. The Pope says:
"Man" perishes" when he loses "eternal life". The opposite of salvation is not, therefore, only temporal suffering, any kind of suffering, but the definitive suffering: the loss of eternal life, being rejected by God, damnation. The only-begotten Son was given to humanity primarily to protect man against this definitive evil and against definitive suffering. In his salvific mission, the Son must therefore strike evil right at its transcendental roots from which it develops in human history. These transcendental roots of evil are grounded in sin and death: for they are at the basis of the loss of eternal life. The mission of the only-begotten Son consists in conquering sin and death. He conquers sin by his obedience unto death, and he overcomes death by his Resurrection" (no. 14).
What, then, does it mean to perish? It means to enter into the definite and never-ending suffering of hell caused by sin. The only liberation from this sin-driven eternal death is Jesus Christ. The Pope explains:
"Christ goes towards his Passion and death with full awareness of the mission that he has to fulfill precisely in this way. Precisely by means of this suffering he must bring it about "that man should not perish, but have eternal life". Precisely by means of his Cross he must strike at the roots of evil, planted in the history of man and in human souls. Precisely by means of his Cross he must accomplish the work of salvation. This work, in the plan of eternal Love, has a redemptive character" (no.16).
Our escape from the ravages of sin is the Merciful Love of God manifested through His son, Jesus Christ, who died and gave his life for us (see Galatians 2:20), so that we need "not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Let us, therefore, draw closer to the Lord.
THE DEEPLY PROFOUND MEANING OF "OUR THE DEEPLY PROFOUND MEANING OF "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN"
02 14 , 01:46
By Thomas Mulcahy
"[T]he Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21)
God in near - "nearer to us than we are to ourselves." Perhaps we might even say that God is too close for comfort. But when we pray the first line of the Our Father ("Our Father who art in Heaven"), we are reminding ourselves (in a truly poignant moment of adoration) that God dwells within our souls. This is a point of great significance. It helps to bring alive the Our Father prayer.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states in paragraph 2794 that "Our Father who art in heaven is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple." Again, these are truly profound words; they help to awaken in our hearts a profound realization that through sanctifying grace God indwells our souls. Here is the full and very striking text of CCC 2749:
"Who Art in Heaven" This biblical expression does not mean a place ("space"), but a way of being: it does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father in not "elsewhere": he transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness. It is precisely because he is thrice-holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart.
"Our Father who art in Heaven" is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them" (quoting Saint Augustine).
"Heaven could also be those who bear the image of the heavenly world , and in whom God dwells and tarries"
(quoting Saint Cyril of Jerusalem).
My dear friend, we begin the practice of contemplative prayer (active contemplation) precisely when we begin to "lovingly contemplate" the presence of God within us. It is the deep recollection of God's interior presence which helps greatly to mold saints! What a striking invitation the Our Father prayer gives us to spend some time in silence deeply recollecting the interior presence of God. Vocal prayer is tremendously important; and so too is meditative prayer, especially on the mysteries of our Lord's life, but contemplative prayer (which seeks interior union with God) is the pathway of great holiness.
The CCC has an entire section on contemplative prayer, beginning at
2709 through 2719. But as a practical matter, you can begin a simple form of contemplative prayer merely by recollecting the interior presence of God within your soul whenever you say, "Our Father Who Art in Heaven."
In fact, I remember Father Garrigou-LaGrange recommending that we sometimes pray the "Our Father" very slowly. The “method” employed here can be quite quick and simple: in a moment, in a flash, you gaze inwardly at God’s presence within you as you say, “Our Father who Art in Heaven.” This isn’t hard, but rest assured it is very beneficial!
I do hope that this note "ups" your appreciation of the first line of the Our Father, and thus your personal love of God. Saint Paul and Saint John were no doubt great contemplatives, and so too Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross, but the Virgin Mary was the greatest of all contemplatives (a point made by Father Garrigou-LaGrange). Mary's awareness of God's presence within her compels her to acknowledge: -
"My soul doth magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46)
"[T]he Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21)
God in near - "nearer to us than we are to ourselves." Perhaps we might even say that God is too close for comfort. But when we pray the first line of the Our Father ("Our Father who art in Heaven"), we are reminding ourselves (in a truly poignant moment of adoration) that God dwells within our souls. This is a point of great significance. It helps to bring alive the Our Father prayer.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states in paragraph 2794 that "Our Father who art in heaven is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple." Again, these are truly profound words; they help to awaken in our hearts a profound realization that through sanctifying grace God indwells our souls. Here is the full and very striking text of CCC 2749:
"Who Art in Heaven" This biblical expression does not mean a place ("space"), but a way of being: it does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father in not "elsewhere": he transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness. It is precisely because he is thrice-holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart.
"Our Father who art in Heaven" is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them" (quoting Saint Augustine).
"Heaven could also be those who bear the image of the heavenly world , and in whom God dwells and tarries"
(quoting Saint Cyril of Jerusalem).
My dear friend, we begin the practice of contemplative prayer (active contemplation) precisely when we begin to "lovingly contemplate" the presence of God within us. It is the deep recollection of God's interior presence which helps greatly to mold saints! What a striking invitation the Our Father prayer gives us to spend some time in silence deeply recollecting the interior presence of God. Vocal prayer is tremendously important; and so too is meditative prayer, especially on the mysteries of our Lord's life, but contemplative prayer (which seeks interior union with God) is the pathway of great holiness.
The CCC has an entire section on contemplative prayer, beginning at
2709 through 2719. But as a practical matter, you can begin a simple form of contemplative prayer merely by recollecting the interior presence of God within your soul whenever you say, "Our Father Who Art in Heaven."
In fact, I remember Father Garrigou-LaGrange recommending that we sometimes pray the "Our Father" very slowly. The “method” employed here can be quite quick and simple: in a moment, in a flash, you gaze inwardly at God’s presence within you as you say, “Our Father who Art in Heaven.” This isn’t hard, but rest assured it is very beneficial!
I do hope that this note "ups" your appreciation of the first line of the Our Father, and thus your personal love of God. Saint Paul and Saint John were no doubt great contemplatives, and so too Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross, but the Virgin Mary was the greatest of all contemplatives (a point made by Father Garrigou-LaGrange). Mary's awareness of God's presence within her compels her to acknowledge: -
"My soul doth magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46)
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