"Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable. The Second Vatican Council defines abortion, together with infanticide, as an 'unspeakable crime.'
But today, in many people's consciences, the perception of its gravity has become progressively obscured. The acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behavior and even in law itself, is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, even when the fundamental right to life is at stake. Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception. In this regard the reproach of the Prophet is extremely straightforward: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Is. 5:20). Especially in the case of abortion there is widespread use of ambiguous terminology, such as "interruption of pregnancy," which tends to hide abortion's true nature and to attenuate its seriousness in public opinion. Perhaps this linguistic phenomenon is itself a symptom of an uneasiness of conscience. But no word has the power to change the reality of things: procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing , by whatever means it is carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, extending from conception to birth."
--Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae (1995).
Encyclical Letter: The Gospel of Life
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
On the anniversary of Fatima...
May 13, 1980
"This is my great battle! The Most Holy Trinity has entrusted to me the task of leading its army in the terrible struggle against Satan who, as ever, is the most astute and ruthless enemy of God.
God has entrusted the carrying out of his victorious plan to me, the littlest slave of the Lord, because the spirit of pride and rebellion may still be conquered by the humility and obedience of your heavenly Mother.
My Adversary has dared to attack the Most Holy Trinity, obscuring its great work of love and of glory.
He has obscured the work of the Father, by seducing other creatures to rebellion against God by means of the spread of atheism to a degree that mankind has never known before.
To render fruitless the redemptive work of the Son, he has attempted to bedim the Church with error which has entered into her interior, and with infidelity which has spread like a terrible cancer. This has reached the point of confrontation with the Pope, whom Jesus set in the Church as the center of unity and as the guardian of truth.
He has obscured the work of the Holy Spirit, succeeding in extinguishing the light of divine life in many souls, through sin. It is readily committed and even justified by many; and by some, it is no longer even confessed.
But the 'Woman Clothed in the Sun' who has begun her great battle, continues to wage it each day through you, my faithful little cohort.
By means of you I want to restore to its splendor the work of creation, of redemption and of sanctification, in such a way that the Most Holy Trinity will receive the greatest degree of glory.
Do not become disturbed by the darkness which has spread about, because this is part of the plan of my Adversary; it is on the other hand part of my own victorious plan, namely, that of dispelling the darkness so that the light may everywhere return.
And the light will shine resplendently throughout creation when it will once again sing the love and glory of God, following on the defeat of every form of atheism and of proud rebellion.
The light of truth, of fidelity and of unity will once again shine fully in the Church. My Son Jesus will manifest himself fully in such a way that the Church will become light for all the nations of the earth.
I will make the light of grace shine in souls. The Holy Spirit will communicate himself to them in superabundance, in order to lead them to the perfection of love."--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp. 286-87).
"This is my great battle! The Most Holy Trinity has entrusted to me the task of leading its army in the terrible struggle against Satan who, as ever, is the most astute and ruthless enemy of God.
God has entrusted the carrying out of his victorious plan to me, the littlest slave of the Lord, because the spirit of pride and rebellion may still be conquered by the humility and obedience of your heavenly Mother.
My Adversary has dared to attack the Most Holy Trinity, obscuring its great work of love and of glory.
He has obscured the work of the Father, by seducing other creatures to rebellion against God by means of the spread of atheism to a degree that mankind has never known before.
To render fruitless the redemptive work of the Son, he has attempted to bedim the Church with error which has entered into her interior, and with infidelity which has spread like a terrible cancer. This has reached the point of confrontation with the Pope, whom Jesus set in the Church as the center of unity and as the guardian of truth.
He has obscured the work of the Holy Spirit, succeeding in extinguishing the light of divine life in many souls, through sin. It is readily committed and even justified by many; and by some, it is no longer even confessed.
But the 'Woman Clothed in the Sun' who has begun her great battle, continues to wage it each day through you, my faithful little cohort.
By means of you I want to restore to its splendor the work of creation, of redemption and of sanctification, in such a way that the Most Holy Trinity will receive the greatest degree of glory.
Do not become disturbed by the darkness which has spread about, because this is part of the plan of my Adversary; it is on the other hand part of my own victorious plan, namely, that of dispelling the darkness so that the light may everywhere return.
And the light will shine resplendently throughout creation when it will once again sing the love and glory of God, following on the defeat of every form of atheism and of proud rebellion.
The light of truth, of fidelity and of unity will once again shine fully in the Church. My Son Jesus will manifest himself fully in such a way that the Church will become light for all the nations of the earth.
I will make the light of grace shine in souls. The Holy Spirit will communicate himself to them in superabundance, in order to lead them to the perfection of love."--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp. 286-87).
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Prepare in prayer...
"They will come with dread when their sins are reckoned up, and their lawless deeds will convict them to their face...then the righteous man will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him, and those who make light of his labors..."--Wisdom, 4:20, 5:1.
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."--Matthew, 24:9-14.
December 8, 1980
"How numerous today are the snares of my Adversary, who appears to be reaching the peak of his great offensive! In every way and by the most subtle means, he seeks to seduce you, if only he can succeed in striking your soul, in wounding you with sin, so as to draw you away from Jesus, who is your only Savior...the whole of humanity is defiled with this invisible venom. The weapon, which I give you to fight with, which joins you to my Heart: the holy rosary...recite it often."
--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp307-08).
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."--Matthew, 24:9-14.
December 8, 1980
"How numerous today are the snares of my Adversary, who appears to be reaching the peak of his great offensive! In every way and by the most subtle means, he seeks to seduce you, if only he can succeed in striking your soul, in wounding you with sin, so as to draw you away from Jesus, who is your only Savior...the whole of humanity is defiled with this invisible venom. The weapon, which I give you to fight with, which joins you to my Heart: the holy rosary...recite it often."
--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp307-08).
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A quiet reflection...
Jesus did not say,'I have the truth,' but rather, "I am the Truth."
"Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet."
--Hebrews 12:12-13
"Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet."
--Hebrews 12:12-13
Monday, May 10, 2010
Fidelity to the Gospel...
November 14, 1980
"The power of evangelization is in its fidelity and its authenticity. It is not in the adapting of the message of Christ to the various cultures, but in the bringing of all cultures to Christ...
I am for you Mother and teacher. And so I want to communicate to all of you an enthusiasm for the Gospel. Illumined by its light, announce it to all the peoples of the earth! I am Mother and teacher of all peoples, and the triumph of my Immaculate Heart cannot come in all its fullness, until I have brought them all to my Son Jesus.
Soon the deepest desire of my Son will be fulfilled and, from every part of the five continents, under my guidance, all will hasten to enter into and become part of the one flock under the one Shepherd."
--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp.306-07).
"The power of evangelization is in its fidelity and its authenticity. It is not in the adapting of the message of Christ to the various cultures, but in the bringing of all cultures to Christ...
I am for you Mother and teacher. And so I want to communicate to all of you an enthusiasm for the Gospel. Illumined by its light, announce it to all the peoples of the earth! I am Mother and teacher of all peoples, and the triumph of my Immaculate Heart cannot come in all its fullness, until I have brought them all to my Son Jesus.
Soon the deepest desire of my Son will be fulfilled and, from every part of the five continents, under my guidance, all will hasten to enter into and become part of the one flock under the one Shepherd."
--Our Lady Speaks to Her Beloved Priests (1987, pp.306-07).
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Take heed...
"Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs."
--Matthew, 24:4-8
--Matthew, 24:4-8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
