Theme/Topic of The Month
From Life in the Tomb to Life in the Womb
Scripture Passage of the month:
The word of the LORD came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you. JeRemIah 1:4-5
Teaching of the month:
PROtect, PROmote, PRO-active, PRO-Life
Song of the month:
Life to the Full composed by mike Serapio (CFC)
Pro-Life Song and video
Catechisms of The Catholic Church paragraph:
abortion CCC 2270-2275 (See attachment)
SainT of The monTh:
St. Gianna Beretta molla (See attachment)
prayer of The monTh:
Pro-Life Prayer (See attachment)
media (TV/cd/Book/moVie) of The monTh:
October Baby (movie)
iphone/SmarTphone app of The monTh:
http://prolifeapp.com/ (FRee app) (See attachment)
applicaTion of The monTh: “faiTh wiThouT acTion iS dead”
Schedule a day for your household to pray in front of a Planned Parenthood facility
Theme/Topic of The month: from life in the tomb to life in the womb.
Teaching of the month:
promote, protect, pro-active, pro-life
The following presentation is a simple series of ideas that can be of great help in your defense of the unborn child who is being aborted at a staggering pace of one every 30 seconds in USa. We are all called to be “Pro-life”. We are all called to defend the life of the most innocent and vulnerable. If you like, we must be the voice of the little child—our little brother/sister and friend—who cannot defend him/herself. hopefully these points will be useful, practical, and powerful tools to save many lives!
Saddest day in USA history: January 22, 1973
The Supreme Court decision “Roe vs. Wade” legalized abortion--- or infanticide: killing innocent babies, from the earliest stages up to nine months!
STaTiSTicS since roe vs. wade in 1973….
1-FIFTY TWO TO FIFTY ThRee mILLION surgical abortions have been perpetrated in 40 years. abortion is the most common surgery done in our country!
2-aNNUaLLY. There are between 1.1 and 1.3 million surgical abortions every year in the USa.
3-DaILY. On a daily basis approximately 4000 abortions occur!
4-LOS aNGeLeS (the city) about 180 every day and L.a. countydouble the count!
5-eVeRY mINUTe in USa there are close to 3 abortions done!
6-eVeRY TWeNTY SeCONDS a woman has an abortion done!
7-25% to 33% OF BaBIeS aRe mURDeReD IN The WOmB.
8-DOWN’S SYNDROme - In women who have been diagnosed as having a down’s-syndrome child, the number goes up to 90% or more.
Truths Overlooked:
1- LIFe IS PReCIOUS. It is a gift that comes from God. he has the right to give life and to take it away. God is the author and origin of life, the sustainer through Divine Providence and he has the right to take life when he desires and knows best. abortion is playing God and pushing God aside.
2- BIBLICaL LaNGUaGe always in the Bible, the child is considered a precious gift from God. In moments of trouble, crisis and even old age, the child in the womb is considered an extraordinary blessing. hannah, Sarah, St. Anne (the mother of the Blessed Virgin mary), St. Elizabeth--- all of them were beyond the normal age of having a child, but they all had faith, trusted in God
and rejoiced. Consequently they brought forth saintly children!
3- OUR FOUNDING FaTheRS aRe PRO-LIFe. all of us are familiar with the immortal words of the Constitution of the USa: “every individual is endowed with inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
4- Life begins at conception/fertilization. Biology books in the past taught this.
5- LeGaLITY aND mORaLITY. many people confuse what is legal with what is moral. What is LeGaL is not always mORaL! Even though abortions are legal, they are by no means moral!!
Slavery was LeGaL in the USA for many years but it was never mORaL!
6-God gave to moses and to the whole world the Ten Commandments on mount Sinai. This is the moral code that we must follow to get to heaven. The 5th Commandment is: “Thou shalt not kill!” Jesus stated “If you love me keep my commandments…” and “Not all those who say, 'Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my heavenly Father'."
7- mODeRN FORm OF BULLYING. The nature of a “bully” is that he takes advantage of the weakness of the other. If he is small of stature, slight in build, less bright in intellect, introverted by temperament, not inclined to defend himself--- these are all qualities that a bully (like a human vulture) descends upon like a prey! In a parallel sense is the abortionist. The child is the most defenseless of human persons and the woman aided by the abortionist bullies to the point of killing the little one. We are all up in arms when we see bullies; should we not be even more so with respect to bullying and “killing” the little babies????
