St. Augustin on Abortion

P.S. Someone is claiming that Augustine said that abortion was not murder because of some sort of debate regarding ensoulment. Does anyone have a textual reference that would clarify this situation? I am positive this is a bogus claim or one of those 'let's drag a line out of context' acts that so many contemporary cafeteria Catholics like to pull...

Youth 2000

This weekend youth from around the Chicago area have been invited to a phenomenal retreat. Having the blessing to participate, I won't be able to blog much over the next couple days. Please keep the 250 youth in your prayers, as this invitation to an intimate relationship with the Lord is not the status quo...

Another Cab Adventure

I rushed out of Ogilvie Station last night, intent upon making a Johan Goldberg event. I easily hailed a cab for my post rush-hour dash across town. I heard the driver ask me a question, and assumed he wanted me to reiterate my destination...I did, then he looked at me and said, "No, how are you??"

I was charmed, and said I was well...He asked how my day had been, and I related it was very busy but well spent traveling to Springfield..."Why Springfield?" I responded that I had been lobbying...and he asked what about.

I explained to him HB5615, and he asked, "So, are you pro-abortion?"

I said I am pro-life, to which he responded, "So you are against abortion?" I responded yes...and he asked why.

Me: "Abortion is bad for women, and I beleive it kills children..."

Martin: "Well, I respect your position, but what about the other issues...what about poverty and education and all the things that would prevent abortion and what about rape of the young girls?" He went on for a bit expounding on these issues.

Me: "I think you are absolutely right, we do need to teach the youth about morality, we need to educate them so they have a standard and don't fall into the the societal norms of sex outside of marriage. I speak to many students about abstinence and chastity, and I agree with you--we can't just work to stop abortion, we do need to address the root of the problem."

Martin: "I respect your opinions, but you are not answering my question. What about the mothers who have three children and they work all day to feed their children, and the young girls are at home, and no one is watching them. They get abused and raped, and the mother doesn't even know, because all she knows is that she needs to feed her children?? The problem is there is NO FATHER in the house. These girls do not know their fathers...and the government supports this. This is a problem especially in the African American community."

N.B. Martin is of African Descent, I beleive he may be an immigrant from Haiti or another Caribbean Island.

Me: "You have hit the root of the problem--the breakdown of family life."

Martin: "Yes, yes...that is it--nobody values the family, who is going to teach the children to value the family? They do not know what family is. Are you going to work on this? It is not about abortion, it is about the government that contributes to breaking down the family...it is about these children who do not know what family is."

Me: "You are right. But we need to work both ways. Since 1973 we've had over 50 Million Abortions--that means 50 Million people are not here in the U.S. Maybe if even only 2 Million of those people had been born, our country would have a different look, economically. These people would have been in the work force, there would be more jobs because there'd be more demand...but you are right. There are cycles of poverty people get stuck in because of the breakdown of family life, and the government makes it easy for people to stay in poverty."

Martin: "Yes, so what are you going to do? What about the pastors in the Churches, why don't they say anything about this? What do they do....???"

At this point, I had to get out of the cab. I shook his hand, asked his name, and for prayers--and he said he'd pray for me.

I learned much in those intense 10 minutes with Martin. He was incensed because he thought I only cared about abortion--but he was put a bit at ease when he knew I agreed with his concerns about preventing the need for abortion.

Maybe some people who've been driven around by Martin think he is just a cab driver, but I think he is smarter than a lot of folks in Washington. True, he may think abortion is 'necessary' now, but he knows that family life is being attacked, and that there are few in government who care to address the problem at the root.

Making Abortion the norm in Illinois??

Recently Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (Chicago) and Rep. Rosemary Mulligan (Des Plaines) introduced a radical piece of legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. HB5615, purportedly the "Reproductive Justice and Access Act," is the worst piece of legislation I have ever see proposed.

The bill essentially calls for the de-regulation of abortion in the state of Illinois. As written, it paves the way for:

• Nullification of any Parental Notification Laws
• Repealing any ban on Partial Birth Abortion
• Allowing minors to obtain emergency contraception without a prescription (which is an FDA requirement)
• Funding abortions through Medicaid
• Disallowing physician and pharmacist rights of conscious
  
• Mandating comprehensive sex ed for Kindergarten-12th Grade

I had the opportunity to lobby various State Reps in Springfield today regarding the Bill. While the legislation is still in committee, it will not be difficult to pass through the Human Services Committee, and could be brought to the House floor within the next few weeks or so.

Not having any experience in lobbying on a specific bill, I did not know what to expect, but found the experience rather addictive! It was exciting to go from office to office and share information with representatives. My favorite exchange, however, was with Rep. Suzanne Bassi, representing Illinois' 54th District.

From Bassi's website:

"I subscribe to the Republican philosophy: "Less government is better government" and on this issue, I believe that the government does not belong in our bedrooms. Although I do not personally believe in abortion, I believe a woman and her family should have the choice to make personal, private and difficult decisions according to their own beliefs. I will, however, seek solutions to reduce the numbers of unplanned pregnancies."

As is the custom, I sent my buisness card into the assembly while they were in session, and waited for Bassi to come out. When she did, I politely gave her some information on the bill and proceeded to explain the extreme nature of the legislation. I mentioned that it would require pharmacists to participate in abortion. She looked at me as though I were insane, and became very upset--"Pharmacists do not participate in abortion."

I went on to explain, "Because this bill requires pharmacists to provide contraception, and emergency contraception facilitates an abortion, pharmacists would be required to participate in abortion...do you see what I mean?"

She looked at me, rather shocked that I had effectively justified my statement, and as she raised her eyebrow she said, "Yes, I DO see."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What many people don't realize is the importance of state level politics. Many people don't understand that once Roe is overturned, the decision will go back down to the states...that is why legislation like HB5615 must be opposed and defeated. We do not want abortion to be the status quo in Illinois.

