| February 9, 2010 Dear Friend of Life, (Thank you for your support of Priests for Life. If you already responded to the following appeal online, I appreciate your support. This email is intended for those who did not respond when we sent it last week.)
There’s a lot of anger across the nation at members of Congress who want to force you and all taxpayers to pay for the intentional killing of the youngest members of our human family as part of so-called “health care reform.”
You and many others have made your voices heard! And many legislators remain deaf.
But we can hold each member of Congress accountable for his or her actions!
And with your urgently needed help today ... WE WILL! Just click here to be part of the pro-life revolution now sweeping the country!
Here’s the situation as it stands today: - Polls continue to show the longstanding fact that the majority of Americans are pro-life! You and Priests for Life deserve a lot of the credit for bringing about that reality.
- What’s more, polls show that the vast majority of Americans oppose paying for abortions ... and yet Congress thumbs its nose at them.
- America is still a republic. We still get to elect our representatives in Congress.
- This coming November every single seat in the House of Representatives is up for election ... and a third of the seats in the U.S. Senate.
- Priests for Life is going to use the anti-life provisions of the “health care reform” proposals to highlight the disconnect between America’s pro-life beliefs and Congress’ pro-abortion agenda.
- At the same time, Priests for Life is going to convince your fellow Americans to take their pro-life values with them when they go into the voting booth this November 2.
That is our number one priority for this year, why I’ve sent you this urgent email ...
... and why I need you to click here and rush Priests for Life the largest gift you can.
It’s going to cost Priests for Life $2,365,000 to carry out all of the actions we have planned for this year.
At the end of this email you will see a summary of those plans and what each section costs.
Of this much I can assure you: If we are successful in our efforts this year, we will bring about the transformation of Congress needed to protect all human life ... especially the most vulnerable and helpless among us. Which again is why I need you to click here and send Priests for Life the largest gift you can. Rest assured, however, that we are not sitting back waiting for you and others to help. Instead, knowing of your strong commitment to our pro-life cause and your deep desire to protect and defend the youngest members of our human family, I took a leap of faith and put these “Action Steps” in motion. Even as you read this email, our Priests for Life “Political Responsibility Teams” are on the road working hard to increase the numbers of voters who, like you, will advance the culture of life in the voting booth. One of the major elements of everything we do this year will be the recruitment of individuals who will volunteer their time to help register voters, hand out voter guides, go door-to-door with pro-life literature, man phone banks, write letters to the editor ... and more! Your job between now and November 2 is to do whatever it takes to help Priests for Life convince voters of the vital importance to put the right to life first in every election! Given the fact that taxpayers oppose public funding of abortion by a three-to-one margin, I expect our efforts to meet with tremendous success. But those successes cannot and will not happen unless you and other members of our Priests for Life family continue to make the sacrifices necessary to provide us with the funds we need to carry out every single one of the “Action Steps for 2010 Election” that you can find at the end of this email. I cannot overstate or over-emphasize the importance of the upcoming 2010 mid-term elections. The radical pro-abortion position of Congress is clear for all to see. This November, America will either reject that extremist anti-life agenda ... or embrace it. Believe me the stakes are as high now as they were back in 1776 when our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and made this proclamation before all the world: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. It is not by chance that the RIGHT TO LIFE is listed as the first of these unalienable rights. As you and I both know, the RIGHT TO LIFE is the fundamental human right. It is the basis upon which all other rights proceed ... all of them! That is why it is so vitally important that you and I and every other pro-life American do whatever it takes and make whatever sacrifice is necessary to protect and defend every person’s unalienable RIGHT TO LIFE ... and most especially for our unborn brothers and sisters. For the past forty years our nation has failed to meet that most basic responsibility. Now, as a nation, we have reached the crossroads. We are at the same place the Chosen People were when God said to them: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and the curse; therefore CHOOSE LIFE that you and your descendants may live. That’s the choice our country will make this November. Those who are in control of the White House and Congress are determined to take us down the path that leads to death. Their policies make that abundantly clear. Priests for Life is working feverishly to steer our country down the path that leads to LIFE.
