Reclaiming Our Children

Letting Jesus Be the Center

A Beautiful homily by Fr Francis Mary, CFR

29 Sept_24_let Jesus be the center

Shame and Abortion

Although Father is not speaking of abortion, his experience of shame is common to those of us who have had one. Also the overreaction of things in the present because of something in the past.

Abortion connectors!!!! 

great reminder when we overreact to a present situation it probably is triggering something in our past.

 

How to Break Free from Sin & Shame | LITTLE BY LITTLE | Fr Columba Jordan CF

Guardian Angels

Years ago when I went to Fatima, we also were blessed to visit the shrine to the Angels where they gave us this beautiful prayer to say....

Promise to The Guardian Angel

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and Earth are full of Thy Glory.

Kneeling  before Thy majesty,
we thank Thee, O God,  that Thou hast given to each of us a heavenly companion to be at our side, one who leads us according to Thy will,
directs us in Thy paths and manifests to us Thy love.

We resolve here in Thy presence
to love our holy companion as a brother
and to obey him when he speaks to us
through the voice of conscience.
He will surely lead us to heaven.

Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, take my hand and place it in the hand of my Guardian Angel
and make the sign of our Redemption over it.

Thy blessing, for our salvation.

In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Trusting to the Point of Folly

An article I wrote in Aleteia in 2014 on St Therese...

The "Little Flower" showed me that the way out of darkness to sanctity begins in humility

Sanctity, as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux says, is expressed most fully, not in actions or specific deeds but in a disposition of the heart that makes us little and humble in the arms of Our Father, aware of our weakness and helplessness yet trusting to the point of folly in his Fatherly love. ("In the Arms of Mary")

Sometimes it feels as if God is pushing me more and more to deeper levels of trust. It is not easy. Life can be challenging. Sometimes it seems that no matter where we look there are issues to be dealt with, battles to be fought, work to be done, but mostly, practice in the art of letting go and trusting to the point of folly.

I have a special devotion to St. Thérèse whom I was named after, because of my paternal grandfather’s huge devotion to her. I am convinced she had more than a little to do with my conversion.

My Aunt Lucy often told me how for years she prayed daily for St. Thérèse’s intercession with God to bring me back to the faith. When I did return to the faith, “The Story of a Soul” was the first spiritual book I was given to read by the priest who was giving me spiritual direction.

In the midst of confronting my sinfulness and living in darkness and despair, the simple spirituality of St. Thérèse made conversion and even holiness seem attainable. It was a  relief to hear what I already knew, that I could never do it on my own, but I needed to throw myself into our Father’s arms with trust in His love for me and He would do the rest.

She also gave me the tools to deal with the darkness that enveloped my life because of abortion. Those times when I felt immersed in a darkened well unable to see or feel anything like hope because of my grave sin, her words were more than a little comforting.

"O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become of it if it were big? Never would it have the boldness to appear in Your presence, to fall asleep in front of You. Yes, this is still one of the weaknesses of the little bird: when it wants to fix its gaze upon the Divine Sun, and when the clouds prevent it from seeing a single ray of that Sun, in spite of itself, its little eyes close, its little head is hidden beneath its wing, and the poor little thing falls asleep, believing all the time that it is fixing its gaze upon its Dear Star. When it awakens, it doesn’t feel desolate; its little heart is at peace and it begins once again its work of love. It calls upon the angels and saints who rise like eagles before the consuming Fire, and since this is the object of the little bird’s desire the eagles take pity on it, protecting and defending it, and putting to flight at the same time the vultures who want to devour it. These vultures are the demons whom the little bird doesn’t fear, for it is not destined to be their prey but the prey of the Eagle whom it contemplates in the center of the Sun of Love."

How often I thought of that “little bird” and facing the Divine Sun in spite of what I felt! She made heaven accessible to me. She was so human. She spoke of her "little way of confidence and love," trusting in His goodness to her to the point of folly.

St. Thérèse made it possible for me to believe in healing, forgiveness, and mercy because she made me recognize, not only that I was unable to heal myself, but I did not need to. God wanted to do it because of His love for me in spite of my failing and weaknesses.

Trusting to the point of folly is a road to sanctity. A road whose only requirement is a true act of the will to trust always in the one who came to give us life!

