Seriously, Ladies?! (part 1)

I am a Virginia transplant. I have come to love my new home state.  Since I am originally from New Jersey I like to call myself a “Southern Yankee.”   (No, I do NOT say “Joisey” and NO NO NO I do not know anyone who even closely resembles Snookie – in looks or attitude).  I tell you this to explain two things: 1) why I am about to unload about the VA UltraSound Bill and the HHS mandate, and 2) why I am going to do it with a little bit of Jersey Snark.

Generally I try to keep these posts snark free and save the wittiness and Jersey ‘Tude for my Mommy Blog (5 and Counting…Musings of a Missionary Mommy) but truly I just can’t help myself.  The level of completely unabashed absurdity is reaching a fever pitch and I just CAN’T keep from saying something.

Here in Virginia a Law was passed that requires a woman seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound.  (A lot of hubbub was made over a supposed provision that would require an “invasive” transvaginal ultrasound.  However this was never actually in the proposed legislation and was simply a scare tactic used by those who wished to see the bill fail.   For the record though, how can a woman possibly decry how “invasive” and demeaning a transvaginal ultrasound is when she is asking to undergo an abortion – which is a heck of a lot more invasive – and demeaning!?  It boggles the mind!!)  Despite the best and most vitriolic efforts of those from the pro-abortion lobby, the Bill was passed into law.  It is ridiculous to me the amount of anger and “action” this new law has stirred up.

I kid you not – there is a CANDLELIGHT VIGIL at the VA State House in order to commemorate or mourn or [insert word that describes emotions equally as "devastating"]  the “rights of women that are being lost” because of the passage of this law.  I am not making this up.  How much more insane can this get!?  A  Candle Light Vigil.  To mourn an ultrasound!?  Honey last time I checked ultrasounds didn’t infringe on anyone’s rights.  It’s a simple and safe medical procedure.  Hmm… isn’t that what they like to say about that abortion you are wanting to get?   Furthermore, an ultrasound is supposed to already be used to make sure the abortion would be safe;  even in the case of RU-486 the “do it yourself abortion” drug!  In fact in the case of RU-486 NOT getting an ultrasound to confirm gestational age could result in some very serious complications for mom (well you would call her a client, but I like to call it how I see it.)

So let’s get this straight. There are women who have their uteruses (uteri?) all in a twist over a law that would actually make abortions safer.  Yet somehow this is taking away women’s rights?  Ladies, you can do better than this.  You are making us all look bad.

Yes, I know that the point of the bill is so that women will see who they are aborting (ahem, killing).  But this isn’t an infringement on their rights either!  Its called informed consent.  In the medical world in order to have a procedure done, the patient must give informed consent.  Informed Consent is a RIGHT that all “patients” have.  By NOT showing the women what is going on in their bodies a woman’s right to informed consent is being violated.  In the world of medical procedures and informed consent there is NO such things as “too much information.”  You can’t make an informed judgement without it! In the jargon of the abortion industry: there is a “thing” inside the woman’s body that she wants removed.  She DESERVES to see what that “thing” is, where “it” is, and what “it” looks like before “it” is sucked out or ripped to shreds – inside her.  She also deserves to know that “it” has a heartbeat.  This isn’t coercion.  It’s not manipulation, it’s not cruelty to women, its RIGHT and its proper to the rules of informed consent regarding her “procedure.”

So, ladies, what exactly are you “mourning” out there around the Richmond Capital Complex?  The loss of ignorance?  Oh no, wait, I’m sorry, you would prefer that women who want to have abortions remain ignorant of the entirety of the procedure. My mistake.  I thought for a moment you actually cared about REAL women’s rights issues.  Instead you are brainwashed and duped into towing an absurd party line that pretends to celebrate women all the while exploiting them, using them for political gain, and lying to them about their bodies.  As we used to say in Jersey, “My bad.”

(stay tuned for part 2 – Seriously Ladies!? The Double Take!)

It started with the Catholics

I figured it was about time that I add my two cents on this whole Obamacare/Healthcare/Mandate/Contraception discussion.   This could very well be a defining moment in America.  How we as Catholics handle this could determine much about our future.  Do you think I am being melodramatic?  I wish I were. 

First lets review just what is going on here.  This is from the USCCB website:

The HHS has issued a rule forcing nearly all private health plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drugs and devices, as well as surgical sterilization. These are listed among “preventive services for women” that all health plans will have to cover without co-pays or other cost-sharing — regardless of whether the insurer, the employer or other plan sponsor, or even the woman herself objects to such coverage.

The exemption provided for “religious employers” is so narrow that it fails to cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations, including Catholic hospitals, universities, and service organizations that help millions every year. Ironically, not even Jesus & his disciples would have qualified.

For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym “HHS”, it stands for Health and Human Services, a department of the government that describes itself thusly:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.  (for more go to www.hhs.gov)

This department is headed by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and is the principle agency charged with carrying out the implementation of “Obamacare” (along with the IRS).  So under this brave new rule of law called Obamacare, when HHS says that something is a “mandate” it is considered law.  Yes, folks, when we warned that Obamacare would change the very scope of government and how laws are made we weren’t exaggerating.  Now, what does that have to do with contraception and the Catholic Church?

On January 20, 2012, Secretary Sebelius finalized the mandate on “preventative care” that is to be included in the current “Obamacare law.”  Why just now you ask?  Because when the fight for Obamacare was being waged back in ’09 the opposition from the Bishops and Catholics was so severe that the administration “punted” this particular mandate and kicked it down the road.   You see they feared for the bill’s passage and in effect saw that if they went for this at the time, Obamacare would have never passed.  So they figured they could wait until 2012 when no one would be looking and get the contraceptive mandate included at THAT time.  Well, folks, it IS that time.  And your religious freedom is at stake.

This mandate is a thinly veiled attempt to prevent Churches from exercising their rights – namely their right to Freedom of Religion.  Disguised as a “women’s health issue” this has less to do with women’s health and much more to do with the Government flexing its muscle and seeing what it can get away with.   As a woman I find it nauseating that I am being used as a pawn in this disgusting power grab.  Hearing things like “The Church is once again hurting women” makes my blood boil.  Hearing the President of NARAL make ridiculous statements about the Church and what her “interests” are make me stark raving mad.

