Sacramento 953 Pro Life

Life Mobile at 40 Days for Life vigil site

2011-10-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

This was a first. The Sacramento Life Center's Life Mobile, which appeared at our Council's Chili Cook-Off a few weeks back, was parked this last Tuesday across the street from this fall's vigil site of 40 Days for Life here in Sacramento.

Check out the 2-minute clip so you can see what happened.

40 Days for Life - Midway Rally

2011-10-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, some of our brothers attended the midway rally of 40 Days for Life here in Sacramento.

To give you a glimpse, here are a few of the many photos taken by Sarah Maizland.

It was a prayerful and peaceful time there. Over the two hours of the rally, we must've heard twenty car horn honks of approval. It is very encouraging to know that God is changing hearts & minds and that citizens are standing up to say they believe life at all its stages is sacred.

7 billion, no worries

2011-10-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of bluster and dire warnings about "overpopulation" in the last forty or so years. Yes, we are now reaching the 7 billion mark of Earth's population. However, I think there are a lot of misconceptions and factoids floating around about "overpopulation" that need clarification.

Check out the latest info video from Population Research Institute and you might be surprised when you see the numbers minus the extra doses of rhetoric.

Jordan Sax

2011-10-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you that attended our recent chili cook-off (which was a success again this year), you probably heard the musical talent of Jordan Sax. He's someone who is not afraid to be a defender of life. In case you missed hearing him, here is one of his original songs.

Why 40 Days for Life makes a difference

2011-09-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ramona Trevino.

Never heard of her? Me either.

But she is one of the reasons why our participation in 40 Days for Life makes a difference.

She worked for Planned Parenthood, but not anymore. After a 40 Days for Life vigil was held outside the PP clinic where she worked, even though her clinic only referred for abortions, she could not do it anymore.

So she quit.

And did I mention she is now pro-life?

If you want to hear her testimony, jump to 8:28 in the video and listen to her own words.

40 Days for Life is using God's program to bring conversion. Won't you join the vigil beginning Sept. 28?

Blessed John Paul II

2011-04-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

PHOTO LINKED FROM K. OF. C WEBSITE

This Sunday is the beatification of Pope John Paul II who was Christ's Vicar from 1978 to 2005. He spoke frequently and passionately about respect life at all stages especially in his encylical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life). Here is just one quote from that letter:

“The legal toleration of abortion or of euthanasia can in no way claim to be based on respect for the conscience of others, precisely because society has the right and the duty to protect itself against the abuses which can occur in the name of conscience and under the pretext of freedom.”

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!

Yes, the tide is turning

2011-03-26T15:50:00.001-07:00

Please share this video to your teenagers and college students. The tide is turning as a generation begins to recognize how many of their own have been sacrificed on the altar of "choice"...

Vigil for Victims this Monday - Valentine's Day

2011-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Please join others across the nation this Monday - Valentine's Day - in taking a stand against the continued funding of Planned Parenthood to the tune of $363 million.

More info here. Also, video of Planned Parenthood's counseling techniques here.

Live Action Sting

2011-02-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

I've posted on this blog previously about the group Live Action.

Their work to expose Planned Parenthood has continued. The latest videos have generated a buzz of news and commentary and the attorney generals of two eastern seaboard states are likely to investigate the clinics that are in the content of the videos.

Check out this video from Live Action - as you never know when the host provider will consider the videos to be "inappropriate."

Health Care & the Facts on abortion

2010-10-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have found in my reviews of their website, that Population Research Institute continues to provide information that is thoughtful and really gets at the heart of some of the life issues.

They recently released a video that I believe clears up some of the misconceptions about abortion funding as part of the health care legislation that passed in March. Take a look:

China's one-child policy

2010-10-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

You may not be aware of the destruction of life that has occurred at the behest of China's communist regime over the last thirty years. The head of the Population Research Institute, Steven Mosher, has spent a great deal of time in China and reports on his assessment of their one-child policy.

A snip from the article:

One day in 1980 several hundred young mothers, all pregnant with second or higher-order children, were ordered to attend population control meetings. There they were told that they would all have to abort their pregnancies. Those who refused were arrested for the “crime” of being pregnant and locked up until they, too, buckled under the pressure and submitted to an abortion.
At that point they were taken to the local medical clinic and given a lethal injection into their uterus. If their bodies did not expel their dead or dying babies within two days, they were subjected to a cesarean section abortion. Most horrific of all, babies born alive were killed by means of an injection of formaldehyde into the ”soft spot” on the crown of their heads. Those few women who managed to escape arrest and had their babies in secret were assessed heavy fines.

In addition to the full text of this article, there are a great deal of resources on PRI's web site that dispel myths about "overpopulation" that I think you will find very interesting.

Abortion by the numbers

2010-10-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

While the blog post that I am quoting from was written several years ago, it is still worth passing on. For you see, no law or policy of our government kills more innocent lives every year than the allowance of abortion. From Jimmy Akin:

Consider: A million and a half new Americans are murdered every year by abortion.

While particular historical circumstances increase or decrease the number of Supreme Court appointments a president gets to make (some presidents get many and some get none), if we average out the differences then it turns out that a pro-abort president on average could extend the abortion holocaust by four years equivalent to the four year term he spends in office.

At a million and a half kids killed per year, that means that a pro-abort president would be responsible for extending the abortion holocaust to include six million additional murders.

When one takes into account the fact that about half of the recent presidents have had second terms, that would mean a pro-abort president would be responsible for extending the abortion holocaust to include approximately nine million Americans.

No other issue involves numbers that high. Nothing short of a full-scale nuclear or biological war between well-armed nation states would kill that many people, and we aren’t in imminent danger of having one of those.

Not even terrorists with WMDs could kill that many people. As vital as the issue of terrorism is, it does not get us up into the number of deaths caused by abortion. It would take three thousand 9/11-size events in a president’s average term of office (more than one a day) to rack up sufficient deaths to make terrorism proportionate to abortion. Al-Qa’eda simply does not have enough suicidal fanatics to make terrorism proportionate to abortion.

