feminine-genius

A vile persecution

There are many ways that Christians can be persecuted -- losing friends, losing jobs, losing access to services, etc. But then there is the most reprehensible way of attacking a family:

Burmese troops gang raped and tortured a grandmother in a church in the latest reported case of abuse by Burma's military against the predominantly Christian Kachin minority, Christian rights activists said Monday, May 21.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), an advocacy group investigating the attacks in Burma, told BosNewsLife that the grandmother of 12 was sheltering on May 1 alone in a church after other villagers had fled the country's northernmost Kachin State near the border with China.

"Burma Army troops entered the church where they beat her with rifle butts, stabbed her with knives, stripped her naked and gang-raped her over a period of three days," CSW said.

On May 4, she was taken to hospital by villagers and reunited with her children "however she is now suffering from mental health problems," the group added in a statement.

She is not alone, and another indignity that the victims share is a blind eye by the government, which never charges the perpetrators.

CSW’s East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers said it was "an appalling case" and shows that "despite all the signs of change in other parts of the country, crimes against humanity continue to be perpetrated by the Burma Army against ethnic nationalities, particularly the [predominantly Christian] Kachin."

President Thein Sein has made clear he wants a ceasefire with different ethnic groups demanding more rights. However "if the reform process is to really mean true change for Burma, the military must stop raping, torturing, enslaving and killing civilians," argued Rogers.

Our prayers go out to all suffering from injustice. May this woman and her family, in particular, feel the consolations of the Holy Spirit.

God's perfect timing

Crescat's heart-rending post about her hidden abortions cannot go without comment, for she is offering the exact witness mentioned in the previous post. As the comments below it indicate, she has the total support of her readers, who extend their love and understanding -- as it should be (while clarifying that we can never really understand the suffering others).

One comment in particular must be noted:

Your story is my story. Two abortions, one miscarriage. Your honesty has power though. I have sat debating abortions with people over and over again and they ignore what I'm saying - apparently I only think like this because I'm Catholic!

Kindly remember that we will always be marginalised: if it's because we're Catholic, we're brain dead; if we're not, ours is just a private opinion; if we've had an abortion, we have no room to talk; if we haven't, we don't understand what leads women to it. It doesn't matter how the argument is framed, the messenger must be indicted so that the message can be dismissed. That's how a malformed conscience operates.

Arguments won't work -- only grace can prepare hearts, soften wills and make the truth known. Now is the favourable time, now is when we are called to speak out. Love and prayers for Kathleen, and let's do all we can to make her confession one for the ages. The world needs such stories shouted from the rooftops, and let her witness be the sign of contradiction to illuminate the confusion of her generation.

Behold the modern woman

  

The entire message is so sickening that I'm appalled for the entire family. What lies behind the surface of every sentence, every thought, is the fact that nothing can be accomplished without "medication" that will sterilise intimacy, without the ability to engage in sinful behaviour. My daughter cannot join the military without birth control pills. My daughter cannot enjoy her life without uncommitted sex. My daughter will be less of a person if she doesn't tamper with her reproductive capacity -- for God's physiological design and the exciting dreams of women are radically opposed to each other.

This woman has sexualised two dear little girls, for the subject matter distracts the observer into extrapolating: "Now what's the relationship between setting that alarm clock and this ad?" or "What will keep those smiles alive as the wind tousles their hair?" Ah yes, sexual licence. And children. God forgive her.

She is entirely right about the ubiquitous pills in the medicine cabinet. Such is the culture in which we operate. Such is the battle to be fought at every turn -- for Christ despises the corruption of his little ones. Our challenge is to love this mother while renouncing Every. Single. Word.

The issue of religious liberty aside, our culture has enshrined uncommitted, sterile copulation as a birthright, and is trying to make it the measure of a woman's freedom -- ignoring the fact that it allows every woman to be used as an instrument of other's pleasure. Keep this in mind as you encounter the world. It has rejected the very meaning of existence, and traded it for a mess of pottage.

Pray without ceasing, be faithful, and remember that you are the living sign of contradiction -- simply by remaining in God's embrace. Courage!

The value of a woman in China

No matter what the Chinese state says about its citizens, the women are not feeling valued, and why would they? Granted, it's not Communism that says boys are of more value than girls, but when a draconian policy interferes with natural fertility, forcing families to have but one child, the cultural preference for boys means that girls are caught in the cross-hairs.

“A woman takes her life every three seconds in China,” and men outnumber women by 40 million because of the “systematic elimination of girls” through forced abortion and sterilizations resulting from China’s one-child policy, Chai Ling, founder of the human rights group All Girls Allowed, said Tuesday.