But there is no way we can succeed without your immediate and constant help. That said I implore you to do whatever is necessary – including giving from your need – to help Priests for Life convince our fellow Americans to CHOOSE LIFE! So before you go on to your next email, click here and rush Priests for Life the largest gift you can send today. But that’s not all I need you to do. From now till the 2nd of November, I need you to PRAY for Priests for Life ... for the members of our pastoral team ... for our “Political Responsibility Teams” ... for our bishops and priests ... for the clergy of every religious denomination ... for pro-life leaders and activists ... for our fellow Americans! Pray without ceasing. And I need you make real sacrifices and send Priests for Life the dollars we need to save our nation ... and I mean that literally! When God told the Israelites to “CHOOSE LIFE that you and your descendants may live” He didn’t spell out the alternative, but you can see what it was: If you choose death, you and your descendants will die! Which means America as a nation will die if our fellow Americans choose death this November. So right now, while you’re still reading this email, click here and send Priests for Life the largest contribution you can! Give us the dollars we need so that we can carry out our “Action Steps for 2010 Elections” and bring about a pro-life renewal in our government ... a renewal that will once again proclaim and defend the unalienable RIGHT TO LIFE for all Americans ... born and unborn! And resolve to do this on a regular basis ... from today until November 2. As the “Action Steps for 2010 Election” shows you, we need every dollar you can send so that we can carry out all the work we must do between now and Election Day 2010. There is no greater good that you can do for the youngest members of our human family than by giving of yourself to defend their right to live. So please set aside your needs and wants at this critical moment in history and click here to help provide Priests for Life with the funds we need to fulfill our God-given mission. If you do this, and if your fellow Priests for Life family members do so as well, then I am confident that God will see our commitment to Him and reward us with VICTORY in November. Again, though, it all starts with YOU ... TODAY ... RIGHT NOW. And know that in humble gratitude for your help, all of the priests of Priests for Life remember you at each Mass that we offer. May God bless you for the sacrifices you make on behalf of His innocent unborn.
And if I may ask you one more favor. Each year I survey our supporters to learn how we can serve their needs more effectively. After giving your donation, would you take a moment and fill out the short survey I've placed at www.priestsforlife.org/survey. It is very important to me to know what you're thinking about our ministry!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests For Life and Gospel of Life Ministries Action Steps for 2010 Elections “We are not a sect fleeing the world, but a community of faith called to renew the earth.”
- US Bishops, Political Responsibility The mission of Priests for Life is to fully activate the Church, in all her dimensions, to proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Gospel of Life. Church teaching makes it clear that an integral element of building the Culture of Life is full and informed participation of the faithful in the political process. With that mission clearly in mind, the following is an itemized list of the projects and activities that Priests for Life has planned for the 2010 election cycle. 1. Coordination of Leaders, Organizations and Churches:
- Creation and facilitation of a “Vote Pro-life” coalition of leaders, organizations, and Churches which will assist groups to join together in common action, training, and communication related to the Elections.
- The coalition will have a website and Facebook presence and likewise utilize other similar social networking sites.
- We will train and activate tens of thousands of citizens through regular teleseminars throughout the year. These mega “conference calls” conducted simultaneously through phone and internet will bring panels of experts right into the homes of people eager to learn from them and implement their advice. Some will be especially for clergy and others for laity.
Estimated Cost: $55,000 2. Mobilization of the clergy: - Development and dissemination to every parish in America of pastoral resources for priests and deacons, including homily hints, bulletin inserts, general intercessions for Mass, outlines for special prayer services, and suggested activities for the congregation.
- Development and dissemination of election-related material for clergy and laity to Churches of other denominations, through Priests for Life’s close working relationship with other Christian groups.
- Promotion of the interdenominational Nine Weeks of Prayer for the Elections (Sept. 1 to Nov. 2, 2010) at www.PrayerCampaign.org.
- Use of our newsletter, which goes to every priest in the nation, to give them election-related resources.
- Regular mailings, faxes and emails to all the parishes of the United States, giving priests, deacons, and lay ministers information on all the pastoral resources Priests for Life has. Our pastoral team will also make personal visits to parishes to meet with priests regarding the elections.