A Model Feminist: Margret Sanger

I've never had so much attention at this blog...over 1,20 hits in 5 days! Seems like feminism is the thing to write about.

Since a current response is stating that it really wasn't Margret Sanger's fault that she was a eugenecist, perhaps we should address that sorry claim a bit more directly.

In her own words:

"Birth control itself, often denounced as a violation of natural law, is nothing
more than the facilitation of the process of weeding out the unfit, of
preventing the birth of defectives or of those who become defective."
"The
most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its members is to kill
it."
Both from ~ Woman and the New Race, by Margret Sanger

"(The most) successful educational aproach to the Negro is through a
religious appeal. We do not want word to get out that we want to exterminate the
Negro poplulation, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea
if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members...Remeber our motto:
if we must have welfare, give to the rich, not the poor...We are paying for and
even submitting to the dictates of an ever increasing, unceasingly spawning
class of human beings who never should have been born at all."

-- From Elisha Drogin's

Margret Sanger: Father of Modern Society, (New Hope:
CUL, 1989) p. 43, 33, 45, 52.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've had the pleasure of being personally aquainted with Ms. Akua Furlow, M.A., and African American woman who has done extensive research on Sanger's eugenic agenda. Furlow spent countless hours in archive buildings digging up the manuscripts of Sanger, and I've had the opportunity to read much of her research, which is compiled in her book The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: What Really Happened?. It is painfully evident that Sanger was a eugenicist.

However, as one reader responded, maybe we should cut her some slack? After all, she was living in desperate times...poverty was an issue, things were tough.

In my opinion, that agrument is just as ridiculous as saying we should cut the Nazis slack. Just as they created and carried out the atrocious Holocaust upon the Jewish people, Margaret Sanger is the foundress of the American Holocaust that is perpetuated by the abortion industry and the contraceptive mentality. Since 1973, this country has seen over 50 million abortions...One thing is for sure, Sanger new how to sell a lie better than Hitler.

Ethical Framework

"Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed. There is no need for the whole universe to take up arms to crush him: a vapour, a drop of water is enough to kill him. But eve if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than his slayer, because he knows that he is dying and the advantage the universe has over him. The universe knows nothing of this.

Thus all our dignity consists in thought. It is on though that we must depend for our recovery, not on space and time, which we could never fill. Let us then strive to think well; that is the basic principal of morality." ~ Pascal

What I love about this passage from Pascal is how it speaks to human weakness. Clearly, when one is attacked, one wants to fight back and assert. Yet, in Scripture didn't Christ say to turn the other cheek?

Because of the morally relative nature of our society, it is utterly impossible to carry on an effective dialog regarding such grave matters as human sexuality and life issues through blog debates. All that is accomplished is classification of one or the other person(s) involved as liberal, conservative, anti-woman, pro-death, anti-choice and etc...

It is easy to respond to something someone writes that pisses you off by writing back, but it is infinitely more difficult to actually face that person, as a person, and have a dialog about the issue at hand.

While I love to stir the pot to get folks discussing, this is not a conversation, but rather an ideological tug-of-war that can not be done justice in this setting.

Pascal's latter remarks in the above passage are relevant. He is advocating for a recovery of though, of ideas...of conviction based in absolute values.

We live in a world where nothing is absolute. I beleive in absolute truth. I have seen absolute joy and absolute pain. I've held the hands of friends who have aborted, walked with others who brought their children to term. I've lived with people who use contraception and know folks who struggle with porn and masturbation. What do they all have in common? These are all people, and I beleive they are made in the image and likeness of God. I believe that they all have a unique role in this world that only they can play.

We all struggle, we all make poor decisions, but no one deserves judgment. I apologize if I have come across as judgmental. I do not apologize for believing that there are moral absolutes, however. We live in a broken world where there are no easy answers, but that does not mean we must live by the "lesser of two evils" approach to life, which can fall under the umbrella of utilitarianism.

Like most philosophies, utilitarianism can be utilized effectively, but the circumstances are crucial whenever one is making an ethical analysis of a situation based on a philosophical system. With issues of human life and sexuality, I really think Aristotle's Virtue Ethics ought to be at the forefront of the analytical modus operatum.

There are so many phenomenal writers and thinkers who can better explain and defend these absolute truths I allude to. I intend to make better use of their knowledge, in an effort to better represent the Church and the cultural revolution for which I advocate.

Where have all the Feminists gone?

...Er...flowers?

Phyllis Schlafly was right. All feminists know how to do, effectively, is have a bad attitude and complain. Note, over the last 4 days I have had roughly 500 hits on my blog due to the post "Public High School Teens See Porn at Catholic University." Many hits are thanks to my dear friend Dawn Eden, who is a far more seasoned and respected blogger than I.

Several are from the anti-women. Seems my statements about masturbation being a crime against human sexuality really pissed them off. Oh, well--I guess they can agree to disagree with me, but really, I am not claiming to be right. I am just stating that the Catholic Church is right.

In essence, that is all I really have to say. I choose to accept over 2000 years of Christian Tradition. I choose to accept the separate but equal roles of men and women. I choose to embrace the gift of fertility and the joy of bearing a child.

Interestingly enough, I think the real, pure Feminism today--the Feminism of Elizabeth Cady Stanton et. al.--is going on in the Middle East. There are countries in that region where women don't have full rights and are not respected as equal citizens. Too bad the feminists in the U.S. can't get off their high horses and hold a rally for something that would actually help save humanity, instead of constantly advocating to abort a.k.a. slaughter the future.

And, for the record, masturbation is a vile crimes against human sexuality. Yes, it does promote radical individualism. Yes, it does maintain the selfish "me-first and my pleasure" mentality. Yes, it buys into the "have it your way" culture. Masturbation defies sexuality because it enables sexual gratification outside of sexual complementarity of a man and women in a committed covenant of love, a.k.a. marriage; furthermore masturbation denies openness to the gift of children.

