Be Not Afraid

In the tradition of the Church, each day of the week is dedicated to a particular aspect of faith. How many of these did you know?:

China’s “One Child Policy” is more than 20 years old and has resulted in an imbalance of the ratio of boys to girls in China, currently a big concern to the Chinese government. Chinese families traditionally prefer sons because they are seen as more able to provide for the family, to support elderly parents and to carry on the family line. Daughters become members of their husband’s family when they marry. Currently there are 119 boys for every 100 girls in China.

In order to correct this gender imbalance, the Chinese government has decided to make it a crime to have an abortion for the purpose of sex-selection. However, even with this being the case, the government has no intention of amending or eliminating the one child policy. Women are still being punished for having a second pregnancy. China’s one child policy includes the use of forced abortion and forced sterilization.

The Bejjing News quoted Zhangas as saying: “The family plan is still the most difficult job in the world”. Will somebody please tell Zhangas and the Chinese government that they have it all wrong. All they have to do is stay out of it and let God take care of family planning, through nature as He intended it….the balance comes out perfect then.

Sadly, in the United States of America, abortions take place legally through all 9 months of pregnancy for any reason, due to the broad interpretation of “the health of the mother”.

Almost one year ago, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship in conjunction with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a new document entitled “Redemptionis Sacramentum”. This document was approved by Pope John Paul II on March 19, 2004 and was signed by the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, of 2004.

Redemptionis Sacramentum discusses the widespread use of liturgical abuses such as changing the established forms of the liturgy or composing your own Eucharistic prayer. The document further goes on to state that it is not possible to be silent about the abuses, saying: “the perpetration of liturgical abuses has become almost habitual, a fact which obviously cannot be allowed and must cease.” (paragraph [4] of R.S.)

Why is it important for the norms of the liturgy to be strictly followed? Many of the so-called “abuses” may seem minor in nature, some might use the word “petty”. Several books have been written on the history of the present situation of liturgical abuses within the Church. Many of the abuses have resulted from well-intentioned efforts on the part of presiders toward ecumenism or simply under the idea of creativity or with keeping the attention of the congregation. Redemptionis Sacramentum states that any abuse “is a real falsification of the Catholic liturgy”. [169 of R.S.] In paragraph [6] of R.S., the document says that abuses ‘contribute to the obscuring of the Catholic faith and doctrine concerning this wonderful sacrament”. The document emphasizes the right of the Catholic faithful to proper liturgical conduct and urges bishops to be diligent in curbing liturgical abuses. (Taken from “Redemptionis Sacramentum and From www.Spiritdaily.com)

[59] of Redemptionis Sacramentum states the following: “The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.” [61] goes on to say: “In selecting the biblical readings for proclamation in the celebration of Mass, the norms found in the liturgical books are to be followed so that indeed ‘a richer table of the Word of God will be prepared for the faithful, and the biblical treasure opened up for them”. The Gospel is to be read only by an ordained minister i.e. a priest or a deacon. The homily is to be given by the priest celebrant or at certain times, a deacon, but never by a layperson.

From this brief review of portions of Redemptionis Sacramentum, it can be seen that changing any part or format of the norms for the Liturgy of the Word is clearly to be considered a liturgical abuse, a grave matter of concern, not to be taken lightly or dismissed as being too petty to worry about.

A teacher of ethics addressed his class with the following true life scenario and asked for their opinion of the situation: “A pregnant mother goes to a doctor. She has tuberculosis. The father of her child has syphilis. They already have four children. The first child is blind; the second child died; the third child is deaf and dumb; the fourth child has TB also. What should this mother do? The students responded that they think she should have an abortion. The teacher then answered them: “Congratulations, you just killed Beethoven”.

If you have an underage daughter who was provided with any of the following without your prior knowledge: abortion, pregnancy test, test or treatment for STD (sexually transmitted disease) or if your child has been advised or referred for services by a teacher, school nurse, school counselor, doctor or “friend”, your parental rights have been violated. Call 1-800-401-6494. This is a free call and your call is confidential.