- Communication and collaboration with the various respect life diocesan offices and state Catholic Conferences to foster more activity and dissemination of materials.
- Inviting clergy to sign our commitment pledge of political responsibility, and then publicizing these pledges.
- Providing bishops and pastors with summaries of papers presented at the Symposium of attorneys Priests for Life conducted some years ago on the topic The Church and Politics: Are We as Restricted as We Think? These will show Church leaders that they can do far more to activate their people politically than they might think.
- Translation of our election-related pastoral resources into Spanish, and distribution to pastors of Spanish-speaking congregations, through our Hispanic Outreach Department and collaboration with other Hispanic ministries nationwide.
Estimated Cost: $415,000 3. Media efforts: - TV spots on political responsibility for EWTN (reaching 90 million homes in the USA) and other Christian and secular outlets.
- Radio spots on political responsibility for EWTN (reaching over 200 million) and other Christian and secular outlets.
- Special radio and TV programs on political responsibility. These opportunities will be harnessed through our “Defending Life” series on EWTN, our “Gospel of Life” series on Protestant networks, and our many appearances on local media outlets.
- Appearances of our pastoral team in the secular media, both local and national, as a result of our press conferences and frequent press releases.
- Full-page newspaper ads in diocesan and secular papers, as well as in national publications.
- Grassroots letters-to-the-editor campaign, organizing teams in specific areas whereby activists will help each other in composing and sending such letters, of which we will provide samples.
- Distribution of our 6-part video series on “Political Responsibility” which contains interviews of Cardinals in Rome, well-known political figures in Washington, D.C., and top-level lawyers who will outline the boundaries of what those in the church and the non-profit world can do when it comes to political activity.
Estimated Cost: $1,550,000 4. General Education of Christians on their political responsibility and on the key issues: - Guided multi-media study on website, with staff prepared to answer questions by mail, phone, fax, email, text messaging, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
- Travels and speaking of our pastoral team at parishes, seminars and conventions. (Six priests and five lay leaders, making an average of two trips per week. That’s over a thousand trips!).
- Collection and dissemination of the addresses, homilies, and pastoral letters of bishops who speak out about political responsibility.
- Continued dissemination of thousands of copies of the US Bishops’ document Living the Gospel of Life, along with our study guide for that document, as well as other Church documen
Salamat Br James sa information na ito. Kailangan nating malaman ang mga prinsipyo ng ating mga kandidato lalo na sa isyu ng Reproductive Health Bill. Maganda nga at nakapagbigay ng mga materyal si Br Carlos upang maunawaan natin ang mga nilalaman ng ginagawag batas na ito. Kung 'di nila maproprotektahan ang mga buhay sa sinapupunan ng mga ina, ang lugar na sana ay pinakaligtas para sa mga bata, ano pa kaya ang kanilang magiging pananaw sa ibang estado ng buhay ng tao? Ang pinaglalaban ng simbahan, ang paggalang ng buhay ng tao mula sa paglilihi ng ina, ay 'di limitado sa usapang pang-relihiyon http://bit.ly/cbWdD6. Ang pinaglalaban ng Iglesiya ay ang universal na katotohanan na dapat na kilalanin ng bawat tao na kayang maunawaan at marating kahit ng natural na kakayanan ng ating kaisipan. Kaya ang pagsabi na ang isyu na ito ay 'di maipipilit sa ibang taong may ibang pananalig ay pagpapakita lamang ay pagpapakita ng mahinang paggamit ng kaisipan at kawalang pagmamahal sa mga maliliit at walang kalaban-laban
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
James Joseph Bardos wrote:
Did your chosen candidate is pro-life?
