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  Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day: 12 December Patroness of the Americas ,  of Mexico,  of Unborn Children  and Secondary Patroness of the Philippines The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe Please continue at Bangor to Bobbio .

By the time I was pregnant with my sixth child, I was desperate to find a supportive family doctor and obstetrician. Four of my five children had been delivered by Dr. Leslie E.,  a brilliant, strong feminist.  As a mother of a growing family, I was an enigma to her as she was to me. In her office, successful professional women waited for gynecological care and women in their late thirties or early forties were pregnant with their first child.  I felt like every eye was on me when I walked through her door for my first visit, pregnant with a toddler on my hip and by my last visit with three or four other children clustered around me. Birth control devices enshrined on this doctor’s desk, encased in glass, seemed to glare at me every time I sat across from her. After one visit, this obstetrician said, in what I hope was a teasing tone, “Would you quit bringing your  beautiful children  to my office. Someone always wants a reversal (from...

My husband, Michael, and I have been married for 36 years, and we are happy and still in love. Surprisingly, we have become one in reality, deeply in tune with each other’s spirits even though we are still opposites in personality. Our tangible joy is inexplicable through secular eyes, because from all outward appearances our life together has been a tough journey including poverty, nine kids, overwhelming chores on a small family farm and long-term, clinical depression. Accessing Power in the Sacrament of Marriage The grace available in the Sacrament of Marriage is not some esoteric theology;  it is real and it is powerful. The power available in the sacrament is what kept my husband and I together through the rough years. We both understood, beyond a doubt, that God brought us together. We never questioned this basic call from God, our vocation together, even during the dark years. I have always managed to keep our difficulties in perspective through humour. ...

There is a place for shock tactics in the battle to save our unborn children. because modern man often glibly, glosses over the atrocity of abortion. Yet our society is bombarded by grotesque images of war, starvation and torture; it is almost immune to the  most horrific scenes flashing across the media. Sometimes humour, warmth and humanity gets the point across. With this thought in my mind, I have created a few pro-life memes which centre on the power of prayer and the love of Mary our mother for the unborn. rather than horror. Let us celebrate the miracle of life and birth. continue reading

An unborn child hears and reacts emotionally, not only to his mother but also to the people and activity around him.   Prenatal babies have personalities before they are born. As any mother can tell you some babies move around energetically both in and out of the womb, while other infants are physically passive. Some infants are night owls both in and out of the womb and others actually sleep well at night. As nurses will point out to new parents, newborns quickly turn towards the voices of their mother, father, siblings and even grandparents.  So that means that an unborn child hears what is happening and remembers what he has heard while he was still in the womb. These memories are conscious for the first couple of years of a young child’s life but later they lay deep within their subconscious. continue

I recently came across this video, "Atheists Who Oppose Abortion." Watch these atheists eloquently speak about being pro-life. To view the video, go to Being Catholic ... Really .

I understand modern man often glibly, glosses over the atrocity of abortion, justifying it by focusing on the mother and not on what really happens during abortions. There is a place for shock tactics in the battle to save our unborn children.  Yet our society is bombarded by grotesque images of war, starvation and torture; it is almost immune to the  most horrific scenes flashing across the media. Sometimes humour, warmth and humanity gets the point across.   With this thought in my mind. I have collected or created a few pro-life memes which use humour rather than horror to celebrate the miracle of life and birth.  continue

Kids don't have to listen to dinner-time conversations about the politics of the pro-life and pro-choice movements in order to know that babies matter. I've never known a little kid who hasn't asked his parents, "Please, can't we have another baby?" Babies are a gift, and sometimes little kids know that more instinctively than the rest of us. So, with the anniversary of the Supreme Court's  Roe v. Wade  decision looming, I'd like to highlight a Live Action News list of pro-life kids' books brought to my attention by blog reader Tara Sayani. Thanks, Tara!! From "Simple ideas for communicating the pro-life message to children": Storytime is another prime opportunity to instill pro-life values in our children. In general, it’s important to be selective about which books we choose to read to our little ones. And with a little effort, we can find excellent stories that teach why every life matters. Here are some pro-life values t...