Ling testified during a House Foreign Affairs Subcommitte on Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese activist who was imprisoned by the Chinese government and fled to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He is waiting to complete paperwork so that he can travel to the United States.

This is the nature of "human rights" in China that Chen has documented and protested--for which he has been made a folk hero. This is the message that China wants buried. And this is the sort of embarrassing detail that the US abhors, because trade is more important than such rights.

And what do the large, unwieldly numbers hide? Individual stories like this:

“I would like to share some of the stories and images that will show you what is happening in China even as we speak. I should warn you that these stories are disturbing,” Ling said.

Ling shared the story of Deng Lourong, the second of three girls, whose parents wanted a boy desperately enough to violate the one-child policy only to have Chinese officials demolish their home and confiscate their belongings.

Lourong’s mother disappeared three days after giving birth to her third child, and her father fled too, giving the girls over to the care of their grandmother. “Undeterred, officials detained the girls’ grandmother in 2002 and left them without a guardian,” Ling said.

“During the night, a man broke into their room and raped the 12-year-old Lourong. Her sisters managed to obtain the release of their grandmother after this, but the elderly woman died a month after she returned home,” Ling said. Lourong’s rapist only received five days in administrative detention.

Lourong was sold as a child bride three years later to a man twice her age, and her sisters were sold by traffickers and have yet to be found, according to Ling.

“When a German reporter and Chinese volunteers found Lourong’s father last November, he told them that Lourong’s husband had turned her into a prostitute to earn income for him. He beats her frequently and sold her body to bachelors in that area. Deng was in poor mental state. She would roam the mountains for over a week sometimes before returning to the house,” Ling said.

Multiply that by millions and you have a world of hurt. God sees, no doubt, but he also wants us to see and act. God wants us to weigh our imports against these broken lives, for us to weigh diplomatic protocols against cries of anguish for those dismembered bearing the divine image, for us to consider the price of our silence.

True Empress of China, intercede for these, your dear children!

"My faith is my life"

Sister Mary Sylvester is about to celebrate both 83 years of religious life and her 100th birthday. She sounds like a delightful person:

For nearly 100 years, Sister Mary Sylvester has offered a countless number of prayers of thanks to God. Still, her most enduring legacy is that she has lived her life as a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

The gratitude shows in the way she fondly recalls those horse-drawn wagon trips with her siblings and other children to their Catholic school—her first journey of faith with others.

Her happiness also flows in the memories of her students, and the care she has extended toward people in need—including the way she stuffed 47 pillows last Christmas, hoping to bring a touch of comfort to military veterans at a hospital.

And perhaps most of all, her appreciation for her life has always been reflected in her joy of being part of a religious community dedicated to God. She comes to all the meals, and attends all the events, Masses and celebrations within the community.

How beautiful that her own vocation was inspired by her first-grade teacher, Sister Pauline. Subsequently, Sister Sylvester taught for 50 years, touching an astounding number of lives -- people for whom she has faithfully prayed ever since. Ad multos annos, dear Sister, and thank you for your generous spirit!

The Last Line of Defense

There's far more to the Hilary Rosen comment than met the eye -- for we have to consider the deeper question: what is the value of motherhood? My latest on CL includes the illustration of the all-out war on smokers, that has dominated its corner of the culture:

If impressionable children can be insulated from smokers for their own benefit, why not music lyrics that glorify gang violence, promiscuity peddled through the entertainment and fashion industries, and the emotional shredding attached to broken families? These influences aren’t decried for two simple reasons. First, there is a significant portion of our population that simply doesn’t care about the impact of those things; but moreover, there is a smaller but more insidious population that does care—but encourages them anyway for a variety of reasons. These are the Hilary Rosens of our landscape.

Read it all.

35,000 per day

That's the average daily abortion rate in China, and you can be sure that the great majority of those abortion--13 million yearly--are targeted at baby girls. That is the impetus for this firm reminder from US Rep. Christopher Smith:

“The war on women is very real, and it’s being employed by the Chinese government every day of the week against Chinese women, including mothers, but also against unborn baby girls who are killed simply because they happen to be female,” Smith said.

“And the number of sex-selection abortions in China has no parallel,” Smith said. “It is the direct consequence of the one-child-per-couple policy, and unfortunately, the Obama administration has given money to the very organization – the (United Nations) population fund – that defends to the hilt the one-child-per-couple policy and says it ought to be replicated around the world.”

A 2011 report by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy states that in 2000 more than half of abortions in China were a result of prenatal sex selection.