for your perusal and consideration. Position | Names | Remarks | | President | Aquino, Noynoy | · Prior to becoming a presidential candidate, he had no articulated position. · NOT a signatory to the Senate Committee Report on RH BUT mistakenly said that he was. Initially, was openly clashing against the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the issue. · Keen on providing RH information BUT at best, wary about providing budget for services · Recent pronouncements on RH are vague. | |
| Estrada, Joseph | · Pro-family planning but unclear on other important RH-related matters | |
| Gordon, Richard | · Known as pro-RH but has not CLEARLY articulated his detailed position on key RH matters such as: budget, family planning, RH education | |
| Perlas, Nicanor | · Articulated support for RH BUT no concrete position on critical RH matters. | |
| Teodoro, Gilbert | · Initially a strong RH supporter and openly clashed against the CBCP. Wife, Rep. Nikki Prieto among co-authors of RH Bill in this Congress. · Reported to have backed out from RH but recent pronouncements while softer and vaguer than before are still pro-RH. · Nikki Prieto HAS NOT officially withdrawn her RH co-authorship of the Bill. | | Vice-President | Legarda, Loren | · Senate RH Bill only moved significantly when she took over as Chair of Comm. On Health. She organized Sub-Comm on RH headed by RH author Sen. Biazon. She signed Comm. Report. · NO direct articulation of RH support. · Authored a dangerous bill – SB No. 2324 that provides MANDATORY PREGNANCY TESTING for women undergoing cosmetic procedure.. This Bill is deemed by women's groups as violative of women's right to privacy. | |
| Roxas, Mar | · Those who know him say he is pro-RH but so far, has not articulated any clear position. | |
| Yasay Perfecto | · His wife has been visible in a few RH-related affairs and has said that Yasay is also pro-RH. However, the candidate has yet to issue a position in public forums. | | For Senator | Acosta, Neric | · Has been consistently and strongly pro-RH through his 3 terms as Representative. · Principally authored RH Bills in House of Representatives (HOR) | |
| Biazon, Ruffy | · RH Bill co-author · Has been publicly vocal about his position. | |
| Cayetano, Pia | · Chaired the Senate Comm. On Health and was the first to make the RH Bill move by calling for Committee Hearings. · Has issued pro-RH statements in public forums and media. | |
| Estrada, Jinggoy | · Principally authored RH-related bill in Senate · Signed the Senate Comm. On Health RH Report | |
| Hontiveros, Risa | · RH Bill co-author · Has been visible in pro-RH activities & issued statements on her position. | |
| Marcos, Bongbong | · RH Bill co-author · Known to the RH advocates as pro-RH but is not known to have issued any public statement | |
| Maza, Liza | · RH Bill co-author · Has been visible in pro-RH activities & issued statements on her position | |
| Santiago, Miriam | · Principally authored RH-related bill in Senate · Signed the Comm. On Health Report · Issued strong pro-RH statements in media interviews · Responsible for the progressive framework provisions of the Senate version of the Magna Carta of women (MCW) | | For HOR |
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| | Ilocos Norte, 1st District | Ablan, Roque R. | Co-author | | Pangasinan, 2nd Disrict | Agbayani, Victor Aguedo | Co-author | | Isabela, 4th District | Aggabao, Giorgidi | Co-author | | Kalinga, Lone | Agyao, Manuel | -do- | | Isabela, 1st District | Albano, Rodolfo | -do- | | Camarines Sur, 4th District | Alfelor, Felix | -do- | | Negros Occidental, 6th District | Alvarez, Genaro | -do- | | Palawan, 1st District | Alvarez, Antonio | -do- | | Agusan del Norte, 2nd District | Amante, Edelmiro | -do- | | Aurora, Lone District | Angara, Juan Edgardo | RH Bill co-author but has not issued public statement on the