Lets get one thing straight.  The Church IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN a defender and protector of women.  She has ALWAYS stood up for women and for their dignity.  And she is doing so now.  How sad that women like Nancy Keenan (President of NARAL Pro-Choice America) claim to be sticking up for women while what they are really doing is espousing a very flawed belief that birth control is “liberating” and abortion is a right.  But I digress.  (If you’d like to hear me spout off more on this topic I suggest A PERSONal Choice , Birth Control Breast Cancer and the Exploitation of Women )

What is happening before our eyes is nothing less than the Obama Administration attempted to prevent the Catholic Church from practicing its Faith.  This is UNPRECEDENTED since the time of King George!!  This is HUGE! This is downright scary!  Whats worse is that if we do not stand up and fight this RIGHT NOW, more of these types of assaults on Religious Freedom are going to happen.  Its starting with the Catholics.

It is absolutely imperative that you and I NOT remain silent.  We must join with the Bishops who have been brave enough to speak out; Bishops like Cardinal-Designate Dolan, President of the United Catholic Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Broglio, Bishop of the Archdiocese for Military Services, and Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh (http://bit.ly/yuT7WF).   In fact to date there are about 120 Bishops who have spoken out against this assault on the Church and on freedom.  I will publish the whole list at the bottom of this post.  We must encourage these Shepherds as they do what many before them have feared to do – speak out directly against the Government.  We must let these defenders of Faith know that we stand with them and that we WANT them to stand firm for the Truth and for Freedom.  In every age it has been the CHURCH who has defended peoples from injustice and tyranny.  This is part of her legacy.  It is part of the mission of the Church Militant.  And it is time for Her to fulfill this Mission in America.  Yes, even in America.  Bishop Zubik said it so well when he stated:

“Let’s be blunt, this whole process of mandating  these guidelines undermines the democratic process itself. In this  instance, the mandate declares pregnancy a disease, forces a culture of  contraception and abortion on society, all while completely bypassing  the legislative process.

“This is government by fiat that attacks the rights of everyone–not  only Catholics; not only people of all religion,” said the bishop. “At  no other time in memory or history has there been such a governmental  intrusion on freedom not only with regard to religion, but even  across-the-board with all citizens.”

He is absolutely right.  So what are we to do?  How do we stand up for our Faith?  How do we literally fight against the Government?  This is certainly a daunting prospect since we live in a nation where we are supposed to have Religious Freedom.  Nevertheless it is the reality we face, and our complacency could spell the demise of the rest of our freedoms.  We must not be silent.  We must heed the words of Bishop Conley,

“If plans go unchanged, the Catholic Church, acting through our  Catholic institutions, will no longer have legal protection for the free  exercise of religion,” he said in a column posted on the diocesan website. “Secretary Sebelius is wrong; this is  not a year to ‘adapt.’ The Catholic Church will not adapt by violating  fundamental elements of our faith. Instead of adapting, this is a year  to unify, and to fight injustice and flagrant disregard for the  institutional protection of our religious practice.

“The recent decision by HHS should make clear for all Catholics that  under the proposed health care plan, the freedom to practice our  religious faith is in jeopardy.”

We must listen to Archbishop Gomez’s call to action:

“But the issues here go far beyond contraception and far beyond  the liberties of the Catholic Church,” said Archbishop Gomez. “They go  to the heart of our national identity and our historic understanding of  our democratic form of government.”

“But this is clear: Now is a time for Catholic action and for  Catholic voices,” said Archbishop Gomez. “We need lay leaders to step up  to their responsibilities for the Church’s mission. Not only to defend  our faith and our rights as Catholics, but to be leaders for moral and  civic renewal, leaders in helping to shape the values and moral  foundations of America’s future.”

It is time for us to not be silent.  To not simply wait and see what others do.  It is time to defend our Faith, and stand up for our right to practice it.  In the words of John Paul II, “Be Not Afraid!”  We are speaking the Truth and we are standing up for the Truth, for Truth and Freedom go hand in hand.  We mustn’t be complacent, we must be strong and courageous.  “For if Christ is for us, who could be against us?”

Now is the time, my friends.  For if we do not do something now, today, in a generation from now, when our grandchildren ask us, “When did America stop being free?”  we will be forced to answer, “Well, it started with the Catholics.”

Culture and History, a Key to Healing Our Nation

Wow! Its been quite a while since I’ve managed to post here.  For my loyal readers, I apologize.  I’ve been on quite a ride!  Some of you may know that until Saturday, December 3, 2011, I was working for Herman Cain in his bid for the Presidency.  What a fun and eye-opening experience that was!  I was honored to be his State Director for Virginia, and to help with the organization of the grassroots activists.  I know his decision to leave the race was ALL about protecting his family and marriage, and I admire him even more for making the  difficult decision he did.  May God Bless him and his family!

But that’s not what I want to write about.  Well, not really.

You see I became involved with Mr. Cain’s campaign because I decided that something needed to happen in this country of ours to put us back on the right track.  The words of Blessed John Paul II kept turning over in my mind, “True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and social and political involvement.”  I was beginning to get scared for my children and their future and I knew I had DO something -  just as the late Pope suggested.  By the Grace of God I ended up supporting Mr. Cain and eventually working for him.  While being on the National Stage and riding freight elevators with the potential next President of the United States and his Staff is heady stuff, and it has the potential to make one’s ego inflate, I was not in it for me.  I was doing this for my kids,  for my country, and because I believe God led me to it.

Now here I am, newly unemployed, and yet at peace, because I am still pursuing the same goal: Renewing the Culture; putting God BACK into the culture of America, where He belongs, and reclaiming our land and its people for Christ.  My mission has not changed, God has just seen fit to change my landscape and mission field a bit.