8- The DeVIL! he is often behind abortions! In the Bible the devil is given various names: Satan, Lucifer, the ancient serpent, devil, demon, Beelzebub, Prince of this world. St. Ignatius calls him the enemy of our human nature; Augustine, a chained wild dog; St Peter calls him a roaring lion on the loose seeking to devour; St Thomas calls him the Tempter. abortion is 1st degree murder and
the devil lies to convince women to abort.
9-Euphemisms! Sugar coating brutality. how often euphemisms are utilized to deceive women into having an abortion. here are just a few! “I am Pro-choice!” But it is not a choice; it is a child! “I am going to terminate my pregnancy!” Sounds innocent when in reality it is to kill your baby. Some abortion clinics read as such: “Woman’s health Center"! O really? Killing her baby is going to improve her health????
10- a NeW LIFe mURDeReD WIThIN hOURS! The after-morning pill and oral contraceptives. Our exposition of the problem of abortion would be incomplete if we did not mention the reality of the “after-morning pill as well as hormonal contraceptive pills. Given that our starting point is that life comes from God and starts at the moment of conception it is a tragedy that many babies are conceived and killed almost instantaneously with the use of hormonal pills! These numbers are very hard to calculate. however, this far exceeds the statistics given above!
Reasons why women have an abortion… and why they should not:
1-TOO YOUNG to have a child…remember the Virgin mary!
2-TOO OLD and life might be at risk…. Remember St. elizabeth and the other holy women of the Bible!
3-eCONOmIC BURDeN. It will be too expensive and I will not be able to provide for the child. The term often used is, “I prefer quality of life!” Remember Jesus was born in the conditions of dire poverty!
4-FeaR! Teenage girls that get pregnant are paralyzed with fear often about what their parents and others might say! how many times has Jesus exhorted us not to be afraid but to trust. JeSUS I TRUST IN YOU.
5-SeLFIShNeSS. many women/men do not want to have a child because they fear the reality of sacrifice. Jesus stated clearly the conditions of discipleship: “Whoever wants to be my follower must renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
6-LaCK OF TRUST! The core of the problem is a lack of trust in God and in Divine Providence. If God allows life to exist then God will provide!
7-BaD aDVICe! many women unfortunately opt for the abortion--- not really because they want to kill the baby since women are called to be mothers--- but for the simple reason that those who surround the woman and speak to her give her the wrong advice! how many babies have been saved because valiant “Prolifers”have lifted their voice in the defense of the unborn. We as CFC, with the grace of God, with the awareness, education and heart for the unborn can be these valiant Pro-lifers. how so?
Concrete Steps to prevent abortions and to repair for abortions
1- MERCY. If you meet somebody who has had an abortion, never condemn but be merciful and tell them of the infinite and Divine mercy of God. Remind them of the Parables of mercy in Lk. 15: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Remember also that many women go back for a second or third abortion, mostly because they have not experienced the mercy of God. The Psalmist reminds us of the tenderness of the heart of God: “God is slow to anger but rich in kindness and mercy…” aLWaYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The devil tempts us to believe that after sin--- especially a serious sin (like that of abortion) that God is angry and unwilling to forgive. This could not be further from the truth. St. Paul teaches that where sin abounds the mercy of God abounds all the more. Furthermore, one of the key themes of the Diary of mercy in my soul of Saint Faustina is that the greatest sinners have the greatest right to God’s mercy and that the greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply TRUST in his mercy. JeSUS I TRUST IN YOU!
2- TeaCh OUR YOUNG. It is incumbent upon parents to teach their children, and teens the virtue of ChaSTITY—the proper use of their body and that their body is truly the temple of the holy Spirit and should be respected and honored at all times; also that that they should respect the bodies of others. Parents should teach their children that there is a time for everything. There is a time to plant
and a time to gather; a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to work and a time to sleep; there is a time to have a courtship and a time to avoid. There is a time for everything underneath the sun. Often abortions occur among the youth because they are involved in premature courtships, with raging hormones, uncontrollablepassions and a society that encourages sexual license and expression without limits! We must teach the young the meaning of the Beatitude:
“”Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God. “(mt. 5:8).