Jobs? The economy? Taxes? Education? The environment? Immigration? Forget it. We do not have nine million people dying in a typical president’s term of office due to bad job programs, bad economic policies, bad taxes, bad education, bad environmental law, bad immigration rules—or even all of these combined. All of them together cannot provide a reason proportionate to the need to end abortion.

Make no mistake: Abortion is the preeminent moral issue of our time. It is the black hole that out-masses every other issue. Presenting any other issues as if they were proportionate to it is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

The whole blog post is here and I suggest as you begin to peruse your ballot for the upcoming election, that you give Jimmy's points and argument your full and undivided consideration.

Chili Cooking Teams needed - Sat. Oct. 2

2010-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

That's right - it's chili cook-off time again. And we need teams. Can I ask you to form a team and enter your best chili? We even are allowing you to cook your chili at home this year.

Please get all of the info on the event here. Choose your category, fill out the form and mail it in with your entry fee. It's that easy!

Here is a glimpse of one of our past cook-offs:

NFP Awareness Week

2010-07-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've not heard that this week is Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week. This is an educational campaign of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Posted above is a poster from the campaign.

One of the links on this page that is worth your time to explore is under the "What is NFP" section. You can go to that page directly from here. And it should be noted that NFP is not the "rhythm method."

Also, if you have not read your Columbia magazine for this month of July, please key in on two articles there:

The first article, called "Open to Life," describes a Catholic couple who are probably not unlike many of you as it pertained to having children and reconciling the Church's teaching on the transmission of life with the culture's "easy" solution of the various forms of contraception. This article is on line and can be read here.

The second is called "The Pill, Health and Society." This is an interview with a physician and Brother Knight and he discusses the effects of the birth-control pill on women's bodies and our culture at large.

Whether you have no children or have great-grandchildren, it is worth every Catholic's time to understand the Church's teaching and that there is a better way than to follow along with the culture on the question of contraception. Paul VI wrote Humane Vitae that directly confronted the question of whether or not contraception could be permitted. It is not difficult to read as some of you may fear. The words of the encyclical are prophetic and, contrary to the many nay-sayers in our culture who beat the drum that the Church makes rules and just wants to tell us "no," this encyclical provides the beautiful "yes" that shows us how to be open to life and to God's plan for us. God's plan may not be the easy one. It calls for faith and trust. It is the one that will ultimately make us happier here on earth and, hopefully, in our eternal life.

As we read and reflect on these articles and teachings we should ask God to help us understand this teaching, which is a difficult one for many of us.

“State audits in both California and Washington State have found (Planned Parenthood) affiliates guilty of overbilling”

2010-07-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.

In case you hadn't heard, a whistleblower alleged that Planned Parenthood has overbilled the State of California for services.

Victor Gonzalez, a former vice-president for finance and administration of Planned Parenthood-Los Angeles, was the guy who blew the whistle. It is interesting that someone in their organization stood up and said that this was not right. We can only pray for Mr. Gonzalez that he, and others who work at PP, can achieve intellectual honesty not only in their billing practices but in the fact that they abort humans in their clinics, not just "clumps of cells."

While attempts were made to find mention of this story in major press outlets, no mention of it was to be found.

Nonetheless, you can get the story here.

Religious Freedom - going the way of the Dodo?

2010-07-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. recently provided comments on religious freedom. This should concern all of us as it pertains to respect for life. Will the day come when we cannot stand up and say abortion or euthanasia or embryonic stem cell research kills a human being?

Watch the 4-minute interview, conducted by Dr. John Haas of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, think about it, and bring it up with family & friends when appropriate.

Andrea Bocelli tells a "little story"

2010-06-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Most of you probably recognize the voice of Andrea Bocelli. Perhaps one of his more famous pieces is a duet with Sarah Brightman.

But here is Mr. Bocelli telling us a little story that might give you a bit of surprise.

When Does Life Begin?

2010-06-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

The question of when life begins vexes modern culture for many reasons. Dr. Maureen Condic of the Westchester Institute for Ethics & the Human Person wrote a white paper inOctober 2008 looking at this question from the scientific perspective. Here is a snip:

Is a human zygote a human organism? For developing humans, the behavior and structures associated with adult stages of life are not yet fully manifest (embryos neither look like nor act like mature human beings). However, developing human beings are composed of characteristic human parts and they exhibit a human pattern of developmental behavior. The key feature of a human pattern of development is its organization towards the production of a mature human body.

The white paper, while discussing the science of embryos, zygotes and the like, is not too difficult to understand.

Dr. Condic did give an interview to Columbia magazine for their January 2009 issue that may be more your speed. Click forward a couple pages of the PDF document and you'll see the headline "When Does Life Begin?"

"Keep God in America"

2010-04-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

If you have been at our meetings recently and/or been reading your Knightletter, you've heard about 40 Days for Life, a prayer vigil that is directed toward ending abortion. The director 40 Days for Life, David Bereit, usually travels around the country to the different vigil sites to be with those who participate by praying and witnessing at the sidewalks of abortion clinics.

This past Palm Sunday, Mr. Bereit traveled to Jacksonville, FL and gave a speech to those who were vigil participants. I highly encourage you to watch his speech that will tell you the story of how 40 Days for Life got started and what is happening that relates to keeping God in America.

40 Days for Life at Keep God in America rally from David on Vimeo.

Christ is Risen - Alleluia! Alleluia!

2010-04-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing all of you a happy and blessed Easter.

He is risen - risen, indeed.

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

This prayer is from the Priests for Life website:

An Easter Prayer for Life
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the Author of Life,
Who died and now lives forevermore.

May we who work and pray
That children in the womb may be protected
Always draw strength, confidence, and joy
From Your victory over death,

For you are Lord forever and ever. Amen.

"We are seeing HIV decline in eight or nine African countries."

2010-03-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ribbon Image - from Catholic Relief Services

There has been much made of the spread of HIV and AIDS in the nations of Africa in recent years. Perhaps even more has been made by secular media and other progressive commentators in denouncing the Church's opposition to encouraging birth control as the solution to slowing the spread of the disease. But there are others who, while they might disagree with the Church's position on birth control, have at least acknowledged that the decline of HIV infections has happened in some African nations by encouraging abstinence and faithfulness to one partner.