This is a truth that many refuse to receive. I am only sharing a truth, it really is your choice whether or not to accept...

**Coming Soon: "Keely and Du" Chicago Critique

Slaughter House to Open in Worceter, MA

Planned Parenthood is at it again...this time in the Bay State, on streets I used to walk every Saturday night as a teen.

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, due to high demand, will open a 33,000 sq. ft. facility, to be opened on Pleasant Street, in the heart of Worcester. According to a report by the Worcester Telegram and Gazette:

Jackie Mansfield-Marcoux, a PPLM spokeswoman, told the Telegram and Gazette newspaper, "We had more than 10,000 patient visits to our Worcester health center last year."

“Community demand for our services continues to grow, and building this health center will allow us to meet that demand in a more convenient location,” she said.

So, to recap, Planned Parenthood is essentially following suit with WalMart--opening SUPER CENTERS across the country--Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Aurora, IL, Worcester, MA--in order to provide better SERVICES and EDUCATION. Yet, what differentiates WalMart from Planned Parenthood is that WalMart objectifies people already living (through low wages and cheap imports), while Planned Parenthood provides easy-access murder.

The perpetual presence, prayer and protest in Aurora, IL organized by FamiliesAgaintsPlannedParenthood has been an amazing witness to folks around the world. I hope and pray something similar can happen in Worcester.

Some of the most vivid memories I have from my teen years were the Saturday mornings we'd go to pray at the abortion facility on Commonwealth Avenue outside of Boston, MA.

Lately I've spent more time praying in front of abortion facilities in Chicago. Just yesterday morning I watched 5 women walk into Planned Parenthood at 7:45 a.m. for abortions...one of them with her mom, and she couldn't have been older than 13. I think until you stand in front of an abortion facility and actually see people going in to have their children killed, it is hard to conceptualize the magnitude of this greatest of crimes against humanity.

Remember how Kosovo just declared independence earlier this week? Well, C-FAM reported yesterday that incorporated into the constitution this now independent nation wants to ratify is the right to abortion and same-sex marriage. Not only is this a reminder of how the abortion industry has a hold on hearts and minds internationally, but a grave reminder of how vigilant we must be.

I can't really remember much about my life before I became an active pro-lifer at the age of 13. My involvement has varied over the years, and now I do it full-time. It is the greatest blessing and the heaviest cross. This Holy Saturday will be the 10th Anniversary of pro-life activism for me, for which I am excited and humbled.

There is so much work to do, yet with the Truth on our side, we will be successful. We may not see it in our lifetime, but we can trust that one day, abortion will be no more.

Public School Teens View Porn at Catholic University

"I have my truth and you have your truth..." stated a young man with whom I was engaged in debate this evening prior to Loyola University Chicago's annual production of The Vagina Monologues. Before I share the tale, take a moment to read what my friend Dennis and I distributed before the performance began:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vagina Monologues: Pro-Woman or Pro-Violence?

Over the past several years universities and community groups have hosted performances and readings of The Vagina Monologues. Many justify the monologues as a method to raise awareness about violence against women and garner support to end the violence. Yet, it can be argued that The Vagina Monologues actually promotes and perpetuates the very violence we want to dispel!

• The Monologues reduces the woman to her vagina, and discusses her life-experience as dictated by the sex organ. Thus, it perpetuates the objectification of women. Just as pornography arouses objectification of women visually, the Monologues arouses objectification through the spoken word.
• The Monologues promotes self-gratification. Frequently masturbation is highlighted in the production. This breaks down the concept of relationship, and thus promotes radical individualism, which is adamantly opposed to community building, which is necessary for the eradication of violence.
• The Monologues does not make violence against women its key subject. Why, if we are working to dispel violence, must violence merely be incorporated into a production that is arguably live pornography? In a 124-page text, roughly 151 lines deal with issues of violence. The rest are erotic descriptions of heterosexual, homosexual and autoerotic sex.

It is time to question the Monologues, and find a better way to protect women and end the violence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We determined it would be more effective to approach groups waiting for the debauchery to begin rather than handing the leaflet out as they entered the Mullady Theater in Loyola University's Centennial Forum Student Union.

After handing the leaflets to a few students, I approached a group of African American ladies. They were excited to receive information from me, and one was particularly interested in my button, "Planned Parenthood Lies to You." They asked me about it, and I discussed the medical facility violations, parental notification issues, the covering up of rape and incest, etc. They were very interested. We went on to discuss the failure rate of condoms...etc.

Soon a young white woman approached and asked for one of the sheets...turns out she was their teacher. She stood there glaring at me as I chatted with the students...so I finally extended my hand and introduced who I was. She weakly took my hand with her left hand, and did not offer her name...

Then her student, who had informed me that a lady from Planned Parenthood comes to talk to their health class every Friday, asked the teacher, "Can she (meaning me) come speak to our class?" The teacher responded "No". The student then asked, "Why can't we hear both sides of the story?" This same group of students had enlightened me with what the current history books teach about Margret Sanger--or rather, what they fail to teach...I shared about the the historical significance of the Eugenics movement and Sanger's connection to that and the American Birth Control League--they were fascinated.

I soon was engaged by another group of students, lead by another teen from the same public high school, this time a young man. He had been a volunteer for Planned Parenthood and was trained by the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health...and believed Planned Parenthood was a great thing. We discussed abortion and sexual activity. I asked him if there was absolute truth in any of these situations...

"I have my truth, and you have your truth...and we can agree to disagree" he responded. I then said, "But, if we are agreeing to disagree, than one of us must be wrong..." He had no response.

He did feel that personally, he was opposed to abortion, but for some it could be right. What did encourage me was how passionately he felt about a father's say in the life of the child, and how unfair it was that men have no say. He also was very aware of the negative stereotypes that are given to African American men...

