Praying That Common Sense Prevails

Please keep the Philippines in your prayers as the country teeters on the edge of legalizing contraception and instituting sex-education for children at school.

From CatholicCulture.org:

The Catholic bishops of the Philippines have endorsed a campaign of civil disobedience against aggressive family-planning legislation that is due to go into effect in February.

“We, together with our priests, are willing to go to jail to protest this immoral action,” said Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorgoson.

Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, the president of the bishops’ conference, has written a pastoral letter urging public opposition to the new legislation. Although he says that the faithful must choose for themselves whether or not to join in public protests, the AsiaNews service reports that the Filipino bishops are united in a willingness to challenge the law.

The new legislation, which is subject to final legislative approval this month, allows for the sale of abortifacient pills, promotes family-planning programs in schools, and offers no conscience protection for health-care workers.

(Link to original here.)

And another link from Michael Voris, here.

The aggressive tactics of groups like Planned Parenthood along with the glamour of western culture, hopefully won’t win out over the country’s deep Catholic roots and sheer common sense.  Amidst the insidious and well-orchestrated move here in the U.S. to provide children with sex-education and even contraception, the number of sexually active children and the birth-rate and the STD rate among them have all sky-rocketed.  Surely, such a startling fact isn’t being glossed over.  Can anyone rationally argue that contraception and sex-ed in the classroom have shown themselves to be an effective solution to any problem?

A Bit of Heaven on Earth

I’m still reeling from a class I took at our parish on Sunday night. It’s a four-week series on the Sacred Liturgy of the Traditional Latin Mass, but that wasn’t what got me.

At the end of the class, the assistant pastor (our instructor) said we would close with a prayer and a blessing.  Immediately, everyone there, young and old alike (an estimated 30 people), got out of their chairs and fell to their knees. I was in complete awe and respect for the beautiful people of our parish. To think that at many other parishes we’ve been to, it is commonplace to see people remain standing at the back of the church even during the Consecration.  The Consecration wasn’t occurring at this moment, nor was the Blessed Sacrament in the room, but these inspirational people demonstrate time and time again an incredible reverence for the Eucharist of course, but also for the sacredness of prayer and the power of the priestly blessing.  It really was an amazing sight.

I thank the Lord for the gift of the traditional Latin Mass in our town.  It has strengthened my faith and lifted my eyes even higher to heaven.

Like I Was Saying…

Second Oldest: Mom, I feel like I’m getting along better with my brothers and getting to know them better since we’ve moved into this house.

Could our plan be working???

Eternal Flame

Cleaning out our old place, I came across the dusty and neglected wedding candle that my husband and I lit during our Nuptial Mass.  As with many of our meaningful objects, it was tucked away in our closet only ever seeing the light of day during a move to a new house.

One priest offered a wonderful, but unheeded, suggestion to us before we were married.  Whenever any disagreement arose, he thought it would be a good idea for the both of us to light the wedding candle and discuss our issues with the candle burning before us.

As much as I’ve always liked that idea, had we actually followed his suggestion, said candle would only be a memory now.  I am confident that our dear candle would have melted away during the first year of our marriage.  Yes, for all those who may have not gotten the newsflash:  marriage is hard work, especially during the first few years!

But amidst the packing, I wondered why I’ve never put our candle on display.  Maybe because I considered it too special.  Maybe because I was never crazy about the gold finish.  Who knows?

As I’ve become less concerned about such things, I’ve realized that the candle needs to find a more proper place in our home.  In the daily grind of life, there can never be too many reminders of the sanctity of marriage and the fire of sacrificial love that must burn within us.

Having survived all these years unscathed (the candle, that is), it deserves a rightful place on our prayer altar.

Where it should have been all along.

Be appeased, O Lord, by our humble prayers, and in Your kindness assist this institution of marriage which You have ordained for the propagation of the human race; so that this union made here, joined by Your authority, may be preserved by Your help. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

St. Valentine, patron saint of happy marriages, and St. Joseph, patron saint of all marriages, pray for us.