Theresa Bonopartisis the director of the post-abortion  healing program Lumina and co-developer of the “Entering Canaan” post abortion ministry model. The Church celebrates October 1 as the feast day of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

Trusting in Fear

“Although the desert is fearful, I walk with lifted head and eyes fixed on the sun: that is to say, on the merciful Heart of Jesus! (Diary, 886)

 

In my talks, I often speak of how shy I was before my healing. I make a joke of it but it is completely true, I was afraid to order MacDonald’s. That is how timid I was. Now, God has me speaking of my worse sin often in front of thousands of people! Talk about the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have come to disassociate myself with my talks because I truly believe they are about HIM, and what He has done in my life, not about me and what I have done. The miracle of my healing has given me the great gift of courage through my faith. Something I am so grateful for and of which I would not be able to do this work without. It has also given me great freedom, because my trust is in Him not in me. Before every talk I ask Him to kick me out of the way and give me the words He would have me say.

Does this mean there is never any anxiety or fear? Of course not, but these are the times where I allow it to be about me instead of Him. Times when my human nature is fighting to take over, and either get me to quit or get me to fumble. Sometimes, I am tormented for days before a talk and it is only my faith in Him that allows me to continue.

I move forward in spite of the fear because I know it is His will for me. I may have to drag myself to the place I am speaking fighting myself all the way, but the important thing is, I go, in spite of all I am feeling.

I am sure that a part of Jesus wanted to run the other way many times during His ministry, especially on the way to Golgatha, but He also knew the goodness and love of the Lord and what He willed for Him and trusted in that goodness.

So, I drag myself along like the limping sheep in the Gospel. I pray to kick myself out of the way, keep my eyes on Him and trust that He will provide what it is I am meant to say. I ask for Our Lady’s intercession as always, and I speak to the truth of abortion, its destruction of the unborn and its damage to countless others, and then I watch the grace of God work, as He touches hearts and minds with His Mercy.

“Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”  Pope John Paul II (15^th World Youth Day, Vigil of Prayer, Tor Vergata, August 19, 2000)

An excerpt from the book "A Journey to Healing Through Divine Mercy"

Defend us in Battle!

I don’t know if anyone can ever fully understand the trauma of abortion if they have never been through it.  The wound is so deep that just reaching its depth is excruciating.  It is hard to comprehend the pain surrounding this trauma and the faith and trust needed to work through it.

I love working with those who have experienced abortion. I understand the amazing gift of their soul that they are giving when they share their experience and trust enough to bare their soul in its entirety, knowing that I understand because I have been there, and they will still be loved.  I understand how precious this gift of trust is that they give, when they have experienced abandonment, betrayal, abuse, and most traumatic, the death of their child.  The loss is not of an abstract child or unborn baby, it is their child.

How do you explain to others the depths of that wound or the value of the gift of trust you give after that experience? I am not sure there are words to adequately do that, but I do know the value of such an act and pray each day never to abuse that trust, but to cherish it always.

The wound of the trauma of abortion never leaves you in this life.  Sure, you can have deep spiritual healing, joy, and peace in your life.  Trust that comes from totally experiencing the mercy of God will always get you through whatever life brings you, but you are also still an imperfect human with weakness and flaws. That means you will suffer at times, and that the trauma will come up through your personal connectors.  But, do not lose hope at those times.  It is God calling you deeper into His heart.

The opening of those deep wounds on a human level can take a lot of suffering to close up again, but that has nothing to do with your faith or trust in God. Faith is not a feeling and you can surely suffer deeply while still trusting. Jesus did it.  You can, as He did, offer your suffering up to God which He will surely use for good.

When He was betrayed and abandoned, Jesus felt deep pain, but He trusted through it all. His suffering and horrific death led to the resurrection and our salvation. He trusted and won the battle over sin and death. His life in us, by His grace, will do the same.

So many of the saints have told us this as well, as evidenced in the following quotes by two Saints whose feast days we celebrate in the coming week.

“O my Jesus, you know what efforts are needed to live sincerely and unaffectedly with those from whom our nature flees, or with those who, deliberately or not, have made us suffer. Humanly speaking, this is impossible. At such times more than at others, I try to discover the Lord Jesus in such a person and for this same Jesus, I do everything for such people.” St. Faustina Diary 766

“I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, that there are many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of the Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: 'My God I choose all!' I do not want to be a saint by halves. I'm not afraid to suffer for you. I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for I choose all that You will!" St. Therese

I truly believe those healed from abortion are then called be major warriors in this life.  Called to be sufferers with Christ. I believe that their sufferings will then be redemptive, another paradox of the amazing mercy of God, that He would use those who participated in such a horrific act to, through their suffering and witness to His mercy, bring others to His heart.

No, I do not think there are very many who can truly understand the trauma of abortion if they have not been there, but God understands, and in the end He is the only one that matters.

Jesus, we trust in You!

 Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Men-Hurting after Abortion?