Want the real shocker?? It appalls me that these public high school teens came to a Jesuit Catholic University to be introduced to a myriad of sexually deviant opinions, attitudes and practices that are all integral to the Monologues. The Monologues really is not art, it is pornography--spoken and performed, live porn on stage.

As I recall, Jesus said something to the effect of: "Better to tie a millstone around your neck and drown, than to scandalize the little ones..."

Loyola, are you proud? The feminists got their way, the vagina took stage....and the moral fabric of the university was once again degraded because, after all, "You have your truth...and I have my truth..."

Why is February is so Painful?

Because The Vagina Monologues has hijacked everything good about sexuality.

As a woman, I've felt terribly objectified by Eve Ensler's 'pop-masterpiece' for years. I've had conversations with other women, with Jesuits, with the chair of Loyola University Chicago's Women's Studies Department...with students at other campuses in my state and around the country, and even the "infamous (as far as the feminists are concerned)" Cardinal Newman Society.

Based on my personal experience (which, if you are a contemporary feminist, you ought to allow), all that I have heard, seen and read regarding the monologues has lead to dis-unity and dis-gust. The monologues successfully reduce a woman to her vagina, and somehow promote the idea that the vagina, in and of itself or herself or whatever, is the guiding force of the woman's existence.

Not only do the monologues promote lesbian sex with minors and other natural, moral and legal crimes...but they also perpetuate the common perception held by some men that a woman truly is a vagina, to be used for pleasure. Heck, if I was a guy and heard a woman ranting about her vagina on-stage it would be hard for me to think of anything else other than her possession of that sexual organ.

To my dismay, once again my alma mater will host the V-Monologues. In my opinion it is a senseless waste of time that does nothing to combat domestic violence, which is the front the feminists use to keep at bay those who challenge the preposterous annual display. It strips women of dignity and class. It objectifies men and women. It promotes sexual dysfunction and extra-marital sexual activity.

I plan to protest the V-Monologues this weekend...and I'll be sure to let you know if anything happens...hopefully I won't get arrested for exercising my freedom of speech...certainly the girl on-stage won't be judged for speaking her vagina, ah er...mind?

Got a problem? Blame it on the Feminists

This evening Phyllis Schlafly lectured at DePaul University's Courtelyou Commons, a beautiful, historic hall that was truly graced by the presence of this remarkable woman.

Schlafly discussed the fundamental problem with feminism, namely, attitude. She did not waste any time with preclusions, stating clearly that feminism is undefined, which I would editorialize by stating feminism is absolutely relative, and morally relative, for the record!

Here is how I image a feminist would justify Schlafly's critique:

"You see, I can be a Marxist Feminist or a Radical Feminist, a Liberal Feminist or a Lesbian Feminist..I mean, there are all clear defining traits that are ascribed to these feminisms. I mean, for the record, if you are a feminist, but your definition of feminism varies from mine chances are I will still help you out, and I mean, that fundamental stronghold for feminists, the universal right to abortion, well, we all pretty much want that...except, of course, the Feminists for Life--we must have forgot to send them the memo..."

Not only does Ms. Schlafly have her own manner of debunking the feminist agenda, she also serves up a dose of reality. She speaks to the notion of 'having it all at the same time:' the job, the family, etc. and how truly difficult that is, not impossible, but a challenge. She described herself as a sequential woman--she stayed at home and raised her children, then became a more active activist. Schlafly herself worked a 48-hour week in a WWII factory while carrying a full course-load at university...yet she still affirms the noble vocation of a homemaker--which is all but an obsolete acknowledgment on university campuses.

My favorite quote of the evening:

"I think feminism is incompatible with happiness."

~Phyllis Schlafly

*Congratulations to the DePaul Conservative Alliance and the staff of the Lincoln Park Statesman for all their hard work and dedication to letting the truth be heard at DePaul and in Chicago!

A Humble, Holy Legacy

A quiet woman is remembered by the Catholic Church today...a little French Lady to whom the Virgin Mary reveled herself in a direct way.

On February 11, 1858 the Bernadette Soubirous was gathering twigs to heat the small room in which she and her family lived...when she saw a beautiful Lady in the grotto known as known as Massabielle...the Lady was upon a cloud above a vibrant Rose Bush...Bernadette knelt and prayed the Rosary with the Lady, after which the Lady withdrew into the grotto and disappeared. Little Bernadette told her pastor, who responded dubiously and asked Bernadette to ask the Lady who she was...on March 25, 1858, the Lady answered the question by stating, "I am the Immaculate Conception", only 4 years after the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus proclaimed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception:

In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."

Today is the Feast of St. Bernadette. I think in her own way she reflected the humility of the Virgin Mary we know so well. Bernadette was quiet, and not a well-educated young woman. She was held back from receiving the sacraments at the usual age because of the difficulty she had in understanding the Catechism. Yet, where she 'lacked' in intelligence, she excelled in Faith.

When the hierarchy of the Church doubted the apparition Bernadette received, and the government tried to repress the Faithful, Bernadette remained strong because of her faith. She sought no glory...all attention was focused on the Lady and on the will of God.

Bernadette owned her femininity. A young French girl who suffered poor health, particularly asthma, as well as the cross of an alcoholic parent, Bernadette's life was not care free. Yet, because of her humble courage, and her delicate obedience, she was chosen by God and His Mother not only to affirm the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, but to define a place of Faith and Healing for those not only in France, but across the Globe.

Today devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes has spread around the world, and millions of pilgrims travel every year to seek physical and spiritual healing in the waters of the grotto at Massabielle.

Bernadette joined a local religious community and passed away at the age of 35...years later her body was discovered incorrupt--I will never forget visiting the Convent at Nevers as a teenager and seeing St. Bernadette's beautiful, pure face, peacefully reposed in the Chapel.

This year we celebrate the 150 Anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes. Consider invoking the Virgin's intercession in a special way. Thank God for the humility and Faith of Bernadette...for when men and the world doubted, she remained true to her mission...and again God used a woman to proclaim hope and healing to the world!

