Life

On Friday, I walked with hundreds of thousands of men and women, boys and girls from across the United States for the defense of life.  The number of young people carrying placards saying. “We are the Pro-Life generation” was impressive.  I had many friends who participated in the March for Life, including my son, but chose to walk alone so that I could observe it without distraction.  It also allowed me to pray as I walked.

I stood at the corner of 7^th Street and Constitution to observe the beginning of the march. Behind the Knights of Columbus, who carried flags, were dozens of women carrying signs that proclaimed, “I Regret My Abortion”.  I admire them for their honesty and willingness to speak about an event that most likely happened when they were young. At middle age, they are trying to make a difference in a culture that wants to claim that their message is a “War on Women”.  But they know a sadness and guilt that has accompanied them and hope that other women will not have to experience it.

I watched as hundreds and thousands of individuals, young and old marched.  After forty minutes or so, I joined the masses and began my trek. As I walked, I thought about the heroes in my life who have made the choice for life in difficult or inconvenient situations.  

          My former boss’s daughter found herself pregnant and unmarried at 19.  She has taken to motherhood while working and finishing college.  Not an easy life, but her daughter is the delight of her life.

          My niece chose life when she discovered she was pregnant at 17 years old.  She had her son, who is now 12, married the father a few months later, had another child and finished her college degree.  She works as an auditor and is an outstanding wife and mother.

          My brother and his wife were counseled to not have their child when the test came back that he might have Down syndrome.  Their son was born and will be 12 in March.  Our family life would be greatly impoverished without Jon’s lively sense of humor and fearless honesty. 

And there are many more.  I learned this year that Justin Bieber’s mom had considered abortion but was counseled at a Crisis Pregnancy Center and choose life – to the delight of teenage girls around the world!

Abortion became legal when I was 15.  The women of my generation were the first to be allowed this “freedom” of eliminating pregnancy.  I do not judge women who chose abortion; in fact I have a deep empathy for them.  I doubt that many women make this decision easily, thinking that it is their only option.

I do believe, in the core of my soul, that abortion is violence against women.  While I have not had an abortion, I lost a baby in the 16^th week of pregnancy. It took many years for me to be able to think about the loss of without tears.  It is my great hope that the young people who are the pro-life generation are able to influence our law makers and help us to become, once again, a country that protects all life.

Evangelization in 2013

               Typically, I try not to copy the ideas and thoughts of other bloggers but today, I am making an exception.  In August, I heard Indianapolis Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Coyne preach and I have been following his blog – Let’s Walk Together, Thoughts of a Catholic Bishop - since.  He usually posts something very timely once a week. On his last post, he offers 25 suggestions for actions that we might consider if we are serious about evangelizing in 2013. 

               Originally, I was going to blog about five of the options that really spoke to me. I can't choose five!  There are so many great suggestions, that all of them are listed below. I think my favorite is “to talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a day”.   If you want to read his entire post, click on http://thoughtsofacatholicbishop.blogspot.com/. 

Quote from "Thought of a Catholic Bishop" Blog 

As a Catholic Christian committed to the Church and the work of the new evangelization, I resolve with the love of Christ in my heart and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

- to strive to grow in my love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church everyday.

- to be someone who seeks opportunities to invite others to faith in Jesus Christ and then seizes those opportunities when they come.

- to try and talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a day.

- to strive to live as someone who seeks to love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul and to love my neighbor as I would seek to be loved.

- everyday to wake up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, and before I stand up, bow my head in praise to God for all that he has done for me. 

- everyday as I prepare for bed, to sit or kneel at my bedside and thank God for the blessings of the day and seek His forgiveness for any of my human transgressions. 

- to attend Sunday Mass every week, arriving at least 15 minutes before Mass starts so I can properly prepare myself to listen to the Word of God and celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

- every time I eat, regardless of where I am, to give thanks to God for the food I am about to receive.

- to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation at least once a month or more as needed.

- to meditate on the daily Mass readings. 

- to pray the Rosary once a day.

- to be someone who seeks to judge less and understand more.

- to remember that,"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters." (Blessed Mother Teresa) 

 - to balance the way I talk about the Church. If I have to complain about something I do not agree with or like about the Church, I will remember to say something about what I love about the Church, especially around others who may not believe as I do.

- to chose one night per week in which I will not watch TV, use my computer, play on my phone, laptop, or tablet, text, tweet, or FB or anything like that. Instead, I will become involved: involved with my church, a charity, a neighbor, whatever the opportunity and the desire leads me. 