Mending My Heart and Marriage after Abortion

A hole was ripped in my heart the day I got my abortion along with a hole in my marriage. How could I trust this person who did not love all of me, did not want our baby?  Who was I now that I had rejected this new life?  I hated myself.  My identity as a mother and wife was shattered. What kind of mother was I? How could I ever respect myself again?  How could I respect my marriage, my husband? How come I didn’t stand up for my child?  How come I didn’t know it was a child and not a blob of cells?  I hated the people who had convinced me abortion was the better path.  I hated the people who made me think choosing life was a selfish act. And one of those people was my husband. I hated myself for being so blind.

I felt deadened.  I thought my husband would always protect me and now I knew different.  I felt unloved by the man I had always thought loved me.  We carried on, but it was different because I felt I could never be happy again.  I resented my husband for his lack of support, for his lack of understanding of my pain; a pain that only increased with time. After fifteen years it had become intolerable.

He could only see things in practical terms and was impatient with me at times, but in the end I wore him down.  He came to finally share my deep regret.  Only the grace of God in our marriage could heal this kind of schism.  John Paul II had blessed our marriage and I credit him with keeping us together. But those were lonely years filled with failed attempts to release, cover and deny the agony. Attempts that did not work and were often very destructive.

We were ignorant really and duped by the secularists around us who influenced our thinking and only thought of the child in materialistic terms.  We had lost our connection to God.  That’s when I became absolutely certain that returning to the Catholic Church, which we had left, was my only salvation.  Only there would I find Christ truly revealed.  Only there, could I trust I would find the truth.

In my weakness I had closed my heart and mind.  Everyone else, every other theology, spirituality, philosophy had lied to me and led me down this path of destruction. Only the Catholic Church taught the hard truths in the face of the worldwide lie and pressure to believe that abortion was just a simple procedure that benefited woman and their families. My first abortion took me away from the Catholic Church. My second brought me back.

My healing began through an Entering Canaan Day of Prayer and Healing and continued at a Hope & Healing weekend.  I saw the brochure at the back of my Church and at first threw it away.  They’ll just make me feel guilty I thought.  I had confessed my sin, what more can I do?  I don’t want to dwell on it. It took 12 more months of on and off depression and increasing feelings of despair and regret for me to listen to that little voice saying go – go to this retreat.

I spent the whole day shedding the tears I had never shed and experiencing the love of God.  I actually took off the cloak of denial and justification of what I had done and was wrapped in Christ’s warmth and healing mercy.  The Hope & Healing Weekend was even deeper.  I was able to believe and rest in God’s forgiveness.

Now, I wanted this for my husband.  I wanted this for his soul.  I knew that he had never suffered the regret I had, but I also knew that if he did not face up to his part, it would keep him from God and keep him from me.  It took a little prodding but he saw the change in me.  He saw me experience joy and peace even though there still was sadness.

After a while, my husband attended an Entering Canaan men’s retreat. I could tell immediately that this had been a profound experience for him.  In the end, it has brought us so much closer together.  We are now on the same spiritual track, and he has asked for my forgiveness. This moved me deeply and washed away any feelings of bitterness I had.  I feel like I finally have my sweetheart back.   ~CSB

Pray, Hope & don't worry!

Today is the Feast Day of Padre Pio...a Capuchin priest who had the stigmata (bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus), could read souls in the confessional and also was known to have the gifts of bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment ( People would come from all around to have him hear their confessions...he would spend hours and hours in the confessional and was know for telling people sins they left out while confessing!

All his life he was also said to have seen his guardian angel. There is a great book about this relationship called  "Send Me Your Guardian Angel" http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/Send-Me-Your-Guardian-Angel/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/18300/   A definite must read!

In 1918 Padre Pio received the visible stigmata, which would stay with him for the next 50 years.

Like St Terese and St Faustina, and many saints, he also said that after his death he would do more. His body  is said to be incorrupt.

When I first came back to the church and learned about Padre Pio he terrified me. I felt he could see all my sins and was sure to , like my aborted son, to convict me before God. As time went by and I learned my faith and Gods deep love and mercy and His desire for me to be in heaven, I developed a close relationship with Padre Pio. His Novena to the Sacred Heart is a prayer I have said daily for years and I consider him one of the saints I feel closest to and know he is continually helping me in this life.

May Padre Pio intercede for each of us. May we send him our guardian angels and together may they  lead us to heaven to eternal life with Jesus, Mary and our unborn children who love us with the love of Christ!

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.


II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Sorrowing for both the unborn and those souls lost because of abortion!

“The Mother of Sorrows is my confidante, my teacher, my counselor, and my powerful advocate.”
– Padre Pio

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!