3. PRO-LIFe RemINDeRS. We should surround ourselves and the world that we live with Pro-life reminders and there are many and thanks especially to the CFC Gift of Life initiatives and the Pro-life movement and its tireless efforts! Purchase and wear exteriorly on your lapel or pocket the “Precious Feet” of the unborn baby. Display on Facebook the beauty of the unborn as well as the baby already born. Of course we should never forget nor neglect catchy and attractive Pro-life Bumper stickers, for example:
“It is a child and not a choice!” These reminders force people tothink. Believe it or not there are still many people who are still sitting on the fence and as of yet do not have clear ideas on the topic of abortion and Pro-Life. Let us try to win them over to the “Pro-life” side!
4. LeaRN KeY BIBLICaL PaSSaGeS TO DeFeND The BaBY.
Throughout the entire Bible, which is the Word of God and the Word of Life, the child is always seen as a great blessing. Try to learn some of the key passages in defense of the unborn human life. Obviously one of the best is the Visitation of mary to St. elizabeth, two pregnant women, who would be prime targets for abortion in the modern technologically advanced society. Why? One would be
considered way too young to have a baby—a mere teenager and that would be the Blessed Virgin mary; the other, would be considered way too old and that would be St. elizabeth. We know the beautiful story’s ending: they both trusted totally in God’s loving Providence and said “Yes” to life and brought forth thetwo greatest: St. John the Baptist and Jesus, the Son of God who is The WaY, The TRUTh aND The LIFe! Check out this passage: (Lk. 1:39-45).
5- ADOPTION NOT ABORTION! a truly valid option or alternative to abortion is that of adoption. even now there are thousands and thousands of couples that for various reasons could not have their own biological children and are longing for a child of their own and desire to adopt. These couples are screened, studied underneath a fine-tooth-comb to see if they would be good parents. Therefore, the child to be born would be placed in an excellent household and receive an excellent human formation and very often a good Christian formation.
6- ULTRaSOUND! If you meet a confused women who is seriously considering an abortion, why not provide her with the opportunity to see the little baby through an ULTRaSOUND. For the mother to see the real and live baby within her womb smiling, yawning, stretching her/his little limbs, sleeping, sneezing or even scratching the little nose could be the determining moment to help that mother to say “Yes” to life and to have and cherish that precious little infant in her womb. Remember the famous case of Dr. Bernard Nathanson who saw an ultrasound of a baby aborted and stopped aborting—after having been ahead of the key abortion clinic in NYC that had carried out 80,000 abortions! It all started by seeing and visualizing the image of the live baby. We live in a world of images. Why not use live images through the Ultrasound to save the lives of the most innocent?
7-SPeaK OUT! many women have recourse to abortion because they are confused, filled with groundless fears, and unfortunately they have been surrounded by “friends” (really enemies) that convince them that the best decision is to abort the child. We must learn to speak up. We must learn to express the truth with love. The child in the womb cannot speak and therefore we must be the voice of the unborn child in the womb. We must stop “Bullying”. The worst form of bullying in the world is the bullying and the actual killing of the most innocent and defenseless--- the unborn child. Who knows how many women have had recourse to abortion because timid Christians have failed to speak out.
Remember the words of the Political philosopher edmund Burke: “So that evil progress, it is sufficient that good men do nothing!” In Catholic moral theology we call this “Sin of Omission”.
8-CFC GIFT OF LIFe and PRO-LIFe mOVemeNT! Get involved! There is so much that can be done; get involved in one way or another. What to do?
Be pro-active with pro-life
1- WaLK/maRCh aT WaShINGTON DC and SaN FRaNCISCO . every January, we have a growing CFC contingent who get together with a group of “Pro-lifers” and travel to Washington DC and San Francisco to do a peaceful march of Protest. We want to manifest publically but peacefully our love and defense for the unborn.
2- aBORTION CLINICS: PRaYeR RaLLIeS. Why not seek out the closest abortion clinic (Planned Parenthood) to your home and once a week silently protest by praying many Rosaries and Chaplets of Divine mercy.
3- SIDWaLK COUNSeLLING. Why not go through training to give “Sidewalk- counseling” to those confused women who are walking into the abortion clinic to abort their baby. Of course, prayer is the key; however a timely word of wisdom, an image, a word of encouragement, a smile of love--- all could help the confused woman to turn around and keep the child!