So where do we go from here?  Well, for one thing, I will hopefully by able to post more often and share with you my thoughts on how we as women accomplish this incredible task of renewal, re-evangelization, and reclamation.  I am also planning on developing Daughters of the Heavenly King further and am hoping to launch some groups “on the ground” sometime in the coming year.   I hope you will join me in that endeavor!

For the immediate moment, though, this moment that you and I are sharing together, I want to talk about how crucial culture and history are to the renewal and reclamation of America.

I have been reading George Weigel’s Biography on Pope John Paul II, A Witness to Hope.  As I read through the different areas and aspects of the Late Pontiff’s life I have been repeatedly struck by the importance John Paul II placed on the Culture of a Nation.  Not just Pop-Culture, but the historical, deep-rooted culture that defines a Nation as it ages.  A culture that becomes richer because it recognizes from where it came.  It was through a cultural renewal that Poland defeated the Soviet Iron grip.  It was through a cultural renewal – a renewal based on the Truth that Christ is at the center of every culture, because culture is for man, and Christ is THE MAN and is living in each of us – that the Soviet Satellites were able to throw off the yoke of tyranny.  A culture that embraces Christ is a culture that MUST embrace Freedom and Truth, for Christ IS Truth, and one must have the Freedom to acknowledge that Truth.

America is in danger of LOSING her cultural identity.  THIS is the greatest threat to our Nation.  Not the economy, not the War on Terror, not the overspending, the  elitism or the “establishment politics.”  The greatest threat to America is the cultural decline that she is experiencing because everything else is a “symptom” of it.  A Nation with a strong cultural identity is a Nation with citizens who are secure in their ability to work hard and prosper.  A country with strong ties to its history and cultural past is a country that will fight to preserve those ties and to protect its culture and citizens from those who would destroy that way of life.  A Nation that recognizes Christ as the center of society, and in doing so, recognizes that man is not created for society, but that society exists for man, will have policies and laws that reflect the dignity of life, the dignity of persons, and will protect the just due of those persons.   You see, it all comes back to culture and history - rooted in Christ.

Our task is to advance our society towards Jesus.  What a great thing to focus on during Advent!  Just as the Magi kept pressing on until they found Christ, so too must we keep pressing forward, bringing our Nation back along the path of a Christo-centric Culture. Just as St. John the Baptist cried out in the desert so too must we cry out in the cultural desert, “Make straight a highway for God!”  We must be the ones who restore and renew our culture.  We do this, as Pope John Paul II suggested , in everyday life.  Living the Gospel.  Speaking the Truth.  Not being afraid to witness to that Truth.  THAT is how we start.  The time is now.  We cannot afford to wait or to hope someone else will do the work for us.  God has called each of us to this time and place so that we may Proclaim Him and His Truth.  It is through Him and His Truth that we will be free.  It is through Christ that we will reclaim our culture.

Let us not be complacent!  Let us “Open wide the doors to Christ” in our homes, our schools and our offices!  Lets us welcome Him into the realms of politics and enertainment.   Lets us “Put out into the Deep, and open our nets for a catch” as we proclaim the Truth of our history and our culture!

May God Bless your beautiful feminine hearts.  Its good to be back!!

A Bold Proposal – A President and Pope

Islamo-Fascism: The NEW Iron Curtain

**Disclaimer: For the purposes of this blog post “Islamo-facism” refers to Islamic extremism – which is practiced by Muslims who believe in and support violent ”jihad” against non-muslims, and Shariah law and its supremacy – even to the laws of other nations. It does NOT refer to those Muslims who believe theirs is a religion of peace and practice it as such.**

I want to propose something that may seem a little bold, maybe a little crazy, and I welcome your comments.

Twenty-something years ago Pope John Paul II worked to bring a peaceful end to Communism in Europe and throughout the world. Simultaneously, President Ronald Reagan worked to the same end. While there was no USA-Vatican conspiracy to bring down the Iron Curtain, there WAS, according to Papal Biographer George Weigel, a mutual understanding and respect, and a willingness to support each other’s efforts between John Paul II and Reagan. Both men understood that their cooperation and faith-based efforts on the world stage would eventually accomplish what many thought was impossible: The virtual end of Communisms’ reach and stronghold in the Eastern Bloc of Europe, and in many other nations. Sure, communism in some form still limps lamely along in the world – most notably in small nations like Cuba and in some South American countries, but the width and breadth of Communism’s grip is no where even close to what it was before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and lifting of the Iron Curtain. Even in countries where communism still exists it is not the same “brand” of totalitarian control that it was back when the Soviet Socialist Republic was in power, and its days are numbered as it is slowly being eroded and replaced by freedom.

I think it is safe to say (and many historians would agree – both secular and Catholic) that the Communist threat, that Communism’s “religion” of the State, was effectively brought to its knees and ended by the mutual respect, understanding, and sometimes cooperation of a Pope and a President.

Let us look now at today. While communism was the threat of the later 20th Century, it is Islamic Extremism that is the threat of 21st. Theocrats who wish to convert or exterminate all but those who profess Allah as he is described in the Koran are determined to take the world by violent force – and are driven by their belief that this is their “divine calling.” These individuals believe that their own form of law must replace the civil laws of society. Laws that require honor killings, beheadings, and burqas. To think that we are immune to this theocratic madness is naive and dangerous. Already we have seen here in the US an effort to bring Shariah Law into our land. Already we have been attacked on our own soil for being “infidels” (non-believers). My friends, this is the global threat of our time.

Why do I bring this up here? Because throughout history it has been the Catholic Church who has stood for freedom and Truth. In the face of persecution, heresy, globalism, communism, fascism, and now, Islamic Extremism. The Church has unabashedly professed that true Freedom is only available if the person is able to choose it. Freedom, John Paul II reminded us, isn’t freedom if one’s dignity is not respected. Freedom means having the ability to worship God as He would have us worship Him. Islamic extremism, Shariah law, are the antithesis of freedom. This brand of Islam does not respect the dignity of its own followers. Women are treated as objects whose only mission is to bear more Muslim boys, and who are at fault for the sins of men. Burqas and headscarves are not worn out of respect. They are imposed on women because women’s bodies are seen as vile and sinful. The Catholic Church has a very different message for women: The Truth of their God-given dignity as persons created in His image!