how society pictured me Perhaps I have finally discovered a label to describe myself – a pro-life feminist. At first glance theses two terms seem to oppose each other but true feminism is not the antithesis of motherhood or a pro-life stance. Contrary to standard stereotypes, one is pro-woman    precisely when one is pro-life. My story is simply a witness of a woman who discovered a liberation as a mother of a large family. I am a conundrum because I am a joyful mother of nine children. I feel  vilified by modern environmentalists as well as ‘feminist’ career women and of course beatified by the religious right at the same time. Most people of all persuasions, expect me to appear haggard and  filled with regret or unfulfilled dreams . For example, when a journalist interviewed me for an article on Mother’s Day a few years ago for our city’s major paper, she asked me if I ever regretted not using my degree to pursue a career. I simply stared at her in shock ...

I’m all about symbolism. So when we decided to give away copies of the newly released, 2 nd revised edition of All Things Girl: Truth for Teens, symbolism was bound to play a role! LOL! My decision on 18 copies is based upon the number representing “life” in Jewish teaching. That just resonates so deeply with me. I pray for great life for the book and for those who will read it. That is why we are giving away 18 copies of All Things Girl: Truth for Teens. The link to the giveaway is on the new Facebook page being administered by one of the amazing new contributors, Heather Renshaw. Heather is a blast. She’s a mother of five youngsters who somehow found the time to write a chapter on vocations in general and motherhood in particular. Because of her honesty and great sense of humor, I am convinced that her chapter will deeply affect the teen girls who read All Things Girl: Truth for Teens. If you’d like to enter the contest, visit the new Facebook page, like it, share it...

Crash Course in Pro-Life Apologetics Why are you pro-life?  What would you say if someone asked you that? Have you ever had to defend your position in conversation? Were you afraid to offend someone with your point of view? Were you afraid your reasons were just not good enough to persuade anyone? Take a look at these very good websites and brush up on your apologetics skills! At the pro-life conference this year, I attended a really good session on pro-life apologetics. The basic gist of how to be a good apologist is this: pro-choice people want to talk about anything and everything except for abortion itself. They want to talk about things like "back alley abortions,"  saving the life of a mother (which makes up under 1% of all abortions,) problems of poverty in our society, how other people overlook problems of poverty, a woman's choice, a woman's body and on and on. Pro-choice people do NOT want to talk about the child itself being kill...

Do you need new ideas for immersing yourself in the culture of life? You and your family can enjoy fiction that promotes the value of every human being. Here are four books  I particularly recommend. Two focus on the beginning of life, two on the sick and disabled. All ages: Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman I used this book to announce my last 2 pregnancies to our boys. Beautiful illustrations by Ben Hatke accompany Doman's lyrical text about a baby in utero and his guardian angel. Echoes of the creation story and John's Gospel delight the ear. "In the beginning, I was," the story starts. And later, "Sometimes it was dark, and sometimes it was less dark." (See the parallel with Genesis 1?) The story details a conversation between the baby and the angel that continues into infancy. The baby complains that the world outside the womb is too big and cold. His angel replies, "It is very big, but you will grow big. It will feel better ...

Irish bishops finding their voice again, in defence of life The Visitation , El Greco, painted 1610-13 The bishops of Ireland have found their voice again, in defence of the life of the unborn child. The scandals of the abuse of children by priests and religious and the way bishops and superiors are perceived to have dealt with the situation, had all but crippled the ability of the Church in Ireland to proclaim the Gospel. The above video carries an interview on national radio with Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore. The night before some bishops had taken part in a peaceful pro-life rally outside Leinster House, Dublin, where the  Dáil and Seanad (parliament and senate) meet. Yesterday the bishops, who have been holding their winter meeting this week, issued a statement yesterday:  Initial response by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference to the  Report of the Expert Group on the Judgement in A,B and C v Ireland . [The Report is here .] ...