4- emeRGeNY PhONe LINe. Volunteer to receive phone-calls of the confused woman who is pondering the abortion to give her the many other “helps” that she has to support her in her pregnancy and say “Yes” to life! Below are a series of numbers to have at your fingertips:
OPTION LIFE_ Care/Net/Heartbeat: 1-800-712-heLP (4357)
National Life Center: 1-800-848- LOVe (5683), OPTION LINE: 1- 800-712-heLP (4357).
Post-abortion syndrome (P.a.S.)Rachel’s Vineyard 1-877-hOPe-4-me (467- 3463).
National Helpline for Abortion Recovery: 1-866-482 LIFe (5433) www.nationalhelpline.org. These numbers can be invaluable help in time of need and emergency!
5- Parish Level. Approach your Pastor and ask him if you could set up a Pro-life group in the Parish. many things can be done on a Parish level. Here are a few: holy hours of Reparation, Pro-life masses, DVDs and movies like “October Baby” and “Bella” to enhance the awareness on a parochial level of the value of the baby in the womb. having the “Baby bottle” project wherein the parishioners give their coins or dollars to women who say “Yes” to life but are struggling economically.
6- PRaYeR aND PeNaNCe. Jesus stated with utmost clarity that some devils can be expelled only through prayer and penance. he himself taught us in Person when he prayed and fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert. Then Jesus defeated the devil who came at him with three different temptations. Behind the abortion industry is the devil; Jesus calls the devil a liar from the beginning. Lies are uttered! Worse yet, the devil is a murderer because abortion is truly murder and murder of the most innocent and defenseless motivating the abortion industry is the devil and also lust for money. It is a multi-billion dollar industry every year in which close to 1.2 million babies are aborted (through surgical abortion) every year in the United States. Therefore we must pray and add to prayer concrete acts of penance. With respect to prayer, of course all prayers said with purity of heart and good intention are pleasing to the Lord. however, three could be of great value to repair the abominable crime and sin of abortion as well as to prevent future abortions.
7- ChaPLeT OF DIVINe meRCY. We invoke the Body, BLOOD, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus to repair for our sins as well as for the sins of the whole world--- that of course includes abortion, the shedding of the Blood of the Innocent ones.
8-hOLY maSS: OFeRTORY, CONSeCRaTION, aND hOLY
COmmUNION. Under the stars, moon, and heaven itself there is no greater prayer than the holy Sacrifice of the mass. Included in this is the Pro-life dimension. Why? abortion is the innocent blood-shed of the babies. holy mass is the offering of the Blood of the Innocent Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. We offer Jesus begging for mercy and pardon; we adore Jesus who descends from heaven in the Consecration of the host; we receive Jesus in themoment of holy Communion. These three key moments in mass can be offered in reparation and prevention for the deluge of innocent blood that has been shed since the legalization of abortion 40 years ago in the decision Roe vs. Wade. however, we should never forget that one drop of the most Precious Blood of Jesus that he shed on Calvary and is renewed perpetually in every holy mass is sufficient to repair for and save the whole world!
9-haIL maRY aND ROSaRY. Finally, the prayer, so dear to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Hail Mary and the most holy Rosary, is obviously a “Prolife” prayer. Pay attention to these words in the hail mary which were pronounced by Saint Elizabeth to mary in the mystery of the Visitation: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus…” This
powerful prayer that penetrates and consoles the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary lauds and praises the “Yes” of mary that resulted in the Incarnation and the presence of the Unborn Baby Jesus in the womb of Mary. A beautiful practice for us to undertake would be to beg that through the praying of the hail mary in the context of the Rosary that 50 abortions would be repaired for as well as prevented every time we pray this powerful Pro-life prayer. What God can do with his power, mary can do with her prayer. God can never resist the prayers of mary his heavenly mother.
In conclusion, we are CFC, we are people of life. God calls us to believe in the value of life, love life, speak up and defend life. may Jesus who is the WaY, TRUTh aND LIFe, and mary who is the mother of God and mother of he who gave us life and life in abundance help us to lift the Banner of life so as to one day enjoy forever and ever eternal life!