An interview that is worth your time to review is one that appeared in the pages of Christianity Today. Published in March 2009, the interview with Dr. Edward C. Green came on the heels of Pope Benedict's visit to Africa during the same month.

Our very own Columbia magazine published an article in the April 2009 issue by our Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson that further discusses how the media missed Pope Benedict's message on this topic. You can find that article here.

Healthcare - it ain't over...

2010-03-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

So the flawed health care bill has become law. Thanks to those of you who stood and expressed your opposition since your tax dollars will be paying for abortion.

But this fight is far from over - as most of you know, many states are filing federal law suits to stop the new law from being enforced.

I would exhort you to continue to pray, listen to what our Catholic Bishops say about health care, particularly our own Bishop Soto, and don't be afraid to teach your children and grandchildren that all life is sacred - womb to tomb.

The fight over health care is far from over.

The Prophecies of Pope Paul VI

2010-03-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

From Population Research Institute this past week - this commentary by the late Father Paul Marx, OSB was both instructive and insightful. Here is a snip of the piece:

Contraception’s destruction of the integrity of the marital act—as unitive and procreative—has dire consequences for society and for our souls. Contraception, in other words, is a rejection of God’s view of reality. It is a wedge driven into the most intimate sphere of communion known to man outside of the Holy Sacrament of the Mass. It is a degrading poison that withers life and love both in marriage and in society.

Full article here.

This may be your last chance

2010-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already written to your representatives in Congress, this may be your last chance to let them know that the health care bill lacks when it comes to protecting life and conscience rights. It appears that there is political will to have this bill pass even with all of the flaws in it when it comes to life issues and conscience rights.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS TODAY!

You can send an email directly from the U.S. Bishops web site to your representative. Just go to this page to do it. Also look at this page to see some suggested text that you can use in the email that you write.

And, pray.

If you don't, who will?

Abortion will be paid for by tax dollars

2009-12-23T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, I ran across this little video interview of our the Secretary of Health & Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. See the transcript here on the original post.

If you had any doubt about whether or not your tax dollars will pay for abortion under the health care bill that is being considered, this video will lay them to rest.

40 Days for Life Miracles

2009-11-04T22:22:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all of you who participated in the fall 40 Days for Life vigil. It is because of your participation that we can report two great miracles:

- The director of Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas quit after having a conversion of heart.
- The Planned Parenthood clinic in Kalispell, Montana is closing

To read more about these two miracles, go to the 40 Days for Life website.

If we implement God's program of 40 Days as revealed to us in Scripture we should not, then, be surprised that transformation occurs.

Women's Dignity

2009-10-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

For years now, media images in advertising as well as in women's magazines have shown an unrealistic concept of what women should be. I am sure these images, especially for girls/women who were raised with traditional Christian family values, will send a confusing message that women are not good enough as God made them but that they need to be like the images they see in media.

Fortunately, a group of men have taken up the defense of women's dignity with a web site called Demand Your Dignity! It provides resources in the way of helpful videos and articles that will show women they do not need to look like the pictures in the magazines to be loved. There are a couple of Catholic Answers staffers who have contributed to this web site as well.

WARNING: The web site is definitely for older teens and adults due to some of the subject matter so browse with care. To view, click here.

Are You Ready to Make Your "Compassionate" Choice?

2009-10-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

It should be no surprise that we are seeing hints of euthanasia through denial of certain medical procedures being written into the health-care bills. I am also certain that the insurance industry won't mind those clauses being there either.

Is there anyone in California willing to stand up in Congress for seniors and others human groups who will get the short end of the stick when it comes to getting health care?

I'm pretty sure it won't be Senator Dianne Feinstein. Wesley Smith of the Discovery Institute reports that Ms. Feinstein will be one of the honorary co-chairs at the Compassion & Choices luncheon being held in San Francisco on November 5th. Compassion & Choices is the organization formerly known as the Hemlock Society.

I really believe that those of us who are pro-life have unwittingly been positioned behind the 8-ball on the euthanasia argument. But all is not lost if we act. Brother Knights, let me be clear: if ever we needed you to stand up and tell our elected officials how you feel on the life issues it is NOW.

Start with Senator Feinstein - click here to send your message - and tell her just how disappointed you are with her belief in "compassionate choices."

America becoming more Pro-Life

2009-10-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

I have seen a few polls this year that have indicated that the country is becoming more pro-life. Check this out:

For most of the last two decades, a clear majority of Americans has supported the right to abortion. A new poll, though, suggests that support for abortion may have declined, with the public almost evenly divided over the issue.

The apparent shift, which contradicts some other recent polls, appears in a poll by the Pew Research Center released on Thursday. A 2008 poll by Pew researchers had found that those in favor of keeping abortion legal outnumbered opponents, 54 percent to 40 percent. In the new Pew poll, the gap has narrowed: 47 percent of those surveyed said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 45 percent said it should be illegal in all or most cases — a difference within the poll’s margin of sampling error.

The rest of the article is here.

Is Somebody Hyding?

2009-09-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

While this video is humorous, it is important that no health care bill should include funding for abortion or euthanasia. Please check out the web site to see how the Hyde Amendment would not prevent tax dollars from being spent on abortion.

Elder Care

2009-09-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

You watch - you decide.

Eugenics

2009-09-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Eugenics. What does the word conjure in our minds? In many minds, I am sure Hitler and German Concentration camps. Most will remember that eugenics is "improving" human heredity by giving advantage to certain groups to reproduce and to restrict other groups from reproducing. If you look at the history books, there was a eugenics movement here in America - peaking in the 1920's.

Why do I bring this up today in the 21st century? You may not have heard, but Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave an interview this summer in the New York Times magazine. It did cover many areas but let's focus in on this small part of the interview:

Q: If you were a lawyer again, what would you want to accomplish as a future feminist legal agenda?
JUSTICE GINSBURG: Reproductive choice has to be straightened out. There will never be a woman of means without choice anymore. That just seems to me so obvious. The states that had changed their abortion laws before Roe [to make abortion legal] are not going to change back. So we have a policy that affects only poor women, and it can never be otherwise, and I don’t know why this hasn’t been said more often.
Q: Are you talking about the distances women have to travel because in parts of the country, abortion is essentially unavailable, because there are so few doctors and clinics that do the procedure? And also, the lack of Medicaid for abortions for poor women?
JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

Read that again:

Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.

