Celebrate Life

January Birthday Girls!

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward." – Psalm 127:3

You know what's great about January? It's the first month of the year! ...And a new year means new beginnings. It also happens to be my birthday month, which I share with a couple of other good friends. It's a wonderful time of year when my friends and I get to celebrate the gift of life together.

When you think about a person's birthday you think of the day they came into this world. It's only the very beginning of their existence. From that day forward they are given the gift to live each and everyday until God calls them home. Life is a beautiful thing, which is why we celebrate it every year on our own special day. Life is precious. Life is God's own creation. Life is the most valuable aspect of the entire universe, which is why it should always be respected and protected.

However, many people these days have forgotten the value of life. People ignore the fact that the gift of life is what has given them the opportunity to be here today. At one point, all of us were formed in our mother's womb as a tiny fetus. As the days grew into months so did we grow into beautiful babies. But if someone had objected to our life and decided to abort us we wouldn't be here. In fact, we wouldn't have had a birthday because we would have never been born. How sad!?

Not only would we have never existed...but none of our friends would have been given the chance to know us. None of our teachers would have had the opportunity to teach us. Nobody would've had the chance to invite us to special events, like parties, dances, or sports games. Nobody would've given us hugs or kisses. And nobody would have known our kindness or felt the love from our heart that we share with others in the most generous way.

Recently, this month, thousands of pro-life people gathered in Washington DC for the March for Life. It was so amazing to watch all of those people stand up for the those who cannot speak for themselves. Even though I could not attend the event I had the opportunity to watch it live on EWTN.

As of now, it's been 40 years since the Roe vs. Wade abortion law was put into effect. Can you imagine!? That means for the last 40 years hundreds of thousands of babies have been murdered legally! These murders take place every day. In fact, the total estimate of deaths by abortion in the United States since then has risen to the total of 55 million. Fifty-five million!!! Do you realize how much that is? That is almost the same number of people that live in either France or Italy. And to top if off, the current president has included abortion as a part of woman's health care according to his HHS mandate that will take effect in August. How sick!

Although we can't change the fact that our own country has destroyed the lives of so many innocent children, we can stick up for what we believe in and celebrate life itself. As those wonderful people participated in the March for Life, we too, can participate in expressing our concern for those who have yet to see the light of day. I hope and pray that more women will realize how inhuman and barbaric abortion really is. Not only does it hurt the child, but it also hurts the mother in unimaginable ways. This, my friends, is not health care. More and more woman come out of an abortion depressed, feeling terrible remorse, regret, and heartache after the realization sets in. The womb of a mother should be the safest place for her child to grow. Let's keep praying for those women who have already had an abortion and those who are pondering it at this time. May they realize how precious and beautiful life truly is!

I encourage you to celebrate life each and every day. Life is a gift! As you can see, we are so blessed to be living and breathing right now. Although some are not so lucky, we can be the voice for them in this war on life. God has a plan for each of us, so let's make the most of it. As for those who are pro-choice here is the choice I'm asking you to make: choose LIFE!

The following video shows groups of Catholics gathered at the March for Life 2013 in Washington DC. Check it out! :)

         

The Age of Heroic Catholicism Has Begun

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" - Matthew 25:31-34

The United States of America, and the Roman Catholic Church within our own country, has been forever changed. On November 6, 2012, the American people chose to re-elect a president who's policies go against our entire belief system as Catholics/Christians. People have chosen death over life, sin over purity, greed over generosity, satisfaction over sacrifice, slothfulness over diligence, socialism over democracy, and—essentially—evil over good. Besides President Obama embracing all of these vices (such as abortions, contraceptives, gay marriages...etc.) he has also weakened our economy with an increasing rate of unemployment/underemployment. It is astonishing to believe that he was re-elected as president again just on his record alone!

During the next four years we will be challenged. Catholics in America will be persecuted. Our religious freedoms will be stripped away bit by bit. However, those who remain true to Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist will receive the strength to endure these trying times. This will test our faith. Inevitably, Catholics across the nation will have to chose to stand with the church or not. It is a very clear-cut decision. The so called "casual Catholics" will no longer exist because those who remain truly faithful will be the only ones willing to endure the persecutions. 