issue. | | Agusan del Norte, 1st District | Aquino, Jose II | Co-author | | Sulu, 2nd District | Arbison, Munir | Co-author | | Pangasinan, 3rd District | Arenas, Ma. Rachel | -do- | | Cavite, 2nd District | Bargaza, Elpidio | -do- | | Lanao del Norte, 1st District | Belmonte, Vicente Jr. | -do- | | Makati,2nd District | Binay, Abigail | -do- | | Iloilo, 4th District | Biron, Ferjenel | -do- | | Masbate, 1st District | Bravo, Narciso Jr. | -do- | | Apayao, Lone | Bulut, Elias | -do- | | Davao del Sur, 1st District | Cagas, Marc Douglas | -do- | | Caloocan, 2nd District | Cajayon, Mary Mitzi | -do- | | Pangasinan, 1st District | Celeste, Arthur | -do- | | Zamboanga del Sur, 2nd District | Cerilles, Antonio | -do- | | Laguna, 2nd District | Chipeco, Justin Marc | -do- | | Ifugao, Lone District | Chungalao, Solomon | -do- | | Pangasinan, 5th District | Cojuangco, Mark | -do- | | Benguet, Lone | Dangwa, Samuel | -do- | | Maguindanao | Datumanong, Simeon | -do- | | Batanes, Lone | Diasnes, Carlo Oliver | -do- | | Zambales, 2nd District | Diaz, Antonio | -do- | | Sharif Kabunsuan, Lone | Dilangalen, Didagen | -do- | | Lanao del Norte, 2nd District | Dimaporo, Abdullah | -do- | | Baguio City | Domogan, Mauricio | Co-author and actively involved in the Bill's promotion. Has publicly articulated his position. | | Rizal, 1st District | Duavit, Michael John | Co-author and helped in the Bill's promotion in the HOR. | | Lanao del Sur, 1st District | Dumarpa, Faysah | Co-author | | La Union, 2nd District | Dumpit, Thomas | -do- | | Isabela, 3rd District | Dy, Faustino | -do- | | Dinagat Islands | Ecleo, Glenda | -do- | | Sorsogon, 1st District | Escudero, Salvador | Co-author and has been involved in defending the RH Bill on the HOR floor. Also active in authors' meetings. | | Pangasinan, 6th District | Estrella, Robert Raymund | Co-author | | Negros Occidental, 4th District | Ferrer, Jeffrey | -do- | | Surigao del Sur, 2nd District | Garay, Florencio | -do- | | Iloilo, 1st District | Garin, Janette | One of the main champions in the HOR and has been publicly promoting and defending the Bill. | | Valenzuela, 1st District | Gatchalian, Rexlon | Co-author | | Sultan Kudarat, 2nd District | Go, Arnulfo | -do- | | Iloilo City, Lone District | Gonzales, Raul | Co-author and actively participated in authors' meetings on the Bill. | | Mandaluyong, Lone District | Gonzales, Neptali | Co-author and went against Rep. Susano when she was objecting to discussion in the Plenary. | | Tawi-Tawi, Lone | Jaafar, Nur | Co-author | | Sulu, 1st District | Jikiri, Yusop | -do- | | Nueva Ecija, 1st District | Joson, Josephine | Former Chair of HOR's Committee on Women and championed several pro-women laws. Also played critical role for the RH Bill when she was in HOR. Again running for an HOR seat after resting for I term. | | Masbate, 2nd District | Kho, Antonio | Co-author | | Zamboanga del Norte, 2nd District | Labadlabad, Rosendo | -do- | | Negros Occidental, 3rd District | Lacson, Jose Carlos | Co-author and very visible in authors' and other strategizing meetings for RH. | | Davao del Norte, 2nd District | Lagdameo, Antonio Jr. | Co-author | |
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Galing sa Katoliko Oral Presentation : Spe Salvi sa Tagalog http://bit.ly/av28Ga
...Matututo tayo sa halimbawa ng Africanang Santo na si Josephine Bakhita, na isinilang noong 1869 sa Darfur, Sudan. Noong siya ay 9 na taon, siya ay nakidnap, binubugbog hanggang sa maging duguan at naibenta ng 5 beses sa Sudan. Siya ay nagtrabaho bilang alipin para sa ina at asawa ng heneral at araw-araw ay nalatigo siya hanggang siya ay magdugo na nag resulta ng 144 na marka sa katawan. Noong 1882, siya ay nabili ng Italiano mangangalakal para sa Italianong consul na si Callisto Legnani, na nagbalik sa Italya. Duon,matapos makilala ang mga malulupit na amo, nakilala ni St. Bakhita nakilala