Smith called the Democrat charge [that Republicans are waging a war on women] “nonsense” and said that the Obama administration should be helping Chen and his battle against the Chinese government’s forced abortion and sterilization policies.

“They ought to be standing firm with Chen Guangcheng and fighting for his asylum and, on an every day basis, be fighting against China’s forced abortion policy,” Smith said.

Instead, the Obama administration is following China's lead on family planning programs--not only at the UN but in the US--which begin with free hand-outs and end up with coercion on the government dime.

And to the Church's shame, a “Catholic” institution will give a soap-box to the head of the program for one of its graduation events:

Former governor of Kansas and current secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, will be addressing the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.

That explains why when Chen risked everything to escape to the US embassy in China, he saw for himself what our government prioritises:

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who has suffered years of imprisonment and beatings for objecting to forced abortions and sterilizations in his native country, thought he could find shelter and friendship in the United States embassy following his recent escape from house arrest. He is now learning the hard way that the pro-abortion Obama administration, which helps to finance the same “one-child policy” that Chen is fighting, would rather see him disappear.

Pray, friends, and keep your lamps lit.

An icon of the healing dimension of Holy Mother Church

 

Such a lovely witness: a beautiful combination of professionalism, motherly tenderness and faith. Furthermore, there is her evident humility, in that this only surfaces years after her ministry to the Holy Father was completed.

Bookmark

Just this last weekend, I spoke to some lovely women in Maine, the wives of members of the Knights of Columbus who had their annual state convention at Sunday River (Newry). Beautiful -- it even snowed! Subsequently, a woman wrote to me to ask if there are recorded talks anywhere, but other than the talks given to the women in the TASTE program in Baltimore and some recent talks to the "Women of the Blessed Sacrament" in Los Angeles, I don't know of any recordings.

But, this Bookmark audiofile should give a good sense of my message, if you're looking for a good summer read or a speaker for Fall/2012. By then, my new book on forgiveness will be out, and a day-long retreat would be a wonderful way to renew your faith. Also, remember that the book about which Doug and I spoke has a free study guide, if you want to go through it with a book club or prayer group.

Mother as bridge

K-Lo has found the most extraordinary video of a child, who speaks with the thoughtfulness and wisdom of a grown man--indeed like a man quite advanced in age. He had to think deeply because of a congenital illness that threatened to cut his life short. Do watch the clip here.

And then, please take some time to reflect on the mother's tremendous influence, by which she took a frightened, suffering child and helped him to make sense of his world. He died young, but with great anticipation of his reunion with God and those he loved. His words are inspiring, teaching us all how to live--and how to die.

Part of the feminine genius is to be an icon of the Church, mater et magistra, the bridge with the One True God. To be specific, the Church offers viaticum to those who are gravely ill, which strengthens them for the journey--either the path to recovery or the path to Eternity. This child reveals a mother who understood her vocation and carefully catechised her dear one amidst the tears. Thus with the help of God she took what could have been a tragedy and turned it into a miracle of grace.

Let's not miss the opportunities we have for being that bridge between the natural and the supernatural, between man and God, between sacrifice and grace. Truly this child must have been a powerful intercessor since his untimely death, and he is one to remember with confidence. Saint Garvan, pray for us!

Generous, fervent, and humble

The Mexican people rejoiced at the Basilica of Guadalupe, where Mother Maria Inés Teresa of the Most Blessed Sacrament was beatified. The fifth of eight children, she was born in 1904, discerned a call to religious life in 1924, and made her final profession in 1933 at the Ave Maria Monastery. Shortly thereafter, the entire convent had to move to California during the Cristero persecutions. Later she was called to found a new two new groups, the Clarissan Missionaries of the Most Holy Sacrament (1924) and the Missionaries of Christ for the Universal Church (1979).

From the Vatican website:

The Servant of God, Maria Inés Teresa Arias, was born on Ixtlan del Rio (Mexico). She entered religious life in 1929 and lived for a while in California and then in Mexico. In the community she was appointed counseler, secretary and novice mistress. In 1945, the convent she founded in Cuernavaca, Mexico, was approved by the Holy See. The Congregation became missionary by the Pontifical Decree of 1951. Different foundations followed: Cuernavaca, Puebla, Chiapas, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Japan, United States (Texas, California), Costa Rica, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Italy (Rome), Spain (Pamplona, Madrid), Ireland (Dublin), Nigeria. She died in Rome on July 22, 1981, leaving behind a missionary family of sisters, priests and lay persons, spread through the five continents. She left us a testimony of generous dedication and service to the Church. Her missionary travels took her to visit the convents she founded. She kept in touch with each one of them by correspondence. This correspondence has provided us with an abundant missionary legacy of great spiritual richness as are: letters, advices and reflections, studies and meditations, spiritual exercises.