"Populations that we don't want too many of." Really? And who does she mean. Those with mental disabilities? African-Americans? Hispanics? Asians? Criminals? Those in nursing homes? "Trailer Trash?" Knights of Columbus?

To date, there has been no correction to her interview answer. One might assume, then, that she may think that even today in 21st century America, that there are populations that we don't want too many of.

This line of thought is more widespread than you might think. In my own experience with friends in my Generation X peer group, there are not a few Americans who believe that abortion is good because it is going to eliminate the people whom they think we have too many of or people who are not useful. Some of these friends are practicing Catholics. This is a bit surprising if you consider that my generation had much education in the way of racial equality.

Brothers, we have a long ways to go. The eugenics movement continues today through legal abortion. Just plot a few Planned Parenthood locations on the map and you'll start to get an idea of the thinking behind the placement of their clinics. Heck, just watch this 1957 interview of their founder, Margaret Sanger, by Mike Wallace and you will see exactly why PP exists today.

Also, worth a read is the post in the Boston Globe, of all places.

Blood Money

2009-09-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

I hope this new film makes it to the big screen. It looks like it throws some light on the abortion industry.

Sign the Petition to YouTube

2009-08-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Mona Lisa Project is part of the larger non-profit media group, Live Action. Live Action has reported that two of their videos were banned by YouTube. Please sign the petition to restore the videos.

Exposing Planned Parenthood

2009-08-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

There are some young people in California doing some huge work to expose Planned Parenthood's practice of not following the laws as they pertain to stautory rape.

According to their website, "the Mona Lisa Project videos document Planned Parenthood's willingness to repeatedly violate mandatory reporting laws for statutory rape that protect children." Lila Rose has gone into several PP clinics across the country and is exposing the truth of what happens when an underage girl comes in for an abortion.

Take a look and see for yourself:

Also, here's an interview with Miss Rose:

Impressive Pro-Life Videos - made by teens

2009-08-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Check out this life-affirming video made by a 17-year old from North Carolina. There are several others made by teens - go here to see the rest.

Health Care bill should be free of abortion coverage

2009-08-19T22:20:00.001-07:00

Chili Cook-Off - Sat Oct 3rd

2009-08-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Our 5th annual Chili Cook-Off is back - check out the details:

GRAB A CHILI BOWL!

The 5th Annual Knights of Columbus #953 Amateur Chili Cook-Off is just around the corner on Saturday October 3 from 12pm to 5pm on the lawn of the Newman Center near CSU Sacramento (click for map). Proceeds from the cook-off go to the Sacramento Life Center and the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?

Each team comes to the Newman Center the morning of the event where they prepare and cook their chili for the competition. After the judge's samples are collected, the public can buy a $3.00 "tasting kit" and can walk around to each team and taste the different chilis. Teams may also have a non-competition chili or special salsa for you to taste while you wait for the time that the competition chili can be tasted.

MORE THAN JUST CHILI GOIN’ ON

The Newman Center has a big lawn area where we will have tent covered tables for you to sit comfortably in the shade. We will have volleyball set up as well as some other activities for the young and young at heart.

LIVE MUSIC

Jordan Sax is a local musician who will be bringing his talents to our cook-off to play & sing for the crowd, including his pro-life song, “Angels To The Rescue.”

"I have a great chili recipe. How do I enter a team?
A team consists of 2-4 people who assemble and cook the chili at the site of the event - no pre-cooked chilis please! See the rules sheet in the attached packet for all of the details. Though some teams have already commited, we still have plenty of room for more teams, so please submit your team entry form and start perfecting that chili recipe!

CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS

Get a couple people from your club or organization together and form a team! Besides the chance to show your efforts to help these two worthy charities, it is an opportunity to show your own club/organization's commitment of service in the community and to life.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Our team of tasting judges will determine the First Place Chili (Best of Show) and the Caliente Award for the spiciest chili. The tasting public will vote and determine the People's Choice Chili. Each winning team will receive a prize from a local business. To enter, please send us an email and we will provide you with rules and an entry form.

"I don't eat chili, but I want to support your efforts."

Our Knights council sells barbecue food as well as cold beverages such as soda and beer. So there will be something for everyone on the day of the event. Plus all the other great activities noted above, why miss out?

If you have questions about the event, please contact us by email. And feel free to forward a link to this page to those that you think might be interested in attending and/or competing.

This event is growing and we hope that you and your family can join us!

"We can accept whatever God sends us, good or bad."

2009-07-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of the reality that God works through all circumstances to have us live in his Truth. Here is a snip of the article from Catholic News Agency:

Both Ricardo and Mayra were born in Mexico. They moved to U.S., where they met three years ago, began to date, and eventually moved in together. At the time, neither had a strong faith, but they were nevertheless overjoyed when, in October 2008, Mayra became pregnant.
Months later, doctors detected a cancerous tumor in Mayra’s lungs that was already in an advanced stage and was still continuing to grow. Mayra was advised to abort the baby on the spot, so that she could start a treatment to halt the cancer growth.

But Ricardo and Mayra chose life. Although it was difficult, Ricardo said he never had any second thoughts in the decision to choose life. When the option of abortion was presented, "We always said ‘no.’ We couldn’t do that," he explained. "God gave life and God takes it away."

"And we can trust in God and let His will be done," he continued, explaining the peace that the couple found in abandoning themselves to the Lord’s will. "We can accept whatever God sends us, good or bad."

For the full article, click here.

"Abortion and Racism are evil twins..."

