Pray for Life

THE 40TH MARCH FOR LIFE
Jeanne Monahan and Patrick Kelly

January 22nd marks the 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and on the 25th we will commemorate that solemn occasion with the 40th anniversary of the largest human rights demonstration in the world, the MARCH FOR LIFE.  With the passing of the pro-life leader and visionary Nellie Gray, a change in leadership has occurred, and with this new leadership comes big plans for the March as we go forward.

This year in particular we aim to raise awareness in the minds of all Americans of the 40th Anniversary and the toll this has taken on these United States. Our theme includes an equation--40=55M, to signify that in the forty years since Roe v. Wade, 55 million of our fellow human beings have lost their lives to abortion. Fifty-five million is nearly the population of California and New York combined.  Clearly, abortion truly is the human rights abuse of today and our theme this year reflects this reality. > Read more at marchforlife.org

National Prayer Vigil For Life

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - January 24-25, 2013

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC

Thursday, January 24, 2013

3:30 pm - 6:00 pm      Confessions - Our Lady of Hostyn Chapel - to the left in the
                                       Crypt Church (lower level)

6:30 pm - 9:30 pm      Opening Mass - Great Upper Church, Principal
                                       Celebrant & Homilist: Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley,
                                       O.F.M. Cap., Chairman-elect, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life
                                       Activities

9:30 pm - 11:30 pm    Confessions - Our Lady of Hostyn Chapel

10:00 pm - 11:00 pm  National Rosary for Life - Crypt Church (lower level)

11:00 pm - 12:00 am  Night Prayer (Byzantine Rite) - Crypt Church,
                                        Celebrant: Most Reverend William C. Skurla, D.D.,
                                        Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh
                                        Homilist: Most Reverend Peter A. Libasci, Bishop of Manchester

Friday, January 25, 2013

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12:00 am - 6:30 am    Holy Hours for Life - Crypt Church
                                        Led by pro-life seminarians from across the country

                                        12:00 - 1:00 am: Blessed John XXIII Seminary
                                                                      (Weston, MA)

                                          1:00 - 2:00 am: Mundelein Seminary
                                                                      (Mundelein, IL)

                                          2:00 - 3:00 am: Mount St. Mary's Seminary
                                                                      (Emmitsburg, MD)

                                          3:00 - 4:00 am: Theological College
                                                                      (Washington, DC)

                                          4:00 - 5:00 am: St. John's Seminary
                                                                      (Boston, MA)

                                          5:00 - 6:00 am: St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
                                                                      (Philadelphia, PA)

6:00 am                         Adoration (with reflection at 6:20) -
                                        Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC

6:30 am                         Morning Prayer, Benediction, Reposition -
                                        Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC

7:30 am                         Closing Mass - Great Upper Church, Principal Celebrant

                                        & Homilist: Most Reverend Kevin J. Farrell, Bishop of Dallas

http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/national-prayer-vigil-for-life-schedule.cfm

Forming our Youth: Orderliness

Forming Our Youth:
a Marriage-Building Parish Building Block

We must form young people in the beliefs and virtues necessary for healthy relationships. > Read more about this building block

As part of the Marriage Building Parish initiative, the Catholic Family Institute, with permission from Four Court Press LTD, will feature excerpts from Mr. Isaac’s book each month in the bulletin and on this blog.



Character Building: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by David Isaacs

In his book, Mr. Isaacs explores twenty-four virtues we should develop to have more “self-mastery and better serve others,” abilities we all hope our children will have.  Recognizing that the example we set leaves a more lasting impression on our children than the words we say, each chapter includes a description of a virtue and a series of questions that help assess how well you are living that virtue and how well you are helping to develop the virtue in children/students.

The next virtue discussed is Orderliness.

We are orderly when we follow a logical procedure in organizing our things and our time. It is also important to be orderly in our thoughts and communication. Personal tidiness and tidiness of the home is extremely important for reasons of hygiene, but also as a preliminary for any attempt to be orderly elsewhere. Children should be taught to put things in some logical place that fits with their nature and purpose, so that they do not get broken and can be found again without fuss. However, once basic standards for order/cleanliness are understood, let children tidy in their own way creating their own systems rather than imposing your own ways upon them.