Total Consecration has Begun

This Spring marks my second anniversary of my Total Consecration to Mary. This is a phenomenal spiritual practice in which one essentially consecrates him or herself "To Jesus, through Mary." Those who are consecrated have a special devotion to the Virgin Mary, entrusting all of their actions, the fruit of their good deeds and their very lives to the Virgin Mary, so that in turn she may best offer them to her Son, Jesus.

As I begin the days of preparation to renew my Consecration, I look back on the extraordinary blessings I've received these past two years--and I attribute them to the intercession of Our Lady:

+ Co-founding and successfully running an independent Catholic publication which published for a full academic year, sustained entirely on donation, at my alma mater, Loyola University Chicago.

+ Journeying on a 3-week pilgrimage with my friend T.J. to Europe in spring 2007 to explore Theology of the Body in Austria, Poland and Italy...entirely supported by fund raising over $5,000 in 4 months!

+ Receiving a grant from PBS to produce a documentary for the above mentioned pilgrimage...that is still in production stage!

+ Being offered a full-time position at the Respect Life Office in Chicago, developed around my skills and interests, to serve the Church in Chicago

+ Acheiving the goal of being a published author

+ Becoming both a chastity speaker as well as a speaker on Mariology

+ Countless numerous daily blessings!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is humbling to see the way the Lord has used me as an instrument in this world. I constantly must remind myself that these blessings are all gift--and I hope and pray to be a good steward of these treasures! Our Lady is such a witness to hope for me, and I have learned so much about being a woman and living purely from her!

Excited best describes my feelings today, as 6 friends will be making Total Consecration with me this March 31st (the transfered feast of the Annunciation)! I hope and pray each of us are able to come truly close to Jesus through Mary, that we are shining witnesses of purity and holiness in the world...and that the Lord, through His Blessed Mother, blesses us with perseverance as we live out our mission in this life!

Dessert and Philosophy

This is something I generally would not post about, but today I made a cheesecake...and I am mildly disappointed in the outcome.

The volume of eggs to cream cheese in the recipe was essentially equal...which yielded a cheesecake that tastes more like a confused custard.

Maybe this is an absurd way to explain the manifest lunacy of moral relativism. Bare with me...

Essentially, moral relativism dictates that you have your truth and I have my truth and Jim has his truth...and they are all true, relatively. Recently some bright young men I know have written about the concept of moral relativism, so it is fresh on my mind.

Moral relativism is kind of like my odd cheesecake. The recipe wanted to give the cream cheese and the eggs equal stature...and the outcome was just confusion. That, in a nut shell, is moral relativism.

For the record, I apologize for this analogy, but I just had to post about it...I am so perplexed by the cheesecake, and I had to find a way to intellectually justify the last 3 hours of my life spent on this perplexing confectionery.

Sexual Harassment...Courtesy of the CPD

Last night I was sexually harassed...by a 50+ year old Chicago Cop.

Lately I've sported a new, rather difficult to miss 2" pin, which reads: "Planned Parenthood Lies to You," scripted around a prominent Planned Parenthood "P" in Red.

There have been a handful of memorable street conversation sparked by the pin, but last night takes the cake thus far.

My friend and I parked in Rogers Park and were concerned we might get a ticket for a parking violation because the zone was not clearly marked. The young man I was with saw a Chicago Police Department car and thought we should find the police officers and ask if our parking spot was legal. We found a group of six officers in a local pizza joint.

After razzing us about how we "might" get a parking ticket, all in good fun, the elder cop, clearly the senior officer, came up to read my pin..."Oh," he said, "How does Planned Parenthood Lie?" I said, "Well, they lack informed consent...women are not told of all of their options...also, Planned Parenthood is poorly regulated and does not have proper facilities for the types of medical procedures they conduct..." and I went on a bit more.

He was mildly impressed, and looked at my friend, assuming we were dating, and said "Why are you with him? You are too smart for that guy--don't you like older men?" Then he put his arm around my shoulder, and proceeded to inform me "I know all about safe-sex." I said, "There is NO such thing as safe sex...condoms have microscopic holes, and they slip, tear and break--and do NOT protect against all STDs." He then said, "But look, I have these great rubber boots..." I had had enough!

The cop went on to make fun of my friend, who was not wearing boots (it was snowing outside). We were all laughing, but clearly there was a component of dis-comfort: although he was joking, I had received an un-solicited sexual advance from a cop...disheartening!

My friend and I finally got out of there, and to be honest with you, it is not until now, about 24-hours later, that I realize how disgusted I am with the situation. Here is a guy who is supposed to protect citizens, carrying on sexually inappropriate conversation with a young woman.

Guess it goes to show you, when society makes sex a joke, even those who are supposed to protect society can fall into the trap and commodify what is most sacred.

Even more upsetting, as a woman, I shrugged it off--funny, ha ha, right? I didn't even let myself own that I had been violated, even if it was "only" verbally...nothing is sacred anymore, at least...that is what the world thinks...

I beg to differ.

Papa Benedict, HERE I COME!

Today as I sat at my desk, my friend who also works at the Pastoral Center emailed me with this tag line:

"We are Going to See Our German Shepard."

YES

THAT IS RIGHT

We've been blessed to get tickets to the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium this APRIL!!

We'd asked about tickets last Fall...and submitted a formal request a few weeks ago...and now it is official. This is a mini miracle, because there are so few tickets. I am very humbled.

All I can say is that to whom much is given, much is expected. I hope that as my friend and I pilgrimage to NYC this April we not only grow in our own faith and commitment to our beloved Catholic Church, but are able to share this experience and the fruit of it with many people in many ways! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

New Marian DOGMA!!

Cardinals Hoping for a 5th Marian Dogma
To Declare Mary as Mother of Humanity

ROME, FEB. 11, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Five cardinals have sent a letter inviting prelates worldwide to join them in petitioning Benedict XVI to declare a fifth Marian dogma they said would "proclaim the full Christian truth about Mary."