Shariah Law is directly opposed to our Faith by the very fact that it excludes all other faiths but itself – and requires those who do not profess Islam to be killed. This is a fundamental heresy – the Gospel of Christ is about proclaiming the Truth and about Christ’s Redemption – and about the free will of people to choose or reject the Truth.  This Truth is available and should be proclaimed to all. Shariah Law is in direct opposition to the Gospel of Christ!

Much like its twisted cousin, Communism, Islamic Extremism is the enemy of Freedom and dignity. Islamo-fascism is the newest form of totalitarianism to rear its head on the world stage.

Consider this excerpt from Witness to Hope, the biography of John Paul II:
” To carry out its primary task, the Church asked the world for the freedom in which to make its evangelical proposal, and the Church asked that the world consider the possibility of its redemption. That was all the Church asked, but the very asking had public implications, for only a certain kind of state could grant what the Church asked. The Church’s basic evangelical mission made the Church anti-totalitarian, because the things the Church asked of the world set boundaries on the reach and pretensions of Government.
The Church that evangelizes is always a public Church, for evangelization is always a public proposal and both the making of the proposal and its content have public consequences. Yet the Church engages the world not as another contestant for power, but as a witness to the truth about the human person, human community, human history, and human destiny…This was the kind of “public Church” envisioned by the Second Vatican Council,…and the kind of public Church John Paul II …intended to foster.
John paul II’s evangelically focused view of history and politics helps get into focus his relationship with another salient actor on the world stage in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States,
The Pope and the president held certain common convictions. They both believed that communism was a moral evil, not simply wrongheaded economics. They were both confident of the capacity of free people to meet the communist challenge. Both were convinced that, in the contest with communism, victory, not mere accommodation, was possible. Both had a sense of the drama of late twentieth-century history, and both were confident that the spoken word of truth could cut through the static of communism’s lies and rouse people from their acquiescence to servitude.“

I bring all this up because I want to propose that we may be on the cusp of another great alliance of Pope and President. Another instance where the Truth universally proclaimed by Christ’s Church on earth – the Church militant – is also supported by a wise and faithful President yet to be elected. This time though, it would be to fight the creeping influence of Islamic-Extremism and the totalitarianism of Extremist Regimes by a bold proclamation of the Truth.

It is no secret how Herman Cain feels about Islamic Extremists and Shariah law. It should also not be a shock that Pope Benedict the XVI has had some very pointed things to say about certain factions of Islam, and that he refuses to categorize it as a “religion of peace.” When asked by a reporter if he would describe it as such, he replied, “”I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels,” he replied. “It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: We must always seek the best elements.” (13 Sept 2006).

Could it be that once again, in the drama of Divine Providence, that the stage is being set for Christ’s Church on earth, and the “shining City on a Hill” to confront the evil of our time?  Could it be that this upcoming election is much more than “just another election cycle?”  Maybe I sound crazy, but I think that it is.

God never imposes His Divine Will on His people – individually or collectively.  It truly is up to US to Trust His Will and follow where He leads.  I am confident in Mr Cain’s sincerity when he says he made the decision to run for President on his knees.  I am also confident that he has the absolute best chance at succeeding.  Above all, I KNOW he will not succeed without the support and the prayers of people like you and me.

At this juncture in history – with so much at stake - I am not willing to sit idly by and watch our country slowly erode away. Not from the threat of a moral decline, an economic decline, or a decline in National Security and Vigilance.  I ask  you to join me in praying for our nation and if you so choose, in praying for Mr Herman Cain as well.

I do not know what the future holds, but with a President Herman Cain in the White House, I am confident in the possibilities, and if that day does indeed come, I am also confident that a friendship between a Pope and President would once again be an anecdote for our world.

An Endorsement – for What Its Worth

For those of you who know me, this will come as little surprise to you.  For those of you who are faithful readers, this shouldn’t be a big shock.  I am prepared to announce that Daughters of the Heavenly King endorses Herman Cain for President of the United States, and the GOP Nomination. 

My children and I were able to speak with and take this picture with Mr Herman Cain in Washington DC at the end of July.

In the past I have refrained from supporting one candidate over another, and from commenting on anything political that would require a endorsement or the like.  I have come to the decision, after much prayer, and after learning as much as I could about the candidates, their platforms, positions, and morals, that Herman Cain is the best Candidate for a Catholic to support.  Many of you may be wondering why I do not say the same of Mr. Santorum, who is himself a Catholic.  I am sure he is a fine man, and I LOVE his stories about his daughter Bella.  The fact is that he does not have a chance at winning the nomination.  He may be a moral bulwark, (although I am not convinced, as he has supported some pro-choice candidates in the past), but he is not a leader.  Our nation needs a leader who is also a moral stalwart.  That person is Mr. Herman Cain.

His platform is solid and does not contradict any Catholic Social or Individual Teaching that I can find (and I’ve been doing a lot of research!).  He is a man of Faith who has very prayerfully considered his run for the White House.  I admire his Faith and Humility.  I admire his leadership, and his Common Sense approach to Problem Solving that has proven to work.  I believe he can and will bring our country both back to God and back to greatness.

I invite you to learn more about this man, Herman Cain.  You can find more at his website http://hermancain.com and you can learn a little more about why he is a good choice for a Conscientious Catholic Voter at http://catholics4cain.forumstopic.com .   I know politics can be divisive and it is not my goal here to begin a tedious or long political debate.  I welcome differing opinions, but I do urge you to learn more about his man, because I have complete confidence that the more you learn about him, the more you listen to him, the more you will become convinced that he is the “last best hope for America.”

As always, may God Bless your beautiful feminine hearts,

Laura Ricketts

Corpus Christi

 

 

Sweet Jesus, humbly with us in the guise of Bread and Wine, Pray for us!

Thank you for the Incredible Gift of Your Eucharistic Body and Blood!

Thank You

Thank you for your patience! Its been a while since I last posted, and I can’t WAIT to write another bog entry! (I’m actually working on one now!)