2009-07-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alveda King, niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. recently wrote a piece that appeared in The Washington Times. Here is a snip:

"Like many black women, I once believed the doctor who told me my babies were no more than "a blob of tissue." I wanted to believe it. Eventually, I realized I was wrong, that I was a secondary victim of abortion. I repented and found healing through God. Today, I work in the civil rights movement of the our century -- the right of every one of every race to live.
I am asking you to join me. Let me tell you why. Abortion and racism are evil twins, born of the same lie. Where racism now hides its face in public, abortion is accomplishing the goals of which racism only once dreamed. Together, abortionists are destroying humanity at large and the black community in particular.
Abortion has taken a gruesome toll on the black community, killing more than AIDS and crime combined. Some 14 million black babies have been aborted since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in all stages in all 50 states. That's equal to one-third of the number of blacks living today.
By the abortion industry's own statistics, black women are 4.8 times more likely to abort than are non-Hispanic white women. Blacks comprise about 13 percent of the population, yet have 37 percent of all abortions.
When dramatic racial disparities like these appeared in employment and education, it was enough to conclude that institutionalized racism and discrimination were present in our corporations and colleges. Why should we apply a different standard to the abortion industry"

Read the entire piece here.

And you thought FOCA was gone? Guess again...

2009-07-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

FOCA is back – Obama mandating abortion coverage in healthcare bill.

Visit this website to see how you can take action RIGHT NOW.

If you don't, who will?

They just keep a'comin'...

2009-06-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Do you have children or grandchildren in public schools? You should continue to be aware of how much things are changing in schools that our tax dollars go to. As mentioned in May on this blog, the school district in Alameda took action to make sure your children knew that there are more than one kind of "family."

Now we have the school district in Modesto, joining many other school districts, in deciding that your teenage daughters and granddaughters can leave campus for "confidential medical procedures" without their parents permission. Get the story here.

As our culture continues to drift into the harbor, having lost its moorings, and heads for the open seas, we must ask ourselves if we are doing enough to keep these things from happening. Are we being involved citizens and speaking up each and every time that resolutions and legislation are proposed that directly conflict with our values? Are we even sure what the Church teaches on these matters? Have we even bothered to seek the answers? Don't our children and grandchildren deserve the Truth?

Each of you, brothers, should examine yourselves by asking these questions. If we are not a part of the solution then we will only be a part of the problem.

"...they found a new joy for their existence"

2009-06-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Caught this story on the web site of Catholic News Agency:

Testimony of Catholic paraplegic helped prevent four suicides

We should think twice about those who appear to be in a "vegetative state" - God still uses them to work on the rest of us.

Proposition 8 - upheld

2009-06-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

So, most know by now that the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8. But please know that there is now an effort to place another proposition on the ballot to reveal Proposition 8. They are using some of the same tactics as the "Yes on 8" coalition did of going door to door.

If someone comes to your door, be prepared to answer them and be positive when you do. Here are some new talking points from Catholics for the Common Good:

The Court confirmed the vote of over 7 million Californians. For the second time now, the people have decided that marriage is reserved for a man and a woman. Encourage fellow supporters reminding them that because of their efforts and those thousands of others working together, Article 1, Section 7.5 of the California Constitution now reads: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California"

The passage of Prop 8 was not close. It won by a margin of 600,000 votes. It passed by roughly the same percentage of support as President Barack Obama's national landslide victory.

If gay activists wish to legalize same-sex "marriage" now, they will have to go to the people and seek their permission – something they have never done anywhere. We will vigorously contest any effort to repeal Prop 8.
Post election surveys show that Californians continue to support traditional marriage. If anything, support for same-sex "marriage" has declined while support for traditional marriage has increased.
We are committed to staying organized to vigorously oppose any further efforts in the state and federal courts to invalidate or weaken Prop 8.
Both the Catholics for the Common Good Institute and ProtectMarriage.com will be working together on public education and outreach so that citizens come to better understand and appreciate the many benefits that traditional marriage provides for society and our families. CCGI has already started training efforts for Catholic Advocates for Marriage.
The foundation of the conflict over marriage is rooted in two conflicting definitions. Is marriage just an institution recognizing the committed relationship between adults for their own benefit or is it something more than that? Marriage as the foundation of the family uniting mothers and fathers to each other and to the children they bring into the world has a distinct public interest. What is the public interest for the state to regulate emotional relationships?
While we wish the Court had not validated those gay marriages performed during the time before Prop 8 took effect, the overriding issue in this litigation was maintaining the validity of Prop 8. We are very pleased the Court agreed with us that Prop 8 was a validly enacted constitutional amendment.

Please pray for Lauren & her mother

2009-06-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Lauren Richardson and for her mother, Edith Towers. Lauren suffered a brain injury and is now in a similar situation as the late Terri Schiavo.

Read more here and here - then pray.

"Whether you like it or not..."

2009-05-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

While we await the California Supreme Court's ruling this coming Tuesday of the fate of California's Proposition 8, the question of whether or not same sex relationships would be taught in California schools has come up in one school district.

From a Catholic News Agency report:

The Unified School District in Alameda has proposed a curriculum with the stated intention of addressing bullying, respect and acceptance. The curriculum includes a 45-minute Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) lesson once a year from kindergarten through fifth grade. The kindergarten lesson will focus on the harm of teasing while the fifth graders will study sexual orientation stereotypes, Fox News reports.

Second grade course material includes a children’s book about homosexual penguins trying to create a family. The book is titled "And Tango Makes Three."

Protesting parents in Alameda, a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland, said the curriculum is definitely not age-appropriate and the issues are best learned at home. They were also angry they will not be allowed to keep their children out of the classes.

"I believe these children are far too young to be learning about what these issues mean," Alaina Stewart, an Alameda mother of three elementary school children, told Fox News. "These are adult issues and they are being thrust upon the children."
One father of schoolchildren charged that the policy would violate the First Amendment rights of those who don’t support homosexuality because of their religion.

This really should be no surprise. All throughout the fall campaign, those arguing yes on Proposition 8 had brought up that, in all likelihood, after approval of same sex marriage, the schools would be the next battleground. This has already occurred in Massachusetts where gay marriage has been legal since 2004. The video below, that was created during the fall campaign, tells the story of one couple who fought their local school district who made the LGBT curriculum mandatory for students as young as kindergarten age.

In a quick search of the websites of CNN, MSNBC, ABC News & CBS News, only MSNBC mentioned anything about this news item. I state this as a warning: if you are relying solely on these networks for your news sources, then you are not getting a full picture of what's going on in this country and the world. A great resource, brought to you by the Knights of Columbus, is Headline Bistro. It is linked in the list at right and you will find a lot of news items linked here that will be of interest to Catholics.