More information can be found here at their site. A hearty congratulations to her community at this joyful time!

A battle front in the real war on women

The feminists must be distracted; otherwise they would be outraged by the abuse of Uzbek women, who are being sterilised against their will. These poor women are not even aware of that government's monthly quotas which are assigned to each Ob-Gyn, and carried out during childbirth.

And look at the health risks that women are unnecessarily subject to for this govt. program:

The forced sterilizations may even be on the rise. Antelava’s medical sources reported a dramatic increase in Caesarean section births in the last two years, which provide surgeons with an easy opportunity to sterilize women.

“Rules on Caesareans used to be very strict, but now I believe 80% of women give birth through C-sections. This makes it very easy to perform a sterilisation and tie the fallopian tubes,” a chief surgeon at a hospital near Tashkent said.

“The mark of a totalitarian government is the use of secretive programs, violence and force to manipulate the population. This effort to forcibly sterilize women without their knowledge is an egregious affront to human rights and a crime against humanity,” said Father Peter West, vice president for missions at Human Life International, in response to the story. “Civil and political leaders in Uzbekistan and other nations, including President Obama, need to strongly and very publicly condemn these attacks on the women of Uzbekistan and pressure government officials to bring an end to this human rights crisis.”

Obama and the feminists always seem to be distracted by their own red herrings. 80% of Uzbek babies are delivered by Caesarian so that the government can interfere with their fertility? To women who are probably strong, healthy, and otherwise need no such interventions? In settings where health care may be substandard and risky?

Leave it to the Church to point out real injustices against women--and to work for the good.

Mercy for the Asking

Having just come through Holy Week and Easter, we’ve been reminded once more of the terrible price that God paid for our sins. Perhaps you had a chance to go to confession before Easter, and the graces of the holy season penetrated your soul as never before. Or perhaps you looked on with the same weary eyes as before, wondering if God is faithful to his promises—if the glories of the resurrection can make a difference in your life. Has another season of grace come and gone without effect, causing you to keep God at arm’s length and to wonder at the meaning of it all?

To be sure, the season hasn’t ended, and we continue with “little Easter”—the second Sunday after the Passion, which has now been dedicated to the Divine Mercy. In the midst of the 20^th century—that bloody century marked by wars, gulags and unspeakable devastation—God repeatedly emphasized his abiding love to a young Polish nun named Sister Faustina Kowalska in messages that spanned from 1931 to 1938. Did the horrors from which so many suffered end with those revelations? Not at all—and indeed they only grew worse—but his children were comforted amidst the darkness with the truth that no human sin is more powerful than his mercy.

No matter what cunning devices humans concoct to evict God from his creation, no matter what depraved behaviors they insist on calling enlightened, God will still be God, and he will remain here in our midst, hoping for the slightest response to his solicitousness. He cannot be scared off, nor can he be horrified at our degeneracy, for he has already walked the gauntlet of wickedness and conquered it.

What is mercy, this curious dimension of God that makes him so steadfast in his love for creation, and particularly his love for us? Is all mercy love, or is it different? We hear that God is love, and we’re familiar with the explanation that love is his very essence—he must love, for that is who he is—but how can he love us, especially when we find ourselves so unlovable?

While we understand the relationship between sin and justice, whereby reparation must be made for offenses against God, sin also adds to our understanding of his love. When a person bears love for that which is perfect, it is simply love, but when love embraces that which is imperfect, we see that perfect love includes mercy, for now there is the forbearance of a defect that wasn’t previously necessary. In that sense, our intransigence didn’t change God—he is immutable—but we subsequently learned that the love which was intrinsic to his nature included an unquenchable mercy, which does not shrink from us even in our corrupt state.

Is there no limit to what he will forgive? Evidently not, as he stressed to Sister Faustina that his mercy and kindness are always at the disposal of all people—especially those who suffer—and he pointed to the gift of his passion and death as proof of his desire that we be freed from the consequences of our sins. That gift stands for all time, and just because our depravity seems to have intensified in recent decades, that doesn’t mean that he’s withdrawn his offer in disgust. In fact, the greater our propensity for self-destruction, the more radical, the more astonishing is his healing by contrast.

How instructive it is that Eastertide is longer than Lent, and now is the time for celebrating God’s great mercy. Embrace it—and let it embrace you!