My young son broke his leg 4 weeks ago and it really threw me off!!  Even though it was terrible for him, we have had an incredible blessing! I will share with you what I wrote to some of my family and friends -such a wonderful story!  Then we shall resume a better and more frequent posting schedule, starting next week with “Cultural Revolution” – so stay tuned!

This is what I wrote 2 weeks ago to my some of my friends and family:

Noah had his 2 week check up for his leg today.  The doctor was somewhat flabbergasted when she looked at today’s Xrays and saw that the 2 breaks are completely healed.  “I’ve never seen this type of  break heal so quickly – even in a small child,” she said, “I don’t know what to do!”  and she stared at the XRays some more.  I, however, was not as surprised, simply because when Noah broke his leg (he had a good crack in his tibia and a spidery fracture and some bowing in his fibula)  I began praying to Bl John Paul II to heal it quickly.  I had a prayer card that was blessed by him when I saw him in Rome in 2000.  I placed it over his break inside his cast at night.  Today I was practically giddy as we waited for the XRay results because I  knew it would be good news!  Since the Doc was so confused as to what she should do and all I could do was laugh as Noah swung his “broken” leg around she decided to take off his big cast and look at it.  When she came in the room after it was removed she started examining the wrong leg saying, “Hmm there is some bruising.”  When I pointed out that she was examining the wrong leg and that the bruising was an ink smudge and an old black and blue mark, she took a look at the “broken” leg and said, “Oh my, it looks perfectly fine!”  She asked him if it hurt to which he responded by kicking it, laughing, and trying to jump on it. Ultimately she decided to put him in a short leg cast “because that’s what I would normally do, and I’ve never encountered this situation before.”  She admitted though that the short leg cast doesn’t even cover the part that was broken (!) and that its really for “insurance and malpractice purposes” more than anything else, “because his leg looks completely healed even though it shouldn’t.” 

I never gave him homeopathy to promote bone growth because I couldn’t find it, and was confident that Bl. Papa JP2 would fix him.  He never had or needed pain relievers after the day the break occurred.  I gave him Arnica for the first 2 days (before his big cast was put on) to reduce swelling, and that was it.  I am completely convinced that through the intercession of Papa John Paul II, Noah’s leg is perfectly fine, and he has to deal with the short cast purely as a formality and to appease a very confused doctor. 

Another interesting thing is that the whole time we were at the Orthopedist Noah kept asking to go to Church!  He told all the nurses he was going to church and kept asking me to go.  He NEVER asks to go to church. Ever.  I promised him we’d go when we were done.  When we left the Orthopedist we went to our Church and into the Adoration Chapel.  Noah was very quiet and content (also rare).  He blessed himself with Holy Water, blew Jesus a kiss and I asked him if we should say thank you.  He nodded so we said, I love you Jesus, thank you John Paul ‘second’.  Then he blew Jesus another kiss, and looked at me whispering , “OK, go home now.”  I smiled at him and that’s just what we did!  Perhaps his little heart understands…I’d like to think so.

Thank you, Bl. John Paul II!!! We Love you!

Osama Bin Laden vs. John Paul II – Confessions of a Conflicted Catholic

May 1, 2011. What a day!   The day began in the west with the news that Pope John Paul II had been beatified.  Admittedly, as a student, “disciple,” and admirerer of John Paul II, I was giddy with exciteent for most of the weekend.  That his beatification occurred on Divine Mercy Sunday – a Feast he, himself, instituted, was a poignant commentary on his papacy.  With all the thoughts of Mercy and Popes, what a contrast it was to hear the news of Osama Bin Laden’s demise.   I expected myself to be relieved, or happy, or satisfied, or something.   Afterall, I am the wife of  a Marine, the sister of a Marine, and the cousin of a new Army Soldier!  I wasn’t able to evoke an emotional reaction, however, other than anger.  Anger?  Why anger?  To me, I felt as if my patriotism demanded of me a reaction worthy of the Memory of those lost on 9/11.   I had f riends in the towers when they were hit! Instead all I could think about was John Paul II.  It was his day of beatification – the Feast of Divine Mercy.  I wanted to steep myself in Heavenly, mystical things, ponder the extraordinary life of the Late Holy Father, and enjoy seeing Catholicism get a good Headline for a news cycle or two.  Instead I felt as though the Day of Divine Mercy was hijacked, John Paul II’s celebration (at least in my mind) was hijacked, my peace of mind was once again compromised by Osama Bin Laden.  (Of course then the irony of using the analogy of a hijacking made me uncomfortable.)   What to do?  Why this anger?   Why wasn’t I able to satisfy my Patriotic desire to feel as though Justice had been served?  What was wrong with me?!

I went to bed feeling perturbed.  I read some more of George Weigel’s biography of John Paul II, Witness to Hope, and fell asleep.   I woke up this morning feeling a little better.  I was even able to make some “72 Virgins” jokes on Facebook (and then felt slightly guilty about them).  Still, I couldnt shake this nagging perturbation.  Why can’t I just be like every other American and be happy about this!?  Afterall, I am glad that he wont be able to spread his ilk anymore.  I am proud of our miltary for a job very well done, and a mission accomplished without any loss of American life.  I was satisfied to learn that Bin Laden was given a chance to surrender, and that his body was buried with respect – complete with the reading of scripture in Arabic.  So what was wrong?  Then it hit me; an image of John Paul II sitting forehead to forehead with Mehmet Ali Agca – the man who tried to kill him.  John Paul II met with him two years after the attempted assassinaion that sent the Pontiff to the hospital in critical condition.  He met with Agca to forgive him.  After that it was a rapid fire slideshow of events from John Paul’s life that flashed through my mind.  The young Karol Wojtyla performing in an outlawed, clandestine cultural Theatrical group,  coming face to face daily with the reality of living in a land occupied by the Nazis, becoming an underground seminarian, going head to head with the Soviets by saying Mass in the field of Nowa Huta, preaching Solidarity in Poland as a newly elected Pope, standing in public squares of various communist-oppresssed countries, confronting their governments by boldly proclaiming that the Church is the protector of true freedom, fearlessly declaring that freedom comes from a true understanding of the God Given Dignity of each and every human person, and that humans find freedom by making themselves a gift to others.