Don't look a gift horse...

2009-05-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

We received an advertising flyer in the mail recently that was touting a procedure that was similar to a tubal ligation but was less invasive. I am sure that we received this in our mailbox as a result of my wife seeing an Obstetrician/Gynecologist during her last pregnancy and then being put on a targeted mailing list.

After reading the flyer, it was a bit disturbing to me that the cultural acceptance of birth control is so strong and that the revenue from the procedures is very lucrative for companies involved in selling these products & procedures to that end. The Bay Area company that sent the flyer and is responsible for this procedure is primarily focused on the "design, development, promotion and distribution of innovative medical products for use in the field of women's health." Read: Birth Control Methods 'R Us

This type of thing should give us pause. Are we so insecure with God's plan for us that we feel as though we have to take the reins? Perhaps we should reflect on the words in Psalm 33:

The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations. (Psalm 33:10-11)

For those of us who are blessed to be in a marriage, and already have two children, why is that 3rd child so scary to receive? Do we put monetary concerns before the plans of our Lord? While I don't offer that question lightly, I do think that our culture has turned the notion of bearing and raising children into a chore and a drudgery instead of a blessing as stated in Psalm 127:

Children too are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children born in one's youth. Blessed are they whose quivers are full. They will never be shamed contending with foes at the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

Why deny gifts from our God who loves and cares for us more than anyone? By this very gift - the gift of a child - our loving God is made present to us. Presumably, that is why gifts are often called presents since they make the giver present.

It might be time to review an older post that relates to this topic.

"A discredited army of oppression"

2009-04-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the feeling that your beliefs and way of life are under attack? I think there was a time in the not so recent past in this country when bigotry & hatred of Catholics was under the radar and not so blatant.

Though they may have treated Catholics with some suspicion about their beliefs, there was still a basic level of respect that allowed for criticism that was delivered in a civil way.

You may count that as a thing of the past. The latest example of casting civility to the wind is Harry Knox. He is President Obama's appointee to his advisory council on faith-based partnerships. And he has some opinions, including about the Knights of Columbus. From the original article:

According to CNSNews.com, Knox has described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as “discredited leaders” because of their opposition to same-sex marriage. Though granting the Knights of Columbus’ “good works," Knox also called the organization’s members “foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression” because of the Catholic group’s support for the successful California ballot measure Proposition 8. Proposition 8 restored the definition of marriage to being between a
man and a woman.

I bring this to you not to make your blood boil - OK, well maybe a little - but mainly so you can see what we as Catholics are faced with today. We should not be surprised at how so many of the things we believe as Catholics are under attack by the culture and - to a larger extent than ever before - our government.

We should not be that surprised at any of this as we were warned by Christ: Blessed are you when men revile you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

But read verses 13 to 16 that follow - where Christ tells us we are salt and light. By being engaged in our culture and in political life, we as Knights show our saltiness that makes us noticed among all of the other ingredients that make up our culture. We also should remember we are the light of this dimming world. "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works," Christ says.

I guess maybe it boils down to this: who do I answer to for my life's choices when I die? Planned Parenthood executives? Doctor Kevorkian? Radical homosexual activists? Scientists who want to do research using embryonic stem cells? KKK skinheads? Hitler? Stalin? Castro? Lucille Ball?

I believe it imperative that we, as Catholic gentlemen, do what is right everytime when it comes to these issues of life and morality. We should do the right thing no matter if it is uncomfortable nor what anyone else says about it. Just make sure you can provide your questioners or accusers with a friendly defense for "the hope that is within you." (1 Peter 3:15)

Got hope?

2009-04-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this report. Scientific research that may just proceed to eliminate the whole stem cell debate, please God.

A Raised Hand

2009-03-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Chili Cook-Off moving to fall

2009-03-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't heard, our Chili Cook-Off is moving to October this year. Sometimes you just can't get the place & date to line up correctly but our Newman Center site should be outstanding on a fall Saturday. So mark your calendars and hope to see you there.

Pictures are worth a thousand words

2009-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Some of you reading this may remember the liberation of the German concentration camps of WWII. I might speculate that as the details of the atrocities came to light, your initial reaction may have been disbelief. But I would speculate that your imagination might not have conjured imagery equivalent to actual photos of the victims.

That said, I turn to the topic of life in the womb and the holocaust that continues there. I believe it equally important for us as Knights to not only work against the atrocities that go on in the womb, but there may be some of us who have not seen what the act of abortion does to the baby.

First, review the images linked on this page to see what life in the womb looks like.

I would then ask that you pray for strength and for the men and women complicit in abortion. Then review the photos linked on this page.

Father Pavone of Priests for Life has aptly posited that "America will not reject abortion until America sees abortion."

Please share both sets of images with your teen children or grandchildren so that they can see what abortion does.

Short and Sweet

2009-02-18T20:13:00.000-08:00

This video sums up the entire argument for preserving life in the womb. It is presented by someone who was in a womb herself only about a decade ago.

Please pray for Reverend Walter Hoye

2009-02-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

Reverend Walter Hoye is Executive Elder of the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley. He has witnessed in front of an abortion clinic in Oakland for years now and is very peaceful about it - just offering an alternative to women entering the clinic.

Unfortunately, Reverend Hoye is now fighting to stay out of jail. Please read his story and please pray for him.

UPDATE:
Reverend Hoye was sentenced this past Thursday. Please read about it here.

The scary thing is that by his sentencing under the Oakland bubble law, free speech has been restricted. Rev. Hoye was exercising his constitutional rights on a public sidewalk. Please continue to pray for Rev. Hoye and his defense team from Life Legal Defense Foundation, and pray that this injustice of restricting free speech will be overturned on appeal.

Patroness of our land

2009-02-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

I get so many requests for donations from Catholic and other charitible organizations it just blows me away. But every once in awhile there is something there that grabs my attention.

The prayer below is an excellent prayer for our nation. It is an excerpt from a prayer attributed to Archbishop John Carroll , first bishop of the United States.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy, born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our Mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God.
Amen.

Walkin' for Life

2009-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

Plus more pics here.