Some people, including Catholics, may have no idea to what I am referring to. Shocking! Right? According to the Obamacare HHS mandate, Catholic institutions (including hospitals, charities, schools, and churches) will NOT be exempted from paying the health care taxes that include funding abortions. This is one of the biggest reasons why the GOP "pro-life" candidates, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, were against Obamacare in the first place. As Roman Catholics we are pro-life. That is a HUGE principal of our faith! Essentially, Catholics who voted for Obama indirectly put a wedge between themselves and the Catholic Church's teachings. Our Catholic identity does not come from the title of our faith. It comes from our own actions by living out the word of God. Saying that you are "Catholic" means nothing if you don't apply the teachings in your own life. And apparently half of the Catholics in America didn't get the memo! Or an even worse scenario—half of the Catholics refused to listen and voted to re-elect Obama anyways.

The US Bishops warned us time and time again about this mandate. Ramifications from this mandate include Catholic hospitals closing down by the refusal to pay taxes on the inhuman procedure of abortions and the utilization of contraceptives. Also, did you know that Catholic hospitals make up 12% of our entire nation's hospitals? That would be detrimental to the economy and well-being of US citizens if they were all forced to close. Click here for more info. Other institutions, like Catholic schools and churches, will also be attacked. There is the option of paying a huge fine for not paying the health care taxes. But for these institutions to have the means to survive AND pay the fines will be extremely difficult. It can be done...but over time you will see many many MANY of these schools and churches close down. If these institutions continue to stay open, refuse to pay the taxes, and cannot afford the fines... Catholics will be thrown in jail, especially the priests who run the churches. 

Can you see the infringements the government is placing upon our religious freedom? This clearly violates the first amendment of the constitution that allows us to have free exercise of religion. For example, Catholic education will become less affordable. The private Catholic schools and universities will probably have to jack up the tuition in order to pay the fines. However, that can only go so far before they start losing enrollment. Then they will start to close down, like the hospitals. This restricts us to secular education, removing our freedom to chose an education based in Catholicism. 

All of this is hard to imagine. But my worst fear is the government forcing the churches to pay these taxes. If the churches start to close down, and if priests get thrown in jail, where do the faithful go to attend Holy Mass? Where are we suppose to receive Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist? How does one get married in the Catholic church? Where will confession be offered? Baptism? Confirmation? Adoration? ...At this point I'm not sure. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. But there is no doubt in my mind that a war is developing on our church in this country. However, Cardinal Dolan reminds us that Catholics won't give up without a fight—which is entirely true.

The age of heroic Catholicism has begun! A new era of faith is born. Even the pope announced this year as the "Year of Faith." It is up to us to remain faithful, stand by the church, and endure the persecutions—whatever they may be—even if it means dying for what we believe in. Although I was originally devastated to hear the news that Obama was re-elected, this will give us the opportunity to embrace our faith even more...in the midst of evil. This will give us the opportunity of become REAL saints! We must be role-models for others. We must choose to say "yes" to Christ and become His sheep in the flock and let the others fall by the wayside (Luke 8:5-8). Those who embrace the church will be a dagger of light that pierces the darkness of the wickedness and sin. It is time to ignite that flame and let your heart burn fiercely for Christ. Remember what St. Catherine of Sienna said, "If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!" 

I invite you to join me in this effort of reviving the Catholic Church in the United States of America. There are 77 million Catholics in our country alone. It is time to wake up this sleeping giant! Pray the rosary with friends and family. Go to Holy Mass. Receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Utilize the resources of the Catholic Church while they are still available to us. (FYI: The mandate doesn't go into effect until August of 2013.) Even though we might not be able to control what the government does, we can control how we handle what is thrust upon us. It is not going to be easy. Be prepared that it will probably be extremely difficult. However, the reward of eternal life in Heaven will be over a million times greater then any suffering we may face on this earth. Do all that you can to bring souls to Christ. Help revive the church. Continuously grow in your own faith, day by day, so at the end of your life you may hear God say to you, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials." - St. Teresa of Avila

Your Prayer, Your Voice, Your Vote

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance." 
- Psalm 33:12

Catholic voters, this upcoming presidential election for 2012 is only a few weeks away. We need to ask ourselves... What does God truly want for the United States of America? What are His future plans for us and our country? How can America become a nation that will uphold His values? What is it going to take for our country to be successful and, at the same time, be loyal to the Almighty God? In what way can we serve God in this election?