Why was I having a hard time coming to grips with  what I felt my patrotism demanded of me?  Because John Paul II taught me that my Catholicism, my Faith, demands more.  John Paul II taught us that culture – that ideas, that the proclamation of the Truth of Human Freedom, found in Christ, does more to topple evil empires, and negate the influence of men with evil designs than a constant barrage of bullets can.  He proved this in Poland, he proved it again with the partnership of Ronald Regan, in the toppling of  the Berlin Wall, and the peaceful end of Soviet Russia’s dominance.  He brought Catholicism out of the shadows in Communist Cuba, and empowered Catholics in African Nations.  He has shown us that there is indeed a recipe for peace, and a way to proclaim Freedom without the use of force.  Having grown up under the Nazis and behind the iron curtain it is remarkable in a way that he was not one to preach retaliation or violent vindication.  He saw firsthand what unbridled, unchecked violence can do.

Now, let me take a break here and say that I am not an anti-war pacifist.  I am a proud military wife who misses being “active duty” every so often.  I believe that because we live in a post-Eden world, where evil acts and evil men are a reality, that a military – a good, strong, moral military is imperative.  The Church herself is not a strict pacifist either – in fact the Catechism says that being a member of the armed forces is one of the highest callings of the laity!  The Holy Catholic Church also has a “recipe” for determining if a war should be waged.  This “Just War Doctrine” is a guideline, a basis for helping us to decide whether violent force is truly necessary and good.  Recently, the War in Afghanistan was said to be one such war.  So the Church, in Her Wisdom, understands that sometimes “bad men” with evil intentions will only stop if they are stopped by someone stronger than they are.  I certainly don’t dispute that.  But its not the only answer.  This is what John Paul II taught us.  He showed us that even while a war is being waged militarily, another type of war must be waged as well – one of culture and ideas.  Truth and Freedom.

So why did Osama Bin Laden’s death make me so melancholy?  Because it brought forward that which I think is missing in this “War on Terror.”  Mercy.  The proclamation of Truth, and forgiveness. I know he was given a chance to surrender, and that he was shot in the midst of a firefight.  But it still makes me a little sad.  Osama Bin Laden died denying the Truth.  He died ignorant of the true worth of all human beings.   He died much the same way many of his victims did.  Some would call this justice.  I call it sad.  For he died in ignorance, clouded by evil.  How much better, how much more dramatic would it have been if he had grasped the Truth?  If he had repented and sought forgiveness?  He will never have that chance, and now it is God alone who knows his true and Eternal fate.  Yes, I admit to feeling a little satisfied – a little relieved, but I am also a little sad.   So I feel this sadness begs a question – what can we do better?  What can we, as a Catholic Church, do to help fight this War on Terror?

Well, first and foremost we must pray.  Too often we underestimate the enormous power of prayer.  Sure, its not as splashy as “shock and awe” but prayer most certainly is the most powerful weapon against Evil.  Secondly, we must fearlessly proclaim the Truth.  Especially to those living under the tight fist of extremist Islam.  Yes, I said it, we must evangelize the Muslim world.  It has long amazed me that “women’s rights” groups who are otherwise vocal (and sometimes obnoxiously so) here in the U.S. are virtually silent when it comes to the treatment of women in much of the Arab World.  The Catholic Church has always upheld the dignity of women.  Its time that the women underneath their burkas and full-black robes heard the message.  Most Islamo-extremist dicatorships are just like their evil cousins – communist and fascist dictatorships.  Those in power oppressing their people and ruling with fear and violence.  If  building a culture of life and Truth can topple communist dictatorships, as it did in Poland, surely it could do it in a place like Iran.   This is where the Church shines.  Proclaiming the Truth has been Her forté since Christ “gave Peter the keys.”  I know its dangerous – already numerous Christians have paid with their lives the price of proclaiming the Gospel.   Yet, as a people of Truth, the Church Militant, we musn’t rest until we have proclaimed that Truth to every people – especially those who are oppressed and abused.  I invite you to join me in praying for God to send courageous missionaries to the Middle East, men and women willing to risk all to begin a cultural revolution based on Christ’s Truth.  In the meantime, we pray also for our troops – charged with the duty of protecting us and waging a war that some evil men understand as their only language.

So, where does this leave me as far as Osama Bin Laden?  I’m still a little miffed that he hijacked the news cycle from the Beatification of John Paul II, but at the same time, it was this that caught me well enough off guard to force me to examine my Faith, despite my Patriotitsm.  As a Catholic in America, this is an examination that must regularily take place.    So I suppose in a way I am thankful.  I am thankful for the opportunity to confront my conflict between being patriotic and faithful, and to put some of what I have learned from Blessed John Paul II into practice.  He was, afterall, a fiercely pariotic Pole, and an explemplary Faith-filled Catholic who lived through  the greatest war of his time.  So I suppose there’s hope for me!

Holy Week; an Anecdote from My Life

This is a repost from my other blog, 5 and Counting…Musings of a Missionary Mommy  .  Sometimes Holy Week takes us by surprise and we feel like we miss it as it whizzes by and whisks us to Easter Sunday.  Sometimes life just gets in the way and we don’t get to truly take a breath and contemplate the Paschal Mystery before its already played out in the Easter Triduum.  This little anecdotal post is my experience of Holy Week; Mommy Style: 

“He’s dead.”

“Wait, here comes Jesus!”

“Get alive again!” (in a deep ‘Jesus Voice’)

“He’s alive, He is ‘risened’ from the dead!”

 This may sound like a reenactment of Jesus raising Lazarus, or maybe the Easter Story.  But its not.  It is my children playing with their dinosaurs and Thomas trains.  And a Jesus doll.  Or maybe its a GI Joe in Barbie’s nightgown….

This is the beginning of Holy Week.  Random toys being “Raised from the dead” is a pretty good  indication that Easter will soon be upon us.