niya ang talagang kakaibang amo. Ginamit niya ang pangalang "paron" na galing sa salitang Venitia na kanyang natutunan sa lugar na iyon. Ang paron ay itinawag niya para sa buhay na Diyos, ang Diyos ni Hesus. Bago ang puntong iyon, ang mga nakilala niya lang na mga amo ay ang mga amo na namuhi at nagmaltrato sa kanya at tumuring lang sa kanya bilang magaling na alipin. Ngayon, nalaman niya ang tungkol sa paron na higit pa sa lahat ng mga amo, ang Panginoon ng mga panginoon, ang panginoon na iyon ay ang mabuti, ang kabutihan mismo, na lumikha sa kanya at nagmamahal sa kanya at siya ay minamahal din. Ang Panginoon na ito ay tumanggap din ng kapalaran na malatigo at nag-hihintay sa kanya sa kanang kamay ng Ama. Nagkaroon siya ng pag-asa at di lang nag-aantay ng amo na mas magiging mabait. "Tunay na ako ay minamahal at kung ano man ang mangyari, ako ay iniintay ng pagmamahal. Kaya mabuti ang buhay ko." Sa pamamagitan ng pag-asa na ito, siya ay naligtas at di na isang alipin pero sa isa ng anak ng Diyos at naintindihan niya ang sinabi ni San Pablo.
Kaya nang dadalin na dapat siya sa Sudan, umayaw si Bakhita dahil ayaw niyang mapahiwalay sa "Paron". Noong 9 January 1890, siya ay nabautismuhan, nangamunyon at nakumpilan ng Patriarko ng Venice. Noong 8 December 1896, sa Verona, siya ay pumasok sa Kongregasyon ng Canossian Sisters, at mula duon, bukod pa sa kanyang gawain na magtrabaho sa sacristy at sa kumbento, siya ay naglakbay sa Italya para sa kanyang misyon: ang pagpapalaya na kanyang nakamtam sa pagkilala niya sa Diyos ni Hesu-Kristo at ninais niyang maipaalam sa mga maraming tao
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
Bishop Tagle's Sunday Bible Study Notes
Manood ng Sunday Bible Study
http://bit.ly/ct9SPm
http://bit.ly/9JFuVT
http://bit.ly/9irsFl
http://bit.ly/b1DfOA
Ang mga pagbasa sa Linggong ito ay tungkol sa bokasyon ng mga misyonero.
Sa unang pagbasa, kinilala ng propeta na 'di siya karapat-dapat. Ngunit nang siya ay malinis at matapos magtanong ang Diyos kung sino ang ipapadala niya, nagpresenta siya at sinagot ang tawag ng Diyos.
Ganon din sa ika-2 pagbasa, inamin ni San Pablo na 'di siya karapat-dapat ngunit tinanggap niya ang kaniyang misyon kasabay ng pagtanggap ng grsya ng Diyos.
Sa Ebanghelyo, may pagkakahanay ang mga pangyayari sa mga naunang pagbasa Umamin din si San Pedro na di 'siya karapatdapat sa presensiya ni Hesus. Kasunod nito, tinawag ni Hesus si Pedro sa kaniyang bokasyon upang maging mamamalakaya ng mga tao
Ang pag-mimisyon ay gawa mula sa pagkukumbaba at pag-amin na ang gagawin ay higit pa sa natural nating kayang gawin. Kaya ang pagtugon dito ay kasama ng pagtitiwala sa tumawag at pagtalima sa Kanya
-- it is right to give Him thanks & praise!
Hello groupmates!
Pro-life: is it for everyone?
Does our religion go against science? A lot of times, we have refused to defend the Church's stand on different issues because of our lack of knowledge, background, and lack of depth in church doctrines. Often, we feel that the issues that the Church is fighting for is only spiritually based and that they can hardly be connected to what can be physically explained.
Last January 23, I'm sure that a lot of us encountered many challenges in explaining our pro-life stand. Many of us at least know what Church is fighting for but a lot of us only have a superficial knowledge about the many issues surrounding it , the reasons behind it and the natural law that confirm the teachings. We have been asked these questions: 1) Why shouldn't Catholic school offer the use of contraception as a last resort when challenged with the temptation of pre-marital sex? 2) Did the Church get it wrong in stopping people to offer contraception to young people to avoid unplanned pregnancy now that many people see it as its cause? 3) What is wrong with abortion and how can we explain it to others especially those who aren't Catholics?