Prayer is powerful yet we all know there are times of great distress in which it is difficult for us to pray. The recent tsunami disaster in Asia has been so devastating that it is likely many survivors are in a state of despair. From the other side of the globe, you can help them by spiritually adopting just one person or one family who have survived the giant waves and praying continually for them. Your prayers and sacrifices for them can turn despair into hope.

What is spiritual adoption? Simply this: pray unceasingly for this person who you do not know. Pray for them as you would for your own son or daughter, your own mother, father, sister or brother. In the world to come, you will be united in a way that we cannot at this time imagine.

“The greatest gift you can give someone is to pray on their behalf” Pres. George Bush

You can also spiritually adopt an unborn child, a mother with a troubled pregnancy, an abortion clinic worker, or anyone in need.

“We must keep abortion legal. Otherwise, we will go back to the days when women were dying from illegal abortion”. So say abortion supporters from the earliest days of legal abortion and still today we hear this argument from those who wish to keep abortion legal.

Do women die from legal abortion today? The answer is an overwhelming “YES” ! . Making abortion legal did not automatically make it safe. Life Dynamics is a pro-life organization which has researched this issue. The names and stories of women who have died from legal abortion can be viewed on the Life Dynamics website: www.lifedynamics.org. Click on “The Blackmun Wall”.

Why might this be so? If abortion is legal, shouldn’t it also be safe? The following is offered for your consideration:

· Abortion interrupts a naturally occurring pregnancy. As with any medical procedure, it comes with a certain risk of death.

The abortionist is placing a sharp instrument into the woman’s body; or using a powerful vacuum device within her body. Unlike most other medical procedures, the abortion procedure is not used to correct something that is wrong; rather the abortion procedure takes something that is right and healthy about the human body and makes it wrong.

held in high esteem by the medical community. A medical student who does not quite make the grade on the road to becoming a medical doctor, may well become an abortionist.

use abortion as a quick fix for the high amount of debt they incur in medical school. Because abortion is considered “easy money”, they may get stuck in the position of abortionist and never really practice medicine.

regulated by the government. Abortion clinics have been known to employ non-medical, untrained, personnel to assist in abortion procedures. Abortion clinics have also been known not to comply with basic sanitary measures.

wrong in the course of an abortion at a clinic, the woman must be transported to a nearby hospital for proper emergency care. The abortion clinic will not be very comfortable with the idea of having an ambulance show up at the premises as this is not good for business. This can cause a delay in getting the necessary emergency care in time to save the woman’s life.

experiences a medical problem after having an abortion but not immediately following the abortion, may be reluctant to tell emergency personnel in the ambulance or hospital emergency room that she had an abortion. Most women try to put the entire abortion experience out of their minds as quickly as they can to avoid the emotional pain. This could cause her not to receive the proper care in time to save her life.

an abortion and later experiences a life threatening side effect will most likely not tell her parents or emergency personnel. In New York State, a minor child is allowed to have an abortion without her parents knowledge. If she later experiences severe cramps or profuse bleeding, her parents may have no idea that a prior abortion is the cause.

reaching retirement age but there are not enough new abortionists to replace them, causing some older abortionists to keep on working beyond retirement age when they no longer have the desire to do so.

out rate” among abortion clinic workers. Unless they become completely numb to what they see and do everyday, they cannot stay in this line of work for very long. This causes a large turnover of clinic workers which is not in the best interest of the patients.

The next time someone tells you that we need legal abortion to keep women from dying, tell them to visit The Blackmun Wall.

HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE

Friday, January 21, 2005 8 – 9 pm

St. John the Baptist RC Church

Wading River, New York

Eucharistic Adoration ♥ Rosary

Benediction

“My children, come before my Son, who is truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. There, before Him, in hours of Adoration you will receive graces needed to be true followers of Christ. There, before this Sacrament of love, you will be refreshed and you will find peace amidst the confusion of your lives. My children I urge you to pray and make hours of adoration and reparation before my Son, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Come to Jesus who wishes so much to transform your lives. Come little ones before the light of the world”

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION TO PRAY FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS AND THEIR GRIEVING FAMILIES

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

3:00 pm through 9 pm

St. John the Baptist RC Church

Wading River, New York

Rosary ♥ Chaplet of Mercy Benediction