 There was a time in my life when Holy Week was spent in quiet solitude.  Intense meditation.  Contemplative sadness and melancholy.  I would spend Holy Thursday reading all the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper, watch Jesus of Nazareth, and silently mediate on the Eucharist and Christ’s sacrificial suffering – knowing what was to come.  Then on Good Friday I would spend the hours of noon to 3 completely silent.  I would walk the Stations of the Cross at Church.  At Franciscan University I loved their woodsy Station Walk on the hill.  I would read all the Gospels again – this time the Passion of Christ.  Next would be the Revelations of St. Bridget.  I concentrated on Christ’s account of His Passion and Death.  The  day would continue in quiet melancholy.  Saturday would be much the same, until the evening when the Vigil Mass began.  Seeing the candles lighting the darkened Church, and then the Beautiful moment when the Lights come on – He is Risen!  Alleluia!

 I sigh wistfully at the memories.  I am sure someday I will once again have the luxury of immersing myself completely in Holy Week.  I hope so.  For now, though, my “Easter Experience” is far different.  This is because I am raising small children.  Holy Week has taken on a whole new dimension of “sacrificial suffering.”  While I would love to mope and meditate, completely lose myself in the awesome Scandal of the Cross, I can’t.  Not when there are diapers to change, children to school, Band-Aids to be put on with a kiss, meals to cook, lessons to drive to, and young hearts to train up in Holiness.  So more often than not, its a prayer and a wistful look at my bookshelf full of great texts by Holy men and women.  A sidelong glance at my prayer corner, and back to reality as the little one tries to crawl all the way into the Wood Stove (again), dumping a box of cereal all over the floor on his way.

 At first I was tempted to get frustrated.  After all, this is Holy Week, don’t I deserve the “time off” to do the things I like to during this unique week in the Liturgical Year?  Then that thought came back and smacked me in the face.  How selfish of me!  Of course this is Holy Week, and yes there are things that would be meaningful to me, but some of them are not practical with small ones underfoot.  THIS, right now is my path to Holiness.  How can I best unite myself to Christ’s Passion this week?  By embracing the crosses of Motherhood.  By putting aside what I want to be doing, and instead taking the opportunity to teach my children why we call this week “Holy.”  There will be times for prayer, and contemplation.  They may not be when I would choose, but I can recognize an opportunity and take it.  I may not have the luxury of planning out my own personal Holy Week schedule, but I will have the chance to enter into the great Mystery – the Holy Scandal of Christ’s suffering, death, and Resurrection.  It may be while I am vacuuming up spilled cheerios, or mopping up a gallon of dumped water, but I can take this quiet time to prayerfully “multitask.”

 I can accept the added humility of having my littlest one melt down at the Penance Service in front of all the praying people, only to have him accompany me  - clutching my neck lest I put him down – into the confessional and repeat everything I say – loudly.  I can suffer through another viewing of Veggie Tales’ Easter Story (it gets a little old after continuous viewing for 4 years strait!)  I can tell and retell the story of Christ’s Passion – paying special attention to St. Peter cutting off the Servant’s ear, because that’s my 3 year old’s “Favorite part,” and only to be interrupted every few words with questions and comments.

 ”Well, how many thorns were there?”

“I think ‘Punchless Pilate’ needed to take Martial Arts. Then he would know how to punch.”

“I think Simon of Cyrene was called “Si-Cy”like a nickname.” (Um, OK?),

“Mommy, what’s a cock and why does it crow?”

“Mommy why does it say “ass” in the Bible? Why did Jesus ride on one? Isn’t that a fresh word? What was Jesus thinking?”

“When He made the first miracle with bread turning into His body, did a part of His body come off?” “Did they drop Jesus when they took Him off the cross?”

“Did they put only one nail in His feet because they ran out?” and so on, and so on.

This is my Holy Week.  It may have its frustrating times, but honestly, all that pales when I see my kids “raising their trains and dinosaurs from the dead.”  On some level they are beginning to understand.  I am thankful that its not all “Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs.”  While that infamous oversized rodent will be making his way to our house this Sunday, its not the only thing in their minds.  When I glance into the toyroom and see them pretending to wait outside “Jesus’ Tomb,”  When they begin to clap at the “Miracle” during Mass (Transubstantiation) and proclaim  (albeit loudly) that “It happened! The Miracle Happened! Its Jesus’ Body!  Just like the Last Supper!!” I know that in their own way, they are entering into the Paschal Mystery too.

 Maybe I don’t get to experience Holy Week the way I would choose to, but I do get to experience it through the eyes of my children; and in all honestly, that can be good enough for me.

May you have a Truly Holy Week, and Joyous Easter!

Abortion, Pornography, and a Pope

Lately I have been doing a lot of reading.  As I devour book after book, some on Kindle for Mac, some in hard cover, I am beginning to sense a sort of theme – a commonality among some of the most recent titles I have read.  I began with Abby Johnson’s Unplanned, then I read Shelley Lubben’s The Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn, and now I am plowing (once again) through George Weigel’s Biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope.  At first glance it may appear that these titles have nothing to do with one another.  I mean seriously what do abortion, pornography and a Pope have at all in common?

Lately abortion and sex trafficking have been getting a lot of attention in the media – especially in the more conservative media circles.  It’s hard for me to check my email or hop on Facebook without reading a headline from one group or another decrying the latest Planned Parenthood Scandal, or the newest Abortion Industry outrage.  While keeping myself informed and engaged in the new momentum that is sweeping the Pro-Life Movement, I have been continuing to follow the work of an amazing group of Modern Day Missionaries –  The Pink Cross Foundation.  Pink Cross is dedicated to rescuing men and women both from the porn industry and porn addiction.  It was founded by Shelley Lubben, a zealous Christian whose past includes acting in porn films – in other words, she is a former porn star who also “worked” turning tricks and dancing in other areas of the “adult world.”  Now though, she is on fire for Christ, and for exposing the real Truth about pornography and the industry that creates it.  Her book, The Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn rips off the facade of sexy glamour and seduction, and shows the ugly, awful Truth about pornography.  I’ve also become even more impressed with the expanding (with a newly updated) The King’s Men – a men’s ministry whose website describes its Mission as “Under Christ the King’s universal call to serve, we as men, pledge to unite and build up other men in the mold of leader, protector, and provider through education, formation and action.”  A large component of the King’s Men Ministry is combating pornography, the “adult” industry and lust.   Through The King’s Men, men are finding freedom and Truth.