So why should we oppose contraception as an option for family planning? Other people will say that it is good to teach it anyway even in Catholic Schools since it is lessens the chances for more complications, such as unplanned pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease. We Catholics know that it can spiritually kill our souls just like what pre-marital-sex can do, and to promote the use of it is, in reality, forgetting that man has a soul to take care of.
Spiritual and Natural
Abortion is a serious sin and so is using contraception. Why? Because these are acts that use our body in ways that is not intended by our Lord.
Let us revisit the reasons behind the Church's unchangeable teachings on these two matters. The Church has always taught that human life starts from human conception and that men should protect and respect life from man's conception until death and so to abort life conceived in a mother's womb is to end a human life. And so for those who set aside faith and failed to see that to be pro-life is to defend human life in all it's stages, we try to plant a seed in questioning themselves "When do they think Human Life begins?". To understand the Church's stand against contraception, we have to know the purpose of sexual relations between married couple. Sex is 1) an expression of Marital Love where couples fully give themselves to one another 2) by it, man participates in procreation. The church has always taught that the use of contraception such as condom is wrong. Sexual relations is a natural expression of married couple to fully give themselves to each other and man's expression to always be open to life. This is also why pre-marital sex contradicts the reality and expression it symbolizes because one cannot fully enter into the giving of oneself without firstly giving to each other the vow of total self-giving until the couple part by death. To sinfully use things that contradicts the natural act of total self giving is contrary to the plan of God. Even without touching on spiritual matters, on the natural level, we can realize that contraception is against the natural design of things which closes the act to life by artificially controlling when to have and not to have babies. It also discourages the practice of discipline between couples and will also make couples susceptible in treating each other as mere objects of pleasure.
Role of faith on reason
With our lack of theological knowledge concerning the issue, and by letting ourselves be carried away by the widespread belief that these stands can only be defended on spiritual grounds, we hesitate in explaining these truths to our non-Catholic brothers and sisters in fear that we may be imposing our Catholic beliefs on non-Catholics.
Is our faith against reason? Do we abandon reason by blindly following our faith. Or do we believe that reason and faith are disconnected which would justify our inaction to live our faith? The Church illluminates us (Fides et Ratio) that Faith guides and perfects reason, Faith also makes man search for reason. We as creatures have limited capacity to know the truth. To rely on reason alone, as Pope John Paul II echoed, is to deprive our search of direction and of meaning. We need God to point us to the right direction, to give us the truth that man cannot attain by natural reason itself. Faith doesn't abolish reason but elevates it and guides it. With this harmony of truth and reason, we learn that they don't contradict each other but complements each other.
Don't be afraid to proclaim the universal Truth!
By acknowledging the roles of Faith and Reason, it should gives us confidence that faith gives meaning and purpose to natural things. Our Faith can guide even those who haven't fully accepted the Supernatural Revelation because faith awakens the natural sense we have for truth which God has put in everyone of us. Even if man's current depth of knowledge about things cannot fully explain what Faith demands, we recognize that even the imperfect knowledge that human has attained blends with the truth that our faith points to, just as Humane Vitae has foretold the the serious consequences of contraception even before the evil effects manifested in our times.
May we continue to let God perfect and bring fulfillment our reasoning. May we continue to preach the universal truth to defend the unborn and sanctity of human life.
Your groupmate,
Eric
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
Fides et ratio
http://bit.ly/d77gJr
Marami ang 'di tumatanggap sa Ebanghelyo bilang pinanggagalingan ng katotohanan kaya mahirap itong makapagkumbinse sa katotohanan
Kailangan nating kilalanin ang ating sarili. Kailangan din nating kilalanin ang mga pinakamahahalagang katanungan. Ang mga tao ngayon ay walang kasagutan dito. Tanging ang simbahan lang kay Hesus ang may taglay ng mga sagot para dito.