- to "tithe" some part of myself (time, treasure, and talent) to furthering God's kingdom in this world.

- to meditate seriously on the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Spiritual Works of Mercy and to strive to live them.

- to be meek but not "milquetoast."

- to comfort those who mourn.

- to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

- to be pure of heart in thought, word, and deed.

- to be merciful.

- to be a peacemaker but to also be courageous.

- to be righteous before God and others.

I resolve to be a child of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Twelve Drummers Drumming

             Today is January 6^th, the twelfth day of Christmas.  As a child my sister and I would love to play a record that we had of the song, “Twelve Days of Christmas”.  We had created dance moves to go along with the song and when we got to the twelfth day, we would be leaping, and dancing and drumming and milking in quick secession.  Growing up in a Protestant faith, I didn’t have any sense of what the twelfth day of Christmas really meant and Christmas ended on December 25^th. Of course, we knew that the wise men came bearing gifts to Jesus, but not in the context of the twelfth day.

               Four Christmases ago, during the first year that I was attending daily mass, I was astonished and overwhelmed by the beauty of the daily masses during the week after Christmas.  That year, the twelfth day, or Epiphany really came alive for me.  This reality has changed how my family and I celebrate Christmas. Some years, we have an Epiphany party or open house to celebrate the twelfth day.  Our Christmas decorations don’t some down until after the Sunday after Epiphany and Christmas songs are played in our home and car until the end of the Catholic Christmas season.

               I’ve learned that Epiphany means the manifestation of God to man.  And that there are actually three events when God manifested himself to man: as the kings arrive to pay homage to Jesus, at the baptism of Christ and during the wedding at Cana when he begins the public journey that will take him to Jerusalem, Golgotha, and the tomb where he will be resurrected.

               As I gaze at the babe in the manger, I wonder what it must have been like to have been those kings whose journey finally ended in this humble setting.  And what did they experience that had them worshiping the King of the Jews on their knees?     For that matter, what did those who watched the baptism of Christ feel as they saw John pour water over his cousin?  We know of the wonder of the apostles who watched Jesus first miracle, perhaps tasted the watch into wine and then believed!

               Then I think of the times that God has made himself manifest to me.  Sometimes in very small ways and a few times that have been that have caused goose bumps to pepper my arms, and my life to change immensely.  In this year of faith, I pray that I will be wise enough and courageous enough to share with others these times when God has been revealed to me.

               So rather than celebrating Twelve Drummers Drumming today.  I wish you a very joyful twelfth day of Christmas.  While most of us are back to our regular routines, I pray that you keep the peace of Christmas with you in the coming week!

              

A year of JOY

               On January 2^nd, a local Christian radio station asked listeners to select one word that would describe 2013.  Some of the choices included patience, endurance, and love.  All are good choices, but did not ring true for me.  Then I realized that as I was writing the majority of my Christmas cards, during the twelve days of Christmas, I found myself wishing my family and friends a JOYful New Year, rather than a Happy New Year.  So my choice for 2013 is JOY.

               That old Christian song, “You will know they are Christians by their love”, should be rewritten, “you will know they are Christians by their JOY”!  My goal this year is to find joy everyday in it activities, knowing that there will be struggles, challenges and even sadness.  Joy in work, joy in family life, joy in exercise (well maybe not), all grounded in my relationship with God. 

               My resolve was tested on the morning of January 3^rd.  The back of a religious pin that I was putting on scampered down the drain of my bathroom sink.  I slammed my finger in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.  Someone pull out right in front of me on the way to work and then proceeded to drive very slowly in front of me for most of my drive.  When I got to work, I realized that I had forgotten something that I needed. During each of these events, my temper was tested and each time I replied, “JOY”.   And I did have a joyful day!

               Today, I found joy in accomplishing a report for a client, in spending time reading and writing and in taking my teenage son to the local football field for him to practice kicking and punting.  Twice I almost caught the ball, having my hands on it, but not quiet able to hang on.  (I didn’t realize how hard it is to catch a football!)  If I hadn’t gone with him, I wouldn’t have spent more than an hour outside in the sunshine today.  (The high is 37 degrees, so it is cold, but with the right clothes and being active it was a delight!)

              A few days down and more than 350 to go. To keep the joyful theme, I plan to play a version of Joy to the World each morning and I prepare breakfast and pack lunches.  For the source of this JOY is because the Lord has come.

               And on this 10^th Day of Christmas, I wish you a 2013 filled with JOY!