Respendent Dawn

The Virgin got up and said: "These witnesses to the time of my Son's Resurrection are enough for me..." Then she looked out the window and saw that the dawn was beginning to break. Her joy was great: "My son will soon resuscitate," she said. Then, kneeling down, she prayed: "Awake, stand in front of me and look, and you, Lord God Sabaoth, awake." Immediately, Christ sent the angel Gabriel to her saying, "You once announced to my mother the Incarnation of the Word, announce to her now His resurrection." Then the Angel flew to Mary and said to her, "Queen of Heaven, rejoice, because the One you deserved to carry in your womb is risen as He said." And Christ greeted His mother, saying: "Peace be with you"... And Mary said to her Son: "Before, my Son, I worshipped on Saturday, in honor of the holy rest after the creation of the world. Now I will worship on Sunday in memory of your Resurrection, and your rest and glory." And Christ approved (Saint Vincent Ferrer, Spanish Dominican, d. 1419).

Part of the introduction to the Mass states:

"The Fathers of the Church...frequently teach us that the mysteries of Christ, which the Church, our virgin mother, celebrates in the sacraments of Christian initiation, were accomplished in Mary, the Virgin Mother (Pref): the Spirit who sanctifies the womb of the Church--that is, the font of baptism--to bring forth children of God, sanctified Mary's womb so that she might bring forth the firstborn of many brothers and sisters (see Hebrews 2:11-15) ..."

The texts of the Mass celebrate Our Lady as:

--the Virgin Mother, (OP, see Pref) who, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit (Com Ant), became the mother of Christ, the bread of life (see John 6:35), by whom the faithful are nourished in the Church.

--the mother of light (Ent Ant), because she brought forth Christ, the light of the world (see John 12:46; Gos A, John 12:44-50). --the model of the Church (Ent Ant) because the Church is itself a virgin and brings to birth in the chaste waters of baptism a people of faith (Ent Ant), and in imitation of the mother of Christ makes its eucharistic offering (POG); and because those things accomplished in sign through the sacraments of the Church' were accomplished already in the Blessed Virgin. (Preface)

--the sanctuary of the mysteries of God (Com Ant), because she carried in her virginal womb' Christ, the sacrament of the Father: in Christ are hidden all the treasures of salvation and grace, and through him the face of the Father is revealed to us (see Luke 10:22; John 14:9).

From a homily by St Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), a Capuchin-Franciscan priest:

Mary rejoiced in the conception of Christ, she thrilled with joy at His birth, and when she heard "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace of men of good will" (Luke 2:13-14), the hymn echoed throughout the countryside by a chorus of angels. Mary was enraptured when the Magi came in adoration, and when she found Jesus in the temple; and she was even more joyous when she heard of and saw the great number and variety of miracles which He was working. Her joy grew more profound as she saw Him ascend into heaven, His seat of glory, accompanied by the angels. But on this day, she was filled with a happiness greater than all of these, greater than can ever be told. Just like the man who found the great treasure in his field, in a unimaginable manner Mary found an infinite glorious treasure in the Resurrection of her son, Jesus Christ.

Holy Saturday and Our Lady

Christ told Mary what He had done in hell, how He had chained up Satan, and presented to His mother the patriarchs He brought back with him. They all bowed low in front of her. I will let you ponder what the feelings of Adam and Eve were when they said to the Virgin Mary: "Blessed are you, our daughter and Our Lady. The Lord was thinking about you when he told the serpent, 'I will place enmity between you and the woman.'"

Eve added: "I closed paradise through my fault, but you, Full of Grace, you have opened it again."

Each Prophet told her in turn, "I have prophesied about you here and there in my book." Then they all saluted her by saying, "You are the glory of Jerusalem, Israel's joy and the honor of our people."

And the Virgin responded with these words, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people that God has acquired to Himself to announce the praises of Him who called you from the darkness into His admirable light." And the angels sang again: "Queen of heaven, rejoice."

Saint Vincent Ferrer (Spanish Dominican, d. 1419)

New book on the horizon

As a follow-up to The Authentic Catholic Woman, Servant will publish Set Free: The Authentic Catholic Woman's Guide to Forgiveness (due out October 23rd). Now would be a good time to set up a presentation on this important topic. I'd love to address your prayer group, book club, study circle or larger women's organizations. The topic works wonderfully as an all-day retreat (here is some feedback). Talks are appropriate for women from all walks of life, but the new book material is specifically geared for women who are suffering from the ravages of the sexual revolution. After speaking on the topic for 15 years, I've discovered that forgiveness -- which is foundational to our faith -- is often terribly misunderstood. This book is well-grounded, entirely Catholic and very, very practical. Let's share the healing message! 