Ang pananampalataya at rason ay di maaring paghiwalayin ng 'di nababawasan ang kapangyarihan upang kilalanin ang tao, ang kalikasan at ang Diyos
Ang pagsamba sa rason ay nagpabago sa rason at ginawang irisonable
Nasa Iglesiya ang katotohanan.
"Naniniwala ako upang maunawaan ko."
Wisdom infuses order
Ang kawalan ng paniniwala sa Panginoon ay pagsasabi ng kung gaano tayo kalayo sa katotohanan.
Nihilism - ang mahalaga at ang layunin ay ang mismong 'paghahanap' dahil sa kawalan ng pag-asa na matagpuan ang katotohanan.
Ang rason na hiwalay sa pananampalataya ay walang patutunguhan at layunin. Ang pananampalataya na wala sa rason ay bumababa lamang sa nararamdaman at karanasan.
Ang wisdom ay tumutulong sa pilosopiya na makamit ang layunin nito.
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
Panoorin ang Sunday Bible study ni Bishop Tagle
http://bit.ly/atZGy9
http://bit.ly/9gVo7J
http://bit.ly/aQCIYJ
http://bit.ly/bdeDQA
Unang pagbasa
Kilala na tayo ng Diyos bago pa man tayo mabuo sa sinapupunan ng ating mga ina
Direktang sinabi ng Diyos ang ating misyon na magiging tagabigay ng mensahe kahit na di ito magugustuhan ng mga taong makakatangap nito at kahit tayo ay kanilang itakwil. Sa kabila nito, sinabi ng Diyos na kasama natin Siya. Ang sandalan ng mga propeta ay ang pangako ng Diyos na 'di N'ya tayo iiwan at ipagtatanggol Niya tayo.
Ika-2 Pagbasa
Ang pagbibigay ng mensahe ng Diyos ay dapat na kasama ng pag-ibig.
Ang propesiya ay nagiging totoo lamang kung ito ay binibigay kasama ng pag-ibig.
Ebanghelyo
Ang katotohanan ay maaaring gamitin sa maling paraan upang magtakwil sa tao
Ang pag-ibig ay mamamalagi.
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
Transubstantiation and other neat Church terminologies
Hello groupmates!
I was listening to Fr Corapi this morning and he has said some points regarding the use of Catholic words such as 'transubstantiation', 'hypostatic union' , 'consubstantial' etc. He highlighted the importance of such terms. I, at times, have asked myself whether to use them in conversing about the Catholic Faith with other people for I believe that to add these into one's vocabularies is to build bridges that makes it easier for us to know and express our faith. The church, in her wisdom, has defined a perfect term to describe the reality of the Eucharist. There has been fear and even attempts to discourage to use the terminologies used by the church because of thoughts that other people won't understand them.
Did the Church coin these words to create confusion between believers? Fr Corapi pointed out that we have to have a common language that expresses theological and doctrinal realities. In a sense it is the undoing of what happened in Babel where there was disunity because of disintegration of the common language.
On the other hand, we also have to be wary of people changing how the Church defines the words such as use of the same words in a different sense or meaning. This usually happens between the Church and other different ecclesial communities. When discussing with non-Catholics, it is not uncommon to find that they sometimes use the same words with different meanings. In these dialogues, it would be helpful to define our terminologies and avoid to hastily assume that we have common understanding of them.
When speaking to other people who have just come to know the faith or are not very familiar with the terms, yes, we have to use these terms gradually so as not to confuse the people we're talking to. But to forget these terms and permanently avoid them would be a mistake for it is in these terms that the Church have indicated a progress in her understanding of the supernatural revelation and also in them are captured truths that colloquial wordings take pains to define. To familiarize ourselves with them primarily educates us of the articles of Faith contained within the word, also, it allows us to easily relate a body of truth to other truths as exemplified on frequent usage of the terms in Church documents that continually deepen our knowledge of Christ.
May the salvific reality of the Transubstantiation intensify our desire to draw people into the Catholic Church!
Your groupmate,
Eric
-- my heart rejoices in the Lord!
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