Sr Mary Pilar Lahoz Verzosa RGS  (24 September 1944 - 9 September 2012) Sister Pilar died yesterday morning. She  suffered an aneurysm  last Thursday afternoon while giving a seminar at De La Salle University – Dasmariñas, Cavite. She was the founder of  Pro-Life Philippines . May she rest in peace. Please remember her in your prayers. Sister Mary Pilar   L. Verzosa RGS was one of the great Filipinos of our time. She founded  Pro-Life Philippines  and was tireless in her work for women and girls who found themselves in difficult situations. The Religious of the Good Shepherd for many years in the Philippines have provided home for unmarried women who find themselves pregnant. You can get a good idea of what Sister Pilar committed her life to  here . Last February Sister Pilar was  one of the recipients of the Mystery of Life Award  from the Archdiocese of Seoul. I met her a number of times and, on occasion, excha...

The young man was showing his friend something on his cell phone. "What are you looking at?" I asked him. "It's my brother. A picture of my brother learning to walk," he told me, looking up with a big smile.   Read more here....

  Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. ~John Adams We are in the middle of a war. It is a war which involves every man, woman and child because it is a war not only for our culture but for our souls. The main battlegrounds of this war appear to be the minds and hearts of women because it is women who make or break family life. Once family life is destroyed or corrupted then the state becomes supreme with each and every one of us as its puppets. When women are degraded then the entire society loses it dignity and heroism. Once a people lose their nobility of soul and sense of honor then there is nothing left to them but enslavement. We now waver at the brink but all is not lost for we have women who see things as they are and are not afraid to talk about it. Journalist and radio talk show host Teresa Tomeo is one such woman who assesses th...

Everyone knows by now that  Steve Jobs, the "visionary" behind Apple, has passed away,  at the "young old" age of 56. His was  a life well-lived , and in many ways, he "changed" the world as we know it. After all, where would the modern world be without the Mac, I-pod, I-pad and I-phone? (although admittedly, we don't have ANY of these in our possession.. yet! haha!) Steve Jobs  thought different  and challenged others to do the same. He said many things that inspired many, such as the quote below: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to  do what you believe is great work .  And the only way to do great work is to  love what you do . If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.  Don’t settle . As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.  And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it....

“ Natural family planning ? What’s that? And does it really work?” These are probably some of the most common reactions or statements we get when people ask us how we spaced our two kids (Tim is turning 5 in October and Rysse just turned 2 last July). Those who are already in the know though can testify that NFP is the best way to go when it comes to family planning. Our kids are products of NFP, just like Umbert. ;-) What is natural family planning (NFP)? Wikipedia defines  NFP  in the following way: Natural family planning   (NFP) is a term referring to the  family planning  methods approved by the  Roman Catholic Church . In accordance with the Church's requirements for  sexual behavior  in keeping with its philosophy of the dignity of the human person, NFP excludes the use of other methods of  birth control . *To read the full article, please go to Philstar.com's unBLOGGED section by clicking  here .

On August 15, we celebrated  the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . It was a day for us Catholics to remember how our dear Mother played a significant role in the life of Jesus, and indirectly, in the lives of each of us today. The Gospel on that day spoke about the Annunciation, and these words really struck me:   “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  Luke 1:42 When Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, said this to her, she must have felt such joy. She was actually so moved that she broke out into song – what is known today as  the Canticle of Mary . Mama Mary had no idea then just how deeply her heart would be “pierced by a sword.” (Luke 2:35) She probably did not have any inkling as to what that verse meant too, when the prophet Simeon said it during  the Presentation of Jesus  at the temple. Indeed, nothing could probably have prepared her for this: (*the song in the video is a Filipino composition and i...

On Sunday July 31st, the Catholic Church in England and Wales marks its annual Day for Life, an observance called for by the late Pope John Paul II to celebrate the dignity of every human life.  This year, the theme of the Day for Life focuses on the meaning of authentic happiness – a theme that Pope Benedict discussed with children and students from Catholic schools during his pastoral visit to Britain in September last year: "Happiness is something we all want, but one of the great tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it, because they look for it in the wrong places. The key to it is very simple – true happiness is to be found in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts". Fr John Sherrington is a moral theologian from the diocese of Nottingham and is shortly to become auxi...