Always Lent in some places

As Prison Planet notes, China's one-child policy still stands, with no discernable protests from the "enlighened" West. We begin with a piece cited from the Epoch Times, which gives an account of an incident from June, in which a woman in her last weeks of pregnancy was kidnapped by representatives of the Birth Control Office, who brought her to a site where the unborn child was injected with poison. The story notes that she was of "advanced maternal age" (unexplained) but that the child was healthy.

Half a dozen men pushed the woman down on a bed and injected her with a drug to induce labor. The woman fought desperately and got away twice, but not the third time.

In the early morning of June 12, the woman had repeated pains in her abdomen. At around 6 a.m., she had a stillbirth. The injection had poisoned and killed the fetus. According to the doctor, immediately after the woman’s placenta was passed, she had a massive hemorrhage. She died after hospital staff attempted an emergency rescue. 

Although the husband wasn't there, he was offered a paltry compensation, and she was immediately cremated, making the reader wonder when and how he actually learned what had happened.

Holy Week began with another documented case of murder, this time in Moshan, which is in the Shandong province of China:

Because the parents of the baby already had a child, they were hunted down and forced to comply with China’s draconian one child policy. The mother was injected with a poison that induced an abortion, but after the baby was “pulled out inhumanly like a piece of meat,” it was still alive and began to cry before doctors slung the defenseless child into a bucket and left it to die.

Trading rights with China, the current trade imbalance and national debt drives our foreign policy. Although millions of women are regularly abused in this way, and millions of babies snuffed out, it doesn't register on the financial spread sheet. On towards the Passion...

ADDENDUM: LifeSiteNews adds a sad footnote by passing along the news that approximately 500 Chinese women commit suicide each day. (There are some interesting conjectures as to why, but I admit I was sad to see that suicides among American men is higher.) The one-child policy may be part of it, but it's not necessarily because of women being robbed of motherhood --rather the fact that the policy crystalises the point that boys are preferred. They always have been, but perhaps the rising rate of sex-selection abortions targeting girls drives it home? Hard to tell, but sad all the same. Furthermore, with the sex imbalance growing and men unable to find wives, these statistics are only more alarming.

True Devotion

VIS offers our Holy Father's Angelus message from Mexico:

Vatican City, 25 March 2012 (VIS) - "As we now pray the Angelus and remember the Annunciation of the Lord, our eyes too turn spiritually towards the hill of Tepeyac, to the place where the Mother of God, under the title of “the Ever-Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe” has been fervently honoured for centuries as a sign of reconciliation and of God’s infinite goodness towards the world", said the Holy Father this morning before the Marian prayer.

"Do not forget", he went on, "that true devotion to the Virgin Mary always takes us to Jesus, and “consists neither in sterile nor transitory feelings, nor in an empty credulity, but proceeds from true faith, by which we are led to recognise the excellence of the Mother of God, and we are moved to filial love towards our Mother and to the imitation of her virtues”. To love her means being committed to listening to her Son, to venerate the Guadalupana means living in accordance with the words of the blessed fruit of her womb.

"At this time, when so many families are separated or forced to emigrate, when so many are suffering due to poverty, corruption, domestic violence, drug trafficking, the crisis of values and increased crime, we come to Mary in search of consolation, strength and hope. She is the Mother of the true God, who invites us to stay with faith and charity beneath her mantle, so as to overcome in this way all evil and to establish a more just and fraternal society.

"With these sentiments, I place once again this country, all Latin America and the Caribbean before the gentle gaze of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I entrust all their sons and daughters to the Star of both the original and the new evangelisation; she has inspired with her maternal love their Christian history, has given particular expression to their national achievements, to their communal and social initiatives, to family life, to personal devotion and to the continental mission which is now taking place across these noble lands. In times of trial and sorrow she was invoked by many martyrs who, in crying out “Long live Christ the King and Mary of Guadalupe” bore unyielding witness of fidelity to the Gospel and devotion to the Church. I now ask that her presence in this nation may continue to serve as a summons to defence and respect for human life. May it promote fraternity, setting aside futile acts of revenge and banishing all divisive hatred", the Pope concluded.

After the Angelus, Benedict XVI prayed for a few moments in silence before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As he imparted the final blessing, he also blessed ninety-one images of the Virgin of Guadalupe which are destined to be displayed in all the dioceses of Mexico.

Prayers for all of you making your Act of Consecration today. At Mass this morning, we were sad to see our lovely statue (of Our Lady of Mercy) shrouded in fabric in preparation for Passiontide, so we will have to hold her image in our hearts.

We've anathematised the anathema

This is a wonderful piece by Dr Alice vonHildebrand, which should reorient those who have been bowled over by the constant calls to compassion.