I hope you can join us next year - this is such a great event and truly recharges the pro-life batteries!

EXTRA: Read this piece from the local daily that quotes our Grand Knight.

Civil Rights for All

2009-01-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Today, our national holiday is in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the civil rights movement in the 1960's. As we know, his life was cut short by an assassin's bullet.

While many changes have been made in the thought and practice of our beliefs in this country that have helped King's dream to come alive, we still know the civil rights movement continues today.

It is indeed a milestone that in the history of this country that an African-American will become president tomorrow after taking the oath of office. Please pray for him as the presidency is an awesome responsibility.

But we have miles to walk still in our civil rights movement. As Knights, we must continue those efforts begun by Rev. King. We must continue to fight for the pre-born, those with genetic defects, those who are aged, and those who are terminally ill. We must fight the vocabulary of the culture that twists and distorts reality. Terms like "quality of life," "clump of cells," "pro-choice," and "death with dignity" distort the meaning when we are talking about whether or not someone lives or dies and whether or not a class of people deserves protection under our laws. It seems to me that in a time when we did not give certain classes of human beings equal protection under our laws, great suffering & death resulted.

So perhaps today we ought to ask ourselves what have we done to help provide civil rights to those classes of people who lack protection in our American culture today.

FOCA

2009-01-12T23:13:00.001-08:00

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) has caused quite a bit of discussion as of late. It is a bill that may be introduced in Congress after Barack Obama is sworn in as President. Basically, FOCA in its current form, if passed by the Congress and signed by the President, would wipe out all restrictions on abortion and void any conscience clauses for doctors & medical personnel who would not want to participate in an abortion.

You might wonder, if Mr. Obama receives the passed bill, what he might do with it. He seemingly answered the question at the end of an address to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on July 17, 2007 (thanks to the website www.lauraechevarria.com for the transcript of Mr. Obama's address).

Volition

2009-01-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

A short 15 minute movie was made recently called Volition. It is worth your time to watch. The first couple of minutes of the film are filmed in a sort of twilight and it is hard to see the action but stick through it and watch the rest of the film. It is well worth your time and demonstrates the parallels of three distinct historical realities that cry to God for vengeance.

Check it out and I'll open this post up for comments.

Send up those prayers

2009-01-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well, OK, here we are after a long hiatus. I will try to get some new posts up in the coming weeks. The tide of the holidays & holydays have had me quite busy.

So, here's a quick suggestion. Are you praying for our President-elect & Vice-President-elect? If you aren't, maybe you should. People in such positions definitely need prayer. And, for reasons surrounding the life issues, they especially need our prayers. Congress too.

While your at it, pray for our Supreme Court Justices - Federal and California. Again another group of people who can definitely use our prayers. Might as well throw in all federal & state judges. And don't forget our California Governor and the Legislature.

Some suggested saints and others to pray to:

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas
St. Thomas More
St. Nicholas of Myra (yes, that St. Nicholas)
St. John of Capistrano (in CA, we call him San Juan de Capistrano)
Venerable Fr. Michael McGivney
Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap
Servant of God, John Paul the Great
Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton Sheen

The Day After

2008-11-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

T'would appear that we have a president-elect who is not interested in protecting children in the womb. This is very disapppointing and that means we have some work to do.

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has some thoughts on this matter.

Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics - in living video

2008-10-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

So here is the video version of Catholic Answers Action guide to voting. If you prefer reading the guide to watching the video, then here is your link. There is also a Spanish version as well as for non-Catholic Christians here.

Proposition 8 - simply put

2008-10-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

This video is a straight forward explanation on Proposition 8 telling how we got here and the effects if it is passed or not passed.

Rosary Novena - at a decisive time in history

2008-10-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

As you have heard me mention before on this blog, we are engaged in spiritual battle. To fight a spiritual battle, you need the right sort of weapon. For those familiar with Father John Corapi, you won't be surprised by this call to action from his website:

Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.

Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children.

No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God’s will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being. May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well‐formed Catholic conscience.

Why we need Proposition 8

2008-10-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

I think you might find this video on the ramifications of Proposition 8 to be cause for concern. As a parent of young children, I am already too aware of how much the culture attempts to indoctrinate my children and how wary we must be as parents to this movement to redefine marriage.

National Director of 40 Days for Life visits Sacramento

2008-10-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

David Bereit, the National Director of 40 Days for Life, visited Northern California including Sacramento on Monday.

Listen to the audio report chronicling his visit. It is about 20 minutes long but is well worth a listen. Or, for those of you pressed for time, there is a short 4 minute video that gives you a glimpse of his visit:

If you haven't committed to prayer, fast, or witness for this prayer vigil, please email me and let me know how you wish to participate.

Vote your (informed) conscience

2008-10-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

This video is well worth your time to review. As practical Catholic gentlemen, we must remember how to approach our ballot - some issues are foundational and, thus, carry more weight than others. I encourage you to share this video with other family & friends - Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

40 Days for Life - coming up

2008-09-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

The fall campaign of 40 Days for Life is rapidly approaching. I had sent an email to our council email list and decided to post an excerpt of that note here:

With so much going on in our country right now – from the election to the economy to the assault on the traditional family – it is easy to give in despair. But, as Christians, we know who has already won the victory for us – our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ! It is through our faith and joyful hope in the Most Blessed Trinity that we will receive the courage, fortitude and discipline to participate with full hearts in this 40 Days for Life campaign. Isn’t 35 years of legal abortion enough? 50 million dead and 4,000 more innocent deaths everyday. There is no other U.S. law or policy that causes this many innocent deaths on a daily basis.

For too long, we have put our faith in elected officials and unelected judges to put an end to abortion. While we should pray for their conversion on this issue, it is time for us to put our faith in the only one who can really bring about the end of abortion – God. We simply need to run his program that we find throughout scripture – 40 Days. Noah, Moses, Christ himself and the Apostles all used 40 Days of prayer & fast and when they did, transformation happened.

I believe that today, right here in Sacramento, the Holy Spirit is calling us to participate in 40 Days for Life. If you have not signed up, I implore you to do so. And please pass this email along to family and friends. I believe that the more people who participate in this vigil, that our merciful God will bring about changes that we could never dare to expect otherwise. Changes that our elected officials and judges could never bring about.