*A reclamation of feminine dignity, finding freedom from a pornified culture, and discovering that one CAN be happy and whole despite a loved one’s addiction are some aspects of the Daughters of the Heavenly King Ministry that I feel called to really grow and develop.  I ask for your prayers as I seek to follow God’s Will in this.*

But back to our question: what do abortion, pornography, and a Pope all have in common?

Human Dignity. The answer to the question, “What are we as humans worth? And why?”

It struck me as I was reading Witness to Hope.  Weigel explains that as a humanist, and as a phenomenologist whose Catholic Faith infused Truth into every aspect of his life and philosophy, Pope John Paul II identified the great danger facing our world not as one single issue but as a crisis of ideas.  In other (more simple) words (the late Holy Father was incredibly profound and deep!)  instead of identifying one issue as the most pressing or horrible, or naming one crisis as the most important to face, John Paul II believed that the crisis and question facing humanity at this point in history is one of ideas.  One of understanding.  Get it wrong, and everything else falls apart too.  The beginning of all problems, crises, and  controversial issues is at its root – an idea – either a faulty idea and understanding , or one rightly based in God’s Truth.

This is what abortion and pornography have in common.  A faulty idea.  An idea that is corroding our very

culture.  The idea that some human lives do not have dignity.  That some humans are expendable – that they can be discarded or objectified.  That people can be murdered, degraded, made to suffer and even die to serve the whims and pleasures of others.  It’s the same faulty idea that made slavery a booming business.  It’s the same faulty idea that fuels the human trafficking (modern-day slavery) black market.  It’s the false idea that allows a mother to convince herself that she has a right to kill her child, and pornographers to exploit the women and men they’ve coerced into “working” for them.    It’s the false idea about just what the worth of a human person is.  What the dignity of the human person is.

Pope John Paul II tirelessly proclaimed that each and every human person has a worth and a dignity that is completely independent of utility. He declared that a person has an intrinsic worth simply because they are a person – created by God.  What a bold declaration in this day and age; especially coming from a man who grew up behind the “Iron Curtain.”   Yet, it is this idea that John Paul II so desperately wanted to communicate to us!   Why?  Because John Paul II was a man of Hope!  What gives us hope?  The idea that God loved us so much that He created us in HIS OWN Image, and sent to us His Incarnated Son!  John Paul II had this to say about hope to the United Nations, “Hope and trust are the premise of responsible activity and are nurtured in that inner sanctuary of conscience where “man is alone with God” and thus perceives that he is not alone amid the enigmas of existence, for he is surrounded by the love of the Creator!”  How do we know that he is indeed surrounded by the love of the creator?  Because that creator loved man enough to stamp on him His Own image.  This act of creating man in His Image is what, according to the late Holy Father, infuses man with a dignity that is independent of anything else.

The theme of individual dignity runs through much of what John Paul II preached and wrote about.  One of the greatest works to consider the God-given dignity of the human person is his Theology of the Body. Originally a series of talks given at his general audiences, the Theology of the Body is a compilation of  the late Pope’s thoughts on his exegesis of Genesis 1:27, God created man in his Image, in the Divine Image He created him; male and female He created them.

It is this declaration that answers the great question at the root of our discussion.  What do abortion, pornography, and a Pope have in common?  The pope understood that the foundational idea behind abortion and pornography is the same.  They are two manifestations of the same warped concept of human dignity.  They illustrate that on some level there is a social acceptance of the idea that some humans can be used or discarded at the whim of others.

This dangerous thought process is seen in play in the debates revolving around euthanasia, eugenics, and the infamous “death panel” discussion.  Most recently we saw this mentality being challenged by the story of Baby Joseph, and we were reminded of Terri Schiavo’s terrible ordeal and death at the hands of her husband just last week, as the anniversary of her passing was remembered.

Every year  1.2 million children are trafficked around the globe – most of them into the sex industry.  Pornography continues to net more profit than the combined revenues of all the major sports franchises, and abortion is Planned Parenthood’s most profitable revenue source.  Why? Because there is a great disparity between the dignity a person has, and whether or not that dignity is regarded as being intrinsic to their very being.

So what do we do with this information?  What do we, what can we, as women, do?  How do you stop abortion, pornography, and all the other atrocities committed against the very dignity of our fellow men?  We must change the idea. We must challenge the very understanding that has been born of the faulty idea that all persons do not have an intrinsic, God-given dignity, as such.   Then we must replace this very misled understanding with the Truth.  God’s Truth.  We do this one person at a time, starting with ourselves.  THAT is the mission of Daughters of the Heavenly King.  To reclaim the dignity we have as God’s Daughters.  The dignity we have as females, created in the Image and Likeness of our loving Father of Lights.  Once we have truly reclaimed our dignity for ourselves, we can reclaim and reshape the entire culture!  Our witness alone sheds light on the areas of the cultural understanding that need to be infused with God’s Truth.  By building up one another, by encouraging one another, and by challenging head-on the evil ideas that have created the injustices of abortion, pornography, human trafficking, euthanasia…we create a new community that will discard the old and evil ideas and replace them with the Love and Truth of God’s plan for us as His people.  John Paul II had such hope!  He knew that as our understanding of our true dignity as persons, created in God’s Own Image, grew, that the Truth could not be contained, and the very culture of the world could be transformed!  It is up to you and I to accomplish this.  It is our prayer-filled example, our boldness in proclaiming the Truth, our fearless witness to the true dignity of all persons that will bring about this transformation.  As John Paul II so often proclaimed, “Do not be afraid!”  Your beautiful, strong, tender, feminine hearts are more than up to the task!  The Truth is already on our side!  John Paul II, pray for us!

This Post is dedicated in Memory of John Paul II, in honor of his Beatification which will take place on

May 1, 2011.