The text, released last week, includes the petition that asks the Pope to proclaim Mary as "the Spiritual Mother of All Humanity, the co-redemptrix with Jesus the redeemer, mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one mediator, and advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race."

The signatories of the letter are five of the six cardinal co-sponsors of the 2005 International Symposium on Marian Coredemption, held in Fatima: Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, India; Cardinal Luis Aponte Martínez, retired archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India; Cardinal Riccardo Vidal, archbishop of Cebu, Philippines; and Cardinal Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, retired archbishop of Mexico City.
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This is amazing! I myself am an amateur Mariologist...and when I saw this article in my daily Zenit.com e-mail, I became extremely excited! Better yet, this was released today, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Check out more info on the apparition at Lourdes, France 150 years ago!

Tonight Bishop Francis Kane of the Archdiocese of Chicago, at a Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, said the message of Lourdes is this: Faith and Spiritual Healing...

We must be faithful, not only that the Lord will provide, but that we have been given a unique mission that only we can fulfill...

Spiritual Healing...that this year, as we celebrate the 150 Anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes, we are invited to invoke the Lord's mercy and healing, through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. Countless pilgrims have visited Lourdes for the past 150 years, many receiving physical healing...but many others have had a profound conversation experience there, and have been healed of deep spiritual wounds. Invoke the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes in the healing of wounds that limit who God is calling you to be in the world...

Through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, may you be consoled with every grace and spiritual blessing!

Virtual Spirituality

One of the more joyfully perplexing outcomes of this blog experiment has been the evolution of my involvement with Secretum Meum Mihi Press (SMM). Inspired and based upon the spirituality of the brilliant St. Edith Stein, this apostolate for Catholic feminists is dedicated to providing substantive, time-respecting resources for women on the go--soccer moms, young professionals and the like--who may feel out of the loop when it comes to the Faith.

Founded in 2006 by author and theologian Kristen West McGuire, SMM has recently had a pretty sweet face life. The website is not interactive, the newsletter is delivered via periodic emails and podcasts are in the works.

I 'met' Kristen when she left a comment on one of my Edith Stein posts. I gave her my email address...and I suppose the rest is history. I've had the honor to learn the very remarkable goals of SMM, and am humbled to be involved!

SMM really seeks to redefine what it means to be a Catholic woman, offering orthodox, edgy spitiuality that respects and accepts the Catholic faith, and invites women to see how they fit in without denying what is most true and beautiful about their femininity--on the contrary, sending an invitation to consider how Catholicism supports the Genius of Women!

Check out the website and sign up for our Newsletter. During the first half of 2008, each month Kristen and other writers are exploring male-female complementarity, looking at great stories like that of St. Francis and St. Clare and Adrienne von Speyr and Hans Urs von Balthasar. There are bible studies, book reviews and exclusive interviews with fascinating women across the country living out their Faith.

If you are a woman who wants to discover what Edith Stein's secret was--what lead her to a life of scholarship and activism on behalf of women, ultimately entering the cloister of Carmel before being executed at Auschwitz--check out Secretum Meum Mihi! After all, every woman has her secrets, those beautiful little mysteries that augment her feminine spirit...what's your secret?

The Savior...a Lover

Sometimes it is easy to confuse roles. I think women, by nature, perpetually desire to fix things. I know the verb 'repair' is branded on my heart. Whether at work, in relationships or on the city sidewalks, if I see something I perceive amiss, I am drawn to analyze and amend.

While an undergraduate, this modum apparatus was distinctly visible to some of my peers. Once, a friend relayed the message from a young man I knew, who had told her "Tell Alicia she does not need to kill herself, Jesus already died for us." I found it odd, since I didn't think this fellow really knew me well enough to perceive my habitual obsession with taking the world's problems upon myself.

Just a few years later, I feel God has planted the seed of a miracle in my heart. Over the past several months, I've been imbued with the desire to love, and out of that love to discern my action in regards to a given situation. So many years spent trying to change others, to fix things...and not just accept him or her or it...not refining that profound art of surrender to the Divine Maker.

Today at Adoration, I looked up at the Monstrance, holding within it the Blessed Sacrament, Our Blessed Lord. I desired so deeply to know what to do...and He said,

"I am the Savior...you are a lover."

It took me a minute to even begin to consider the depth of this statement. Clearly, I can wrap my head around Jesus being THE Savior...but what in the Lord's Holy Name did HE mean when He referred to me as "A lover"?

"A" is an indefinite article, isn't it? It infers that there are "others". Wow. A Divine Revelation to the universal call of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Humbled...very much so. I am but a lover. But didn't St. Paul say perfect love casts out fear? That love is patient, and kind and not self-seeking? Am I patient, unselfish? At the very least...am I on the road leading to these virtues? I hope so...

For, to be a lover among lovers is A Universal Call to Holiness.

So good it hurts...

Things that are good sometimes lead to pain, don't they? I've often pondered the legacy of Simone Weil, the Jewish mystic who so perfectly captured the essence of suffering, and its intimate relationship to love.

So much pain...that is what I see all around me...in my city, in the lives of those I love, in my own heart. The other day someone told me that she couldn't wait to die, that was all she had to look forward to. The past few months have been marked by tragedy among my family and friends. They've been marked by disappointment and frustration...

It hurts so much, but the irony of it is how blessed I am. I live such a perplexing existence. It seems I am constantly given insights into truth, intimate vignettes of God working in the lives of others, and in my own life...in dramatic ways. But isn't it human to want so badly what we don't have? I idealize what I don't have, because I think it will satisfy me. But really, how do I know?

I am so glad I made friends with Weil a few years ago...and that her words about suffering and love are inscribed upon my heart.