Pharisaism, one possible response to sin, is a perennial temptation for believers; the ruthless condemnation of the sinner because of his sin. (Alas, there are diseases, whether intellectual or moral, that are chronic, and even though they seem to be eliminated, they usually remain dormant, until the next epidemic catches us unprepared.)  

Yet on the other hand – and in reaction to Pharisaism – the later half of the 20th century will go down in history as a period when even some elect fell into confusion. The word “compassion” became the alfa et omega of authentic Christianity. Condemnation under any form was condemned as harsh and unloving. The anathema was anathematized.

But thanks to the “baptized genius” of St. Augustine – one of the great treasures of Christianity – we are given a key that helps us to combine an ardent love for God’s truth and a loving attitude toward heretics who reject dogmas and sinners who  are affected by deadly moral diseases.

The saint wrote “Interficere errorem; diligere errantem” which means, “kill the error; love the one who errs.” Kill is not an equivocal word. It cannot possibly be misread: it means war until the enemy is dead.

Such is our call to denounce that which degrades women and to promote what is in her best interest, for when women are doing what they're called to do, the whole culture is enriched. It was gratifying to see so many stand up for religious liberty this week. It is interesting that the critical work of the Church will hinge on whether her stand on human dignity, authentic love and marriage will be allowed a place in the public square. If She is silenced, we will have to carry on that work solely in our lives. Big task!

I thought my subscription had lapsed...

The title to the email in my inbox was ""Au revoir, mademoiselle,"  and although I'm not single, I thought they were using a conventional form of flattery to remind me that it was time to renew my commitment to their excellent language site. Alas, non!

The decision comes after months of campaigning by two French feminist groups, Osez le féminisme! (Dare To Be Feminist!) and Les Chiennes de garde (The Watchdogs), who argue that the term places an unfair emphasis on a woman's marital status. Mademoiselle literally means "my young lady" (ma + demoiselle), just as madame comes from "my lady" and monsieur "my lord." Monsieur has long been used to identify both single and married men, as the archaic male equivalent of mademoiselle, mon damoiseau, never became an honorific title. Now madame will be used for all women, whether single or married, and is thus best translated as "Ms." instead of "Mrs."
  The Prime Minister's order will also replace nom de jeune fille (maiden name) and nom patronymique (patronymic) with nom de famille (family name), and nom d'époux/nom d'épouse (married name) with nom d'usage (used name).

Well, there you have it. Just as in English, the differentiation will be erased in official realms, though "Miss" is still used as a form of courtesy to those who look like they won't scowl at its kindliness.
Another victory for those with an axe to grind against sex differences and marriage itself. And although "au revoir" technically means "until we see each other again," we might not see this term restored in our lifetimes.

Mother and baby not fine

Found at LifeSiteNews:

A new study of post-abortive women in China found a high correlation between induced abortion and depression among pregnant women, adding to the growing body of evidence that links abortion with negative mental health outcomes.

The findings were reached by a team of Chinese researchers from Anhui Medical College who analyzed data that had been previously collected as part of an on-going study on child development.

Their study, titled, “The Impact of Prior Abortion on Anxiety and Depression Symptoms During a Subsequent Pregnancy: Data From a Population-Based Cohort Study in China,” was published recently in the Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

The mothers suffered, and the babies conceived subsequently suffered not to mention those killed in the procedures, of course). With 6,887 women participating in the study, it's hard to dispute the firm evidence of both anxiety and depression, which go hand in hand with attendant physical harms; and the data is completely in line with previous studies. Unfortunately, our health care system--held hostage to the Planned Parenthood lobby--will not consider this dimension of women's well-being. But be armed with the information, so that you can help the women in your life.

Sin and the body politic

I have a new piece over at Catholic Lane:

Ultimately, that classic American icon—the rugged individual—reigns supreme, and sadly, that individual has determined that sexual libertinism is his right. Not only has he resolved that he has the right to be promiscuous, but his promiscuity must be barren and uncomplicated. The supreme irony is lost on this principled individual, of course, that other rugged souls—the Catholic’s—have their own principles which proscribe them from subsidizing his behavior, and in light of this brazen thick-headedness, we must ask why...

 

Feminine genius in action

CatholicMom offers this lovely testament to the Maryknoll Sisters, written by Dr. Carolyn Woo, who was taught by them when she was a child in China.

