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Willa
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| Posted: Nov 08 2008 at 8:11pm | IP Logged
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Yes, that would be fine, Lisa!
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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sarahb
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| Posted: Nov 08 2008 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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Willa, I thank you for including Bishop Chaput's words. 
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Rumpleteazer
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| Posted: Nov 08 2008 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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I don't know if there are any others here who have been involved in some way in the pro-life movement? Whether or not, here are my thoughts on that... not necessarily a 'where should we go from here' post, because others more involved and more qualified have given some great advice already, but more a post on the attitude we should have in the upcoming years.
In the aftermath of the election, those of us in the pro-life movement are feeling a lot of fear and pain, I'm sure. And with the FOCA looming potentially on the horizon, I for one am at least a little concerned about what this is going to mean to the work of the past 30+ years. When I was in San Francisco this past January for the annual Walk for Life, the group of TAC students, which I was a part of, was put in charge of petitioning for Sarah's Law, which came to be Prop 4 here in CA. It didn't pass, and for me the general disappointment is coupled with a rather personal sting, because of the personal time and effort I put into it. I think too of the FOCA, which would mean that even if Prop 4 had won, it eventually would have made no difference.
But rather than sinking into depression over the 'failure,' we ought to keep up an attitude of hope, and be willing to continue to sacrifice. I stumbled across these words from Congressman Henry Hyde, and I find them beautiful and rather haunting:
Quote:
| When the time comes as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, "Spare him because he loved us," and God will look at you and say not, "Did you succeed?" but "Did you try?" |
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Things may be looking bleak. That FOCA is going to stamp out a lot of our successes. But I'm trying to remember that God does not require us to succeed... he requires us to give our all... to try.
Whatever happens, let's keep at it. Our prayer and work for the pro-life movement isn't going to be wasted, even if it seems to make no difference.
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A Maiden's Wreath -- for young Catholic ladies
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aussieannie
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| Posted: Nov 08 2008 at 8:50pm | IP Logged
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Rumpleteazer wrote:
| But I'm trying to remember that God does not require us to succeed... he requires us to give our all... to try. |
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This is so true and were words spoken by Mother Teresa, one of the world's greatest defenders for life, it has been running through my mind in the last few days...
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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: Nov 10 2008 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
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sarahb wrote:
| Willa, I thank you for including Bishop Chaput's words. |
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I think when we are reading Archbishop Chaput's words we should try to read them all.
I also think it's important to read the archbishop's ENDOW address titled "Little Murders,", which reads in part:
"I believe that Senator Obama, whatever his other talents, is the most committed “abortion-rights” presidential candidate of either major party since the Roe v. Wade abortion decision in 1973. Despite what Prof. Kmiec suggests, the party platform Senator Obama runs on this year is not only aggressively “pro-choice;” it has also removed any suggestion that killing an unborn child might be a regrettable thing. On the question of homicide against the unborn child -- and let’s remember that the great Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer explicitly called abortion “murder” -- the Democratic platform that emerged from Denver in August 2008 is clearly anti-life.
"Prof. Kmiec argues that there are defensible motives to support Senator Obama. Speaking for myself, I do not know any proportionate reason that could outweigh more than 40 million unborn children killed by abortion and the many millions of women deeply wounded by the loss and regret abortion creates.
"To suggest -- as some Catholics do -- that Senator Obama is this year’s “real” pro-life candidate requires a peculiar kind of self-hypnosis, or moral confusion, or worse. To portray the 2008 Democratic Party presidential ticket as the preferred “pro-life” option is to subvert what the word “pro-life” means. Anyone interested in Senator Obama’s record on abortion and related issues should simply read Prof. Robert George’s essay of earlier this week, “Obama’s Abortion Extremism,” at thepublicdiscourse.com. It says everything that needs to be said."
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Helen
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| Posted: Nov 10 2008 at 3:41pm | IP Logged
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Willa wrote:
Here is what we can all agree on as Catholics loyal to the Magisterium:
--the election is already over and we have a President elect. This is done, for better or for worse.
--abortion is a crying evil in our land which we are all to work against and pray about. |
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Thank you RedCardigan for more words from our courageous and charitable archbishop Chaput. Here at 4Real we're trying to move on with our homeschooling. May I suggest that we bring this thread to a close.
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happymama
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Helen, I just read this thread for the first time tonight, can I add one brief comment?
We were praying our meal prayer tonight, my kids & I, and at the end I was going to add out loud: "and God please give Daddy a safe ride home." He was working late, it was dark & raining. We pray for him often when he's at work.
And then I thought, but what if he _didn't_ make it home safely? What would the kids think? It's a basic problem of praying for specific things and expecting the world to revolve around our own desires. Every prayer of petition we pray, by ourselves and with our children, should end with "if it be Thy will."
Before the elections, we were praying for a miracle. If we were hopeful, then our hope was not based on the polls. McCain was 10% down a month before the vote. God has not taken away our free will, and "America" has spoken. Honestly, I'm not surprised. I think ignorance is epidemic here.
The sadness we feel is only worthwhile if it motivates us to stay the course.
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Election Prayers ... what happened?