If there were no affliction in this world we might think we were in paradise.
We should seek neither to escape suffering nor to suffer less, but to remain untainted by suffering.
Affliction compels us to recognize as real what we do not think possible.
Love of God is pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude
To love purely is to consent to distance, it is to adore the distance between ourselves and that which we love.
~ Simone Weil (Excerpts from Gravity and Grace)

Funny how some people think they can do it all on their own. I don't know if I'd be alive were it not for the visible witness of suffering love I have seen.

On Mission

Adrienne von Speyr was a phenomenal German mystic who lived mid-20th Century and was the spiritual complement of the prolific theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Currently I am reading Adrienne's "Handmaid of the Lord," which, if you can't guess, is a collection of meditations on the Virgin Mary.

Today I delved into The Visitation, recounted in Luke 1:39-56. I think the message is perfect for this first day of the Lenten Season. Discussing the meeting of the Virgin and her cousin, von Speyr talks about how Mary is to Elizabeth what Gabriel was to Mary...a messenger imparting a mission. Mary brought to Elizabeth the gift of the Holy Spirit, and in their embrace Elizabeth herself was filled with the Spirit--so much so that she knew what wonders the Lord had worked in Mary!

Just as Jesus reveals the mission of Mary, Mary reveals the mission of Elizabeth, and Elizabeth reveals the mission of John, and in turn John proclaims the way of the Lord! How perfect!

Von Speyr is intuitive about the delicate nature of receiving one's mission:

...(Mary) has learned from the angel how one gives peace. She knows from her own experience that the explosive effect of receiving a mission means a disturbance which requires guidance into a new form of calm. So she passes on what she received from the angel just as immediately as everything else, by remaining with Elizabeth... (Handmaid of the Lord, p. 46)

Mary has the gift of peace, the gift of patience...the gift of love. Her filial affection enables Elizabeth to grow into her mission, to be the mother of the prophet. Side by side, these two humble women grow into their roles as co-operators in the Redemption of humanity!

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A mission is not only something received and completed once and for all. It is also something growing, something to be newly undertaken and affirmed every day. (p. 47)

This message brings me so much consolation. It can be overwhelming when your mission is revealed to you, that conviction can become suffocating if not nurtured well.

Consider Mary as a constant companion as you live out the mission bestowed upon you. Surely she understands the depth and the growth. Her intimate relationship with the Godhead reveals not only her depth of sanctity, but depth of acceptance. Perhaps you, like Mary, do not understand the mystery that is your mission...but like Mary, you can choose to love that mission, and grow into it gracefully!

Just as a new mother patiently nurtures the child as he or she grows in the womb, and allows the reality of the child within to be affirmed with each passing day...may we too have the experience of cherishing the mission to which we are called, and embrace it wholeheartedly, in the spirit of Mary and Elizabeth!

Talitha Cum

Christ had been invited by Jairus to visit his home, where Jairus' daughter lay at the point of death...he entered the house, the child was dead...and Jesus said to them:

"Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him. Then He put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with Him, and went in to where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Littler girl, arise!" And immediately the girl woke up and began to walk about... (Mark 5:39-42)

...As I heard these words of the Gospel proclaimed at Mass today, I could not help but be overcome by conviction. I felt as if Christ was speaking directly to me, "Talitha cum...Little girl, Arise!" It was as if the Lord was recognizing that I am at a turning point in my life, that I need to be imbued with courage and conviction at this moment more so than ever before in my life!

Remember how in John's Epistle he refers to us as little children...and entreats us not to fear, and that fear is the antithesis of love?? Just as John regards us as dear, as little children--the little children that can truly enter the Kingdom of Heaven, even so Christ called me today, and all women!

So many times in the Gospels Jesus goes out of His way to meet and minister to women. Just the same with Jairus' daughter. In a way, all of us ladies are like Jairus' daughter. We live in a world that wants to leave us for hopeless and dead, particularly when we are suffering spiritually and emotionally. But Jesus never wants to leave us for hopeless or dead...He always and forever knows that we are just asleep, and we only need to be awoken in love--and if we are brave enough to awake from the pain when Jesus reaches out to us, how wonderful will be the reward!

Every one of us has been given a mission in this world. As a woman, I know I face unique challenges in living out my mission, as all of my sisters do. But guess what?! There is an all-merciful, all-loving Lord who knows the struggles. There are countless amazing women who have lived my struggle: St. Edith Stein, St. Gianna, Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas, Bl. Mother Theresa, the Virgin Mary...ladies I know and love who are on this earth at this very moment...there is no curse in being a woman, but a glorious and sanctified vocation and challenge!

Don't allow the world to offer you excuses...Talitha Cum...Little Girl, Arise!

The Future of the Women's Movement

I had the extreme joy of imbuing young ladies with the authentic ideals of Catholic feminism today...via a Chasity presentation.

It was a rather curious experience. I was presenting to a small group, about 12 6th-8th graders at a local Catholic elementary school. My method was very focused on girl-specific content, and we delved deeply into the beauty and gift of womanhood (in 11 year-old terms) and the wonderful power of modesty. As I wrapped up, I asked if they had any questions...it took about 10 minutes and passing out chastity pins, bookmarks and magazines, but finally a clever young lady raised her hand and asked, "Why have women been treated so horribly for hundreds of years?" I was DELIGHTED!

I affirmed that this, indeed, was an excellent question. Having not had the joy of bearing my own children yet, and not quite sure if an 11 year-old could comprehend a 3 minute summary of the demise of the 20th century, I took a deep breath and gave it my best shot...and the girls loved it!

Essentially, I explained how in the modern age, the answer was thus, in the American context: in the late 1800s Feminism (which I defined as a movement seeking equality and the common good for all persons) began in the U.S. as a response to men objectifying women, cheating on their wives and the like. We talked about how feminists fought for the abolition of slavery, for women's suffrage...and how it was a good thing.