I pray that each of you receives the courage to stand up & participate along with Christians across the nation for these 40 days and bring an end to abortion in this country. Let’s not leave this awful legacy of innocent deaths to our children & grandchildren.

Soup of the Day

2008-08-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Knights of Columbus have launched Headline Bistro, a new website that provides headlines and links to articles of interest for Catholics. It appears to have the Catholic voter in mind as it also lists information on ballot initiatives in each individual state. There are links to blogs, video, voter's guides and more.

This site will be extremely useful to those who wish to inform themselves on all of the issues that we must consider prior to marking our ballots this fall. You'll note that I have added to the list of links on the right.

So may I recommend that you skip the cafeteria and make haste for the bistro.

Baby Steps

2008-08-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

The American Life League has created a video that gives you a glimpse into the development of a baby. They use the new 4D technology to illustrate what goes on in the womb. It's just a shade over 5 minutes long. Amazing images!

Paul VI - prophet

2008-07-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

If ever we could point to a prophet in the 20th century, that person would be none other than Pope Paul VI. He continued the Second Vatican Council that was begun by his predecessor, John XXIII. During the council it was John XXIII who formed a commission that eventually looked at the question of artificial birth control. The majority of the commission recommended that the Church should approve of artificial birth control. Instead, Paul VI, in the relatively brief encyclical Humanae Vitae, upheld the Church's constant teaching that the use of artifical birth control is intrinsically evil.

The prophecy comes in Section 17 of the encyclical. Read these sni and see what I mean:

...Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards...Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection...

...Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone.

Marital infidelity, objectification of the human person, government imposed birth control (sterilization & abortion in China) - should we be surprised that the wide acceptance of artifical contraception has led us to a tragic increase in these evils?

If you haven't read Humanae Vitae, please do. It will put all false impressions to rest about this Church teaching which, for many, is so hard to accept.

Matthew 16:18-19

Yes on Proposition 4

2008-07-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Parental notification is on the ballot again and, in my humble opinion, we can't lose on this one again. This is the third try to get it passed and it has only lost by a few percentage points. Let's get behind this - talk to family & friends about it. Be sure to visit the Yes on 4 website. And while your at it, throw a few duckets their way. The other side is usually very well funded. It'd be nice for our side to help out with the campaign.

Meanwhile, check out this Sarah's Law video that drives home the point quite well.

The Creator has endowed us

2008-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

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.

I think these guys were onto something. Let me rephrase: our Creator has endowed us with the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Our Creator has also created all of us as equals. And these truths are self-evident - they are part of the one truth that is common no matter your belief system or form of government.

Let us remember that Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness belongs to all Americans and, indeed, to all people - especially those in the womb, those frozen in a science lab, those in elder-care facilities and those with fatal diseases.

Happy 232nd birthday, USA!

A People of Life and for Life

2008-06-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Council has rolled out a new pamphlet under their Culture of Life umbrella. This pamphlet is titled "A People of Life and for Life." The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view this one. Here's a snip from the pamphlet:

...As Knights of Columbus, we are called to do something to reverse the trend toward a culture of death. All of us have a duty to defend life at all stages and build a culture of life...

Further along is the encouragement to "take action now" - the implication being not to leave the work of defending life at all of its stages for someone else to do (priests, your grandchildren, post-abortive mothers, scientists, etc.). Sorry guys but the excuse of "it's not my issue" just ain't good enough anymore. When life is devalued at any stage, we all lose.

I hope to provide some of these pamphlets at an upcoming council meeting.

Rally Synopsis

2008-06-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

I did attend the rally yesterday. There were maybe 250 people in attendance. Not bad attendance for the short notice. To see a glimpse of the rally, the video is below. Photos are also available.

Rally for Life is this Wednesday

2008-06-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

I strongly encourage you to attend the Rally for Life this Wednesday June 18th on the west steps of the Capitol.

Brother Knights: if you plan to attend, please wear your name badges so that you may be identified as Knights of Columbus. I intend to be at the rally from 11:30 to 12:30.

Be sure to drop me a line if you plan to attend so I can get an idea of who will be there.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

(St. Joseph with Child by Guido Reni, from Wikipedia’s article on St. Joseph)

Today, in modern culture, fatherhood is not respected as it once was. When was the last time you saw a TV show or movie with a family in it where the father is portrayed as anything other than clueless, violent, or absent? It is those stereotypes that give fatherhood a bad name. Being a dad myself, I know that God didn't make fatherhood easy but sacrificial.

When my children (well, mostly the 4-year old) are pushing my buttons & trying my patience, I try to remember Christ's open arms on the cross and that I am willing to give up much for these little ones. Babies and children are blessings - so overlook those challenging moments and know that you are forming these little souls so that they might be bathed in the joy of the Father's house someday.

Let's take a moment today and thank God for the gift of the good men who our fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, priests & bishops (spiritual fathers), and any other men who served as father figures for us. Here is a prayer attributed to Blessed Pope John XXIII:

Prayer for Fathers

St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of material life your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over him faithfully as you have done. Amen.

Pro-Life 2.0

2008-06-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

I listened recently to a presentation called “Pro-Life 2.0: Exciting New Developments to Help End Abortion in America." The presentation was given by David Bereit, the Executive Director of the 40 Days for Life campaign.
You may remember that the 40 Days for Life effort of prayer & fasting, constant vigil, & community outreach has been conducted simultaneously in Sacramento and cities all over America last spring and in the fall of last year. I am highly encouraged by this effort and you will hear more about this effort & how critical it is for you to be involved in this effort in the weeks & months to come.

Noah & Moses found it transforming...

2008-06-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

40 days - if enough of us pray & fast - can change the course of history.

Study, Reflect, Act

2008-06-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this new initiative I am starting as Pro-Life Director for Sacramento Council #953. As more of us engage the internet to become informed, I thought this would be a good way to keep our council members informed of issues that relate to building a culture of life as our Holy Father of happy memory - John Paul the Great - called it. I hope you find this blog informative, that it helps you to find a deeper respect for God's gift of human life, and that you will then act to help bring that about in our city, country & world.