SPeCIaL ThaNKS TO FR. ED BROOM OVM
Song of The monTh:
Life To The Full, By Mike Serapio (CFC)
my heart now is whole
You Lived and died for me
I will love you faithfully
I thank you for your peace
my heart is now at ease
You carried me through
I will build my life on you
ChORUS:
I’ll live for you oh Lord
The fullness of life
Is in your hand
I will take it
I’ll worship you oh Lord
The fullness of life
Is in your presence
I will sing it now
Cathechism of The Catholic Churchparagraphs of the monhh: ccc 2270-2275
Abortion
2270 human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.
This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense.
The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “a person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,” “by the very commission of the offense,” and subject to the conditionsprovided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. among such
fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”
“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined.... as a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.”
2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be depended it its integrity, cared for, and healed,
as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safeguarding or healing as an individual.... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”
2275
“One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing, the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survivals."
“It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material.”
“Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity” which are unique and unrepeatable.
SOURCe: CaTeChISm OF The CaThOLIC ChURCh
MAY 2014 p18
Saint of the month:
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
FeaST DaY: april 28
Patron mothers, physicians, preborn children
DeaTh: 1962
BeaTIFIeD BY: Pope John Paul II - Gianna Francesca Beretta was born in magenta in Italy. She was the tenth of thirteen children in
her family, only nine of whom survived to adulthood. When she was three, her family moved to Bergamo, and she grew up in the Lombardy region of Italy.
In 1942, Gianna began her study of medicine in milan. Outside of her schooling, she was active in azione Cattolica. She received a medical diploma in 1949, and opened an office in mesero, near her hometown of magenta, where she specialized in pediatrics. Gianna hoped to join her brother, a missionary priest in Brazil, where she intended to offer her medical expertise in gynecology to poor women. however, her chronic ill health made this impractical, and she continued her practice in Italy.
In December 1954, Gianna met Pietro molla, an engineer who worked in her office, ten years older than she. They were officially engaged the following April, and they married in September 1955.
The couple had Pierluigi, born in 1956, maria Zita, in 1957 and Laura, was born in 1959. Gianna suffered two miscarriages after this.In 1961, Gianna was once again expecting. During the second month, Gianna developed a fibroma on her uterus. after examination, the doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children; a complete hysterectomy, which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child's life, and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications. Roman Catholic teaching would have allowed her to obtain a hysterectomy, but would forbid an abortion. Wanting to preserve her child's life, she opted for the removal of the fibroma. After the operation, complications continued throughout her pregnancy. Gianna was quite clear about her wishes, expressing to her family, "This time it will be a difficult delivery, and they may have to save one or the other — I want them to save my baby."
On april 21, 1962, Good Friday of that year, Gianna went to the hospital, where her fourth child, Gianna emanuela, was successfully delivered via Caesarean section. However, Gianna continued to have severe pain, and died of septic peritonitis 7 days after the birth.
Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on april 24, 1994, and officially canonized as a saint on may 16, 2004. Gianna's husband Pietro and their last child, Gianna, were present at the canonization ceremony. The miracle recognized by the Roman Catholic Church to canonize Gianna molla involved a mother, Elizabeth Comparini, who was 16 weeks pregnant in 2003 and sustained a tear in her placenta that drained her womb of all amniotic fluid. Because a normal term of pregnancy is 40 weeks, Comparini was told by
her doctors the baby's chance of survival was "nil."Through praying to Gianna Molla and asking for her intercession, Comparini delivered by caesarean a healthy baby despite the lack of amniotic fluid for the remainder of her pregnancy.
In his homily at her canonization mass, Pope John Paul II called Gianna "a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love."
Prayer of The Month:
Prayer To End Abortion.
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
and never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
and our nation once again becomes
a nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. amen!
Media (TV/cd/Book/moVie) of The monTh:
”OcToBer BaBy ”
October Baby is a 2011 american Christian-themed
dramatic film directed by andrew and Jon erwin and
starring Rachel hendrix in her film debut. It is the
story of a young woman named hannah, who learns
that she was almost aborted as a baby in the womb.
She then embarks upon a road trip to understand the
circumstances of her birth.
iphone/SmarTphone caTholic
app of The monTh:
hTTp://prolifeapp.com/
The Online for Life Prayer app underscores the importance of prayer in the
battle to end abortion, while involving the pro-life community in such a way
that keeps them actively engaged in rescuing unborn children and families from
abortion.
This innovative app engages committed and praying people in the fight to end
abortion. Through this real-time Prayer app, users are notified when abortiondetermined
individuals are in need of prayer at each stage of their life-decision
process