In using our time properly, we must remember to hold fast to what is truly important and not be slaves to the tyranny of the urgent. For children, it is best to create routines for things that happen daily, such as meals, naps/bed time, and homework and to stick with them as much as possible. As children get older, they should be encouraged to keep a planner or calendar to manage their assignments and extracurricular activities and take more personal responsibility for meeting deadlines.

Answer the following questions and discuss your reflections with a spouse/friend.

Am I Orderly?

• Do I have a clear hierarchy of values for my own life and for the education/formation of the children?
• Do I usually know where to find my things? Do I keep them in sensible places and put them back when I have finished using them?
• Am I punctual when carrying out my duties/commitments or getting places?

Do I Teach Others to be Orderly?

• Do I teach the children to schedule or plan their chores, homework and other activities so that each receives adequate attention?
• Do I create and stick to daily routines for the children, especially younger ones?
• Do I help the children create systems for storing their toys, clothes, etc.?  Do I make sure that they use their things properly and return them to the right place after using them?

Please share your thoughts and comments.

Couple Prayer: USCCB Life-Marriage-Liberty

Bishops Urge Catholics To Pray For Life, Marriage, Religious Liberty

December 6, 2012:  Not another program but part of a movement for life, marriage and religious liberty Invitation to 'prayer and penance,' Archbishop Cordileone says second Fortnight for Freedom June/July being planned

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Catholic bishops have launched a pastoral strategy addressing critical life, marriage and religious liberty concerns. The five-part strategy or Call to Prayer was approved by the bishops in November and is set to begin after Christmas. The overall focus is to invite Catholics to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty.

Campaign components include monthly Eucharistic holy hours in cathedrals and parishes, daily family rosary, special Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses, fasting and abstinence on Fridays, and the second observance of a Fortnight for Freedom.

The Call to Prayer is prompted by the rapid social movements and policy changes currently underway, such as the mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that coerces employers, including heads of religious agencies, to pay for sterilizations, abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives, as well as increased efforts to redefine marriage.

"The pastoral strategy is essentially a call and encouragement to prayer and sacrifice—it's meant to be simple," said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. "It's not meant to be another program but rather part of a movement for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty, which engages the New Evangelization and can be incorporated into the Year of Faith. Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty are not only foundational to Catholic social teaching but also fundamental to the good of society," he said.

Read full article and details of the strategy

Healing Marriage: a Testimonial

As you reflect on 2012, have you resolved to make any changes in your life and marriage this year?  For couples who find themselves hurting in their marriage, they may be asking Can the Church Help Hurting Marriages?  The answer is a resounding yes!

"...At the end of the last century, a theologian was asked what were the three most outstanding events of the 20th Century and named Alcoholics Anonymous as one of the three. In a world of diminishing neighborhoods and broken families, he said, AA has taught us again that we need each other and is spawning all kinds of peer ministries.

Retrouvaille, a ministry to hurting marriages, is one of these ministries. Retrouvaille consists of a weekend, 12 follow-up sessions, and ongoing support groups led by a priest and couples who have experienced marital difficulties themselves.

A man who participated in Retrouvaille wrote: 'I’m telling you this to encourage you that people listen to suffering people, and people don’t go to folks who 'have it all together' when they have troubles. They go to someone who is not shocked, who has been hurt, and who will listen without passing judgment, someone who has found some answers but doesn’t always have all the answers.'

It’s such sharing that moved Bob to say: 'In Retrouvaille, we heard other couples talk about their marital problems. Hearing the team couples discuss their own relationships – the kind of pain they have experienced and the resolutions that took place through the commitment they made to each other at Retrouvaille – really moved a lot of people at that weekend.'

Communication between spouses is a strong emphasis of Retrouvaille. When the Associated Press asked divorce lawyers what were the main causes of divorce, the lawyers stated that the major problem was communication difficulties and the only other major cause was couples drifting apart. No wonder. Yale University studies indicated the average American couple communicates only two minutes a day."
>Read the full article as posted on Catholic Online

Your hurting marriage does not need to become another statistic.  The next Retrouvaille of Northwest Indiana weekend is January 25-27, 2013 in Chesterton, Indiana.  View dozens of Retrouvaille testimonials and then register online today!