These are all questions with answers that need to be determined on our own. But as a suggestion, contemplate WWJD: what would Jesus do? If Jesus could vote in this election who do you think He would choose? Who would please God more as our next president? It is obviously a very clear choice. God is giving us the opportunity to reform America with a new president. A president who will lead with honesty and integrity.

Since many people have already made up their mind about who to vote for, the election is coming down to the undecided voters. Please keep these men and women in your prayers. Pray, now and on election day, they will wake up with a clear decision inspired by enlightenment from Holy Spirit. Pray the rosary especially for them now and in the days to come. This is a very serious issue. It is no laughing matter, as Vice President Joe Biden might think.

Our country is under a serious attack through spiritual warfare. The best way to combat the evil lurking in the darkness is to pray for the American people. Pray with a radiant light! This light will shine so bright it will pierce the darkness and enlighten others. It is our job now. We must be that light—the light of Christ. Many saints have come before us and given examples of how to live a life for Jesus. We must follow in their footsteps. It is essential, for the survival of our nation as we know it.

CatholicVote.org just came out with a wonderful video and prayer for this election. I encourage you to watch it and share it with others.

This is my prayer for America:
Holy Spirit, come and be with us. Guide and enlighten us. Help us this night and everyday to do Your Will, to be open to Your inspiration, and to allow our lives simply to be reflections of Your creative power. And we ask only Your inspiration to guide us and lead us. That we may spend the brief days of our lives doing Your Will as best we can. Amen.

Just watching these Americans in this video above gives our country hope. Hope for a real change! Hope for a good change! It is imperative that Americans pray for our own country. But we, as Americans, also need to be informed on the issues at stake. Catholic voters should be aware of what to look for in the presidential candidates and what they stand for.

Here are PDF documents you can download and share with friends. Help them become more informed on the issues, especially if they are undecided Catholic voters.

• Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics by Catholic Answers.
• Where Do The Candidates Stand On Life? by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. 
• Florida Catholic Bishop's Statement by Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Know the Positions of the Presidential Candidates by Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Discerning Your Vote by Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Election and Political Activities Guide by Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Faithful Citizenship by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• YES: Amendment 8 & Religious Freedom by Citizens for Religious Freedom 

It is also important to know, as Catholic Americans, that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a statement on October 12, 2012, refuting Vice President Biden's claim regarding the HHS mandate. According to this statement, Catholic organizations are not exempt from the Administrations's anti-Catholic HHS mandate. Click here to view the statement. The USCCB continues to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in the strongest possible terms, to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom. However, since many of our religious freedoms are constantly under attack it is very important to vote YES to Amendment 8. This constitutional amendment will help protect our religious freedom. Click here to view the Amendment 8 Fact Sheet. (Note: This Amendment may only be found on the Florida voters ballot.)

Interestingly enough, The Christian Post also pointed out that many people tweeted the bible verse Proverbs 29:9 to describe Joe Biden after the recent Vice Presidential Debate. The verse states, "If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace." This statement perfectly describes what happened when the two opposing Catholics went head to head on the issues at the debate. As a result of this, the GOP released a very interesting and powerful ad called "Laughing at the Issues."

I hope and pray that those capable of voting in this election will vote for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. May I remind you, not everyone in America can vote. That is why your prayer, your voice, and your vote are so important in this upcoming election. It is necessary to remain faithful to the values of the church as Roman Catholics living in America. Many people are counting on your vote! For example, the high school students shown in the video below describe what it's like for their future to be in the hands of the eligible American voters. They are voices without a vote. But if you are an American citizen that is 18-years-of-age or older, before the election, you have the opportunity to proclaim your voice and vote.

During this election, I choose to follow Jesus. If you do too He will never ever leave you astray. This I promise you. With all of my heart, I know America is headed towards a new, wonderful, beautiful, and bright future. But it is up to you. Will you decide to be heard on November 6, 2012, with your prayer, your voice, and your vote? May God bless you and God bless the United States of America.