I then explained how, unfortunately, a false science called Eugenics infiltrated America, and how it purported that some people have less of a right to life then others, because they are "inferior". I explained how eugenicists in the United States advocated for "inferiors" to use birth control and not have children...and how this snowballed into the Sexual Revolution and women falsely believing that they needed to be like men to have their voices heard...and etc. (We covered more topics, but that is the gist of it). I though I had gone a little too deep historically, but the girls responded really well!

I really think they took away the understanding that if they truly respect themselves as women, and hold those crazy boys up to standard (we had a great conversation about how women play a vital role in assisting men in communication) all can be well in the world!

As they lined up, the girls were all telling one another that they would NOT sit with or talk to the boys unless they were willing to have a real conversation with them and not just act macho...

SWEET...I have made a positive contribution to the FOURTH Wave: Catholic Neo-Feminists ;-)

This brings JOY to my heart...

The Story of a Girl

Graphic Novelist Marjane Satrapi intuitively tells the story of her life as an Iranian girl coming of age during the Iraq/Iran war in the animated film Persepolis (playing in select theaters across the U.S.). The film has received international accolades, and closed the New York Film Festival this past fall. (Just as Pans Labyrinth, another excellent film with creative story telling, did in 2006).

What really touched me about this film was the quality and nuance of story telling. 95% of the story is captured in black and white, which does much not only to relay the gravity of what life is like coming of age in a war torn nation, but also lets one's own imagination reflect on the depth of the story at hand.

Satrapi wrote and directed the film with the assistance of Vincent Parannoud, both of whom live in Paris and are artists/cartoonists and writers. Essentially, what Satrapi hoped to capture was the story of her love for her family. She begins with herself as a young girl, who has ordained herself a prophet, calling for social justice, respect for women and overall peace. She relays these prophecies to her beloved grandmother, a dear confidant of hers who years later, before Marjane is sent to Vienna to escape the dangers of war, imbues in her granddaughter with the prerogative of always maintaining her personal integrity.

The story spoke to me particularly as a young woman. Just wrapping my mind around how as I was safe in the U.S. as a small child while girls like Marjane were struggling with life in the midst of war was a first, deepened by coming to an understanding how that affected the identities of these young people.

The strong sense of familial bonds is also key in this tale. Little Marjane is painfully loyal to her family and to her ideal of what Iran is. She is a spunky child who is absolutely confident partaking in adult conversations, revealing the bitter truth of how war forces children to adulthood before their time.

The most curious component of the film for me was how Marjane's experience, NOT remaining true to her dignity and succumbing to sexual encounters lead to depression and dissatisfaction. There is a great scene where she looks back on a particular relationship she thought was perfect, and allows herself to see the truth that existed there, while she built up a fantasy world veiling the real situation. It speaks to the universal experience young women have, and the choices we must make...and how those choices, as our own, effect our future and even our world view.

While I do not agree with all the opinions expressed by the characters, particularly the grandmother's nonchalant attitude towards divorce, they serve to teach much about how persons view life and respond to the challenges it presents.

This film, with its smart use of animation and reflective story-telling, is a refreshing reminder of what entertainment can be: a window into the truth and beauty of who and what we are called to be as members of the human race. If Persepolis is playing at a theater near you, don't miss it...and if not, be sure to watch for it on video.

Purity of Intent

I was formed by the Jesuits...and I cannot begin to explain how much of an impact Ignatian Spirituality has had on my life.

One of the greatest gifts St. Ignatius left the Society of Jesus and the world was a deeply spiritual method of examination and discernment, The Spiritual Exercises. When young men enter the Society, one of the first things they experience is a 30 day retreat during which they make the Spiritual Exercises. Persons living in the world may make the Exercises according to the 19th Annotation, which is a method taking roughly 9 months that Ignatius set aside for those not privileged to take 30 day hiatus from the world. I hope to make the 19th Annotation soon...

I love St. Iggy's Rules for Discernment. I've read them over many times...and quoted them often. I want to share one of my favorite insights from Iggy with you...about secrets and the spirit of the enemy.

Ignatius refers to the enemy, meaning the devil, as THE ENEMY of our souls. His goal, his desire is tempt us to make choices that would lead us further and further from the Lord...thus further from happiness. He wants us to keep secret what should be brought into the light, and tempts us with reasons to keep things secret. Note the quote from paragraph 326 under the section, Rules for the Discernment of Spirits:

The Thirteenth (Rule) Similarly the enemy acts like a false lover, insofar as he tries to remain secret and undetected. For such a scoundrel, speaking with evil intent and trying to seduce the daughter of a good father or the wife of a good husband, wants his words and solicitations to remain secret. But he is deeply displeased when the daughter reveals his deceitful words and evil design to her father, or the wife to her husband. Fore he easily infers that he cannot succeed in the design he began.

In a similar manner, when the enemy of human nature turns his wiles and persuasions upon an upright person, he intends and desires them to be received and kept in secrecy. But when the person reveals them to his or her good confessor or some other spiritual person who understands the enemy's deceits and malice, he is grievously disappointed. For he quickly sees that he cannot succeed in the malicious project he began, because his manifest deceptions have been detected.

Ignatius is fairly straight forward. In my own spiritual journey this rule for discernment has been very instrumental.

I've seen the destruction that secrets can cause in friendships, partnerships, marriages, businesses...and ministry. It is a sorrowful, sorrowful thing. In our hearts we know what the secrets are that need to be revealed. NOT all secrets need to be revealed, and surely NOT to everyone. This is why it is so important to have a good Confessor and Spiritual Director. These persons can help guide you on your spiritual journey, and give you insights to assist in discerning daily decisions and those secrets that may be weighing upon your heart.

I believe the foundation for all we do must be love, and both purity and honesty are types of love. St.Ignatius' Rules for Discernment are all about pure and honest intention. He gives us so many wise tools to understand our spiritual lives and discernment. Make friends with St. Ignatius...I promise, you won't regret it...

PS~ Check out the Daily Examen...a great way to reflect upon the day and learn where the Lord is working in your life!