The most valuable gift I received from the sisters, though, was faith. We had catechism lessons, but, more importantly, we saw faith in action. Somewhere along the line, I concluded that God must be very real for the sisters. Otherwise, why would they leave home, family and security to go to some foreign land to live in hardship, speak a new language, adjust to a new culture, face such risks? Why would they choose to serve us girls when they did not even know us? How did they know they would succeed? They not only did this, but they exuded so much joy and humor, grace and adventure.

“Can’t be done” was not part of their vocabulary. By their examples, I learned to fight and to love—two sides of the same coin when it comes to serving poor and marginalized people. I learned to trust God because they did.

Do read it all. While many of us will not travel to distant lands as missionaries, remember the impact your steady, joyful faith can have even here in your own community, your own family. Stability and hope are very much needed at present, and women can easily build their lives around them -- and don't think they won't be noticed by a world careening towards darkness. Believe, love, smile!

Brilliant essay on hormones

Anthony Esolen knocks it out of the park, comparing the widespread rejection of synthetic hormones for men in sports and the obsessive demand that they be available to women in everyday life.

Moreover, estrogen, like testosterone, is a tissue-growing hormone, and therefore subjects the woman who ingests it to a much higher risk of developing cancer, not to mention other serious medical troubles. Indeed, if it were not dangerous, drug companies would not be struggling to keep the dosage as low as possible. So the widespread use of estrogen actually involves widespread and grave medical harm. In a country as large as ours, with breast cancer as common as it is, even a smallish increase in the risk of cancer would mean thousands of deaths; and the increase in risk is not small.

And this brings us to the heart of the matter. The argument for the use of this drug is not medical (since it does not remedy anything, it does not shield against communicable disease, and it actually subjects the user to medical risk). It is social. It is simply this: Without the drug, many millions of sexually active women would become pregnant who do not wish to be so. But now we are not in the realm of individual choices alone. We must address the whole of society. We must address the common good.

He has written in a clinical way that will clarify the points for those who don't want to hear about God, encyclicals or morality. One can conclude, of course, that faith and reason are in sync, that science and theology are revealing the same truths, but that takes faith. For those who's faith is in common sense, health and human integrity, this article is an excellent tool. Highly recommended!

Mortal elixers, key to utopia

Two recent stories show the absurdity surrounding the defense of abortion, for those who are entirely honest admit that killing in the womb is no different than killing outside the womb. Denial of personhood is subjective and utilitarian, and powerful in the hands who have no fundamental respect for the sanctity of life.

In Britain’s “Journal of Medical Ethics,” two writers defend infanticide, arguing that “newborns do not have the same moral status as actual persons … [because] individuals who are not in the condition of attributing any value to their own existence are not persons.” The authors elaborate further, noting that if babies cannot explain themselves, then they’ll hardly understand their own loss of life.

Britain, of course, is enduring a health care crisis with soaring costs and limited revenues -- so killing the defective babies is merely an exercise in fiscal prudence. A newborn is only days apart from a nine-month old fetus, so these "ethicists" are right in saying that birth is an arbitrary line in making such a choice. They are not the first to seriously propose killing infants on the basis of their health, and other countries have already embraced "physician assisted suicide" with and without the consent of the victim. The voices are simply given more volume in more "prestigious" platforms.

And then there is this heartbreaking account of a "reduction" (abstract term which means killing the extra babies in utero so that only one survives). To his credit, the father tries hard to defend them and then will not turn away when the mother insists that the procedure goes on.

[L]et nobody fool you.  It is not painless for the child, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar.  Abortion is not an excision of a featureless bunch of cells; it is infanticide.  We have revived the practice of child sacrifice to the new deities of casual sex and convenience.  We rationalize the reality of murder by altering our perspective of the nascent life through euphemisms like "fetus" or descriptions of "a clump of cells"...just like the Nazis convinced themselves that the people screaming as they were shot or gassed were "Untermenchen," subhuman, and therefore guiltlessly exterminated.

This is how every perpetrator of genocide has always rationalized his or her actions.  By doing likewise, we condemn our own souls

He prays that his remaining child survives. I pray that their marriage survives -- for most unions cannot endure when death comes between them. The grace is there, but every step of the journey will be bittersweet, as the father already knows.

He has the courage to call abortion what it is, although it indicts him personally, and particulary as a Jew whose own people have been targeted in the same chilling manner over the centuries. He is contrite and knows he needs God's forgiveness -- what about the rest of us? How dare we make moral judgements on other cultures and eras, when our own is built on materialistic indifference to legalised murder? As Fr Longanecker points out, our transformation into darkness isn't going to come at the point of a sword, but a pen, with laws that turn our sterile halls of medicine into well-scrubbed citadels of death, where the cries of patients are dulled with mortal elixers, and those outside relieved of anxious burdens.