Reclaiming Our Children

Happy Mother's Day

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How are you all are doing with Mothers Day  ? I know that many of you may be suffering.  Not an easy time, and a huge abortion connector.

Mother’s Day brings out all the missing aspects of our children, the very nurturing we are created to bring as the person who is suppose to bring them life.

 So, why then do I want to wish all our post abortive moms (yes you heard me, you are still moms), a Happy Mother’s Day? No, I am not telling you to be happy that you had an abortion and you may be asking," How can I ever be happy , when I feel so totally miserable?"

I am going to tell you how.

 

Because you are still a mom

Because you child is “living with the Lord” as it says in the Gospel of Life #99

Because your child desires your healing

Because your child loves and forgives you

Because you love your child

Because God desires your healing and longs to give it to you

Because one day you will be with your child in heaven

Because hope and healing are possible with God

 This Mother’s Day acknowledge your feelings but also reclaim your child/children.. and  thank God for His Mercy and many gifts by embracing your motherhood.

  

From The Gospel of Life:

“I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life.” John Paul II

 

Happy Mother's Day !

Mothers Day & Mary

With Mothers day tomorrow this quote really struck me. So many push for those who have had an abortion to just "forget about it". "Get on with life"
Some even make people feel guilty for having a hard time with a day like this. It is ok to grieve, it is ok not to be ok. Just reach out for help. Having a hard time does not mean you do not believe in the forgiveness and mercy of God. It just means you are still grieving and working things out and that is ok. Mary knew Jesus died for our salvation and still she grieved and was sorrowful. It takes time to heal. There is a difference between clinging to sin and refusing forgiveness and grieving the loss.
If you are having a hard time reach out...bring it to Jesus and Mary who totally understand. Spiritually embrace your child/children. Even though you cannot see them they are with you...

Humanity wants its share. Mary the mother of Jesus also knew that his death meant the redemption of the human race, yet she wept and suffered and how much she suffered. St. Padre Pio

In The Middle of Her wounds

By Theresa Bonopartis

For close to 30 years now, I have had a deep devotion to Our Lady under the title of Our Lady of Czestochowa. I did not go looking for her. She sought me out.

At first it was subtle. I had never encountered her before, and then I started seeing her everywhere I went - in churches, in pictures, and then as a penance in the form of a novena during the Sacrament of Confession. The famous image of Our Lady of Czestochowa is so peculiar, you cannot help but be curious. Her dark skin, sad look, and facial scars beg to be questioned.

First, some back story: The image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, also known as the Black Madonna, resides at the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland. According to pious tradition, St. Luke painted the image on a piece of cedar wood originally used by the Blessed Virgin Mary as a table in her home. Saint Helena discovered the image in the Holy Land in the fourth century. In the 15th century, St. Ladislaus brought it to Poland. Around that time, a Tartar arrow struck Our Lady in the throat. Then, the Hussites stole the image, and one of them slashed her face twice with a sword. But before he could strike it a third time, he fell to the floor and died. Since then, every time someone has tried to repair the scar on her throat and the gashes on her face, they reappear. Many other miraculous stories are associated with this holy image. The feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa is Aug. 26.

Not long after I had co-developed the "Entering Canaan" ministry for healing from abortion, which is particularly dedicated to Divine Mercy, in prayer, I felt as though Our Lady wanted to be patroness of this ministry. I thought that, like the scars on her face, the wounds of abortion may be healed, although they remain forever part of you.

My penance novena became a daily prayer. I prayed it for close to 20 years for the conversion of my father, who had once coerced me into having an abortion. He received the Sacraments before he died, and the last thing we spoke about together was my aborted son, Joshua. But it did not stop there, nor did my daily novena to Our Lady.

So much has confirmed our relationship over the years. Just like an earthly relationship, we have continued to grow closer. When the pilgrimage image of Our Lady of Czestochowa toured the world a few years ago, I was not surprised to discover that one of the intentions of the mission was the healing of those who had experienced abortion.

When the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, made a mosaic of the image out of pictures of those devoted to her, I found an image of myself right in the middle of her wounds. Where else would I be?

She remains a deep part of my everyday life, leading me always to her Son. On a recent visit to the Shrine in Jasna Gora, Poland, I felt as though I were visiting her home. She welcomed and embraced me in her peace and held me close to her in prayer. She obtained countless graces for me and others whom I have prayed for.

I have often thought of the scars on Our Lady of Czestochowa's face and their parallel with abortion. Women are told to forget about their abortions. Still, the scars remain. Over the years, I have watched as she has helped heal so many. It is no wonder that the scars of Our Lady, endured for our salvation, remain as well.

Recently, a priest friend of mine told me that Our Lady of Czestochowa looks like a warrior. I agree. A warrior ready for battle. Perhaps in this day and time, that is exactly what we need - a warrior who will lead an army of her children in the battlefields of this world to conquer evil through the grace she obtains from her Son. Mothers can be fierce when protecting their children from harm.

In St. Faustina's Diary, Jesus says, "I bear a special love for Poland, and if she will be obedient to My will, I will exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming" (1732). Many think He was speaking of Pope St. John Paul II. He, St. Maximillian Kolbe, and St. Faustina have all been sparks. But I believe He was referring to Our Lady of Czestochowa.

I want to be with her as a warrior in her army. I pray to her daily for the courage, strength, and grace to fight alongside her in this crazy world, as she crushes the head of Satan. The battle has already begun. Are you willing to fight alongside her? She is calling you.

To learn more about Theresa Bonapartis' post-abortive healing ministry "Entering Canaan," visit EnteringCanaan.com or read her book A Journey to Healing Through Divine Mercy (Marian Press), which you can find on ShopMercy.org (Product code: TH-MERBK).

Holy Hour for Life

Abortion and Siblings

 

 

Pilgrimage to Poland

To Those who Mourn

To Those Who Mourn,

When I was seventeen years old I underwent a second trimester, saline abortion. Although I wanted to have my baby, my parents pressured me to submit to the abortion.

After many hours of labor, I gave birth to a dead baby boy. To say that this had a major impact on my life is an understatement.

When I look back at where I have come from–to all the guilt, the shame, and the grief of abortion–it is with continual amazement. I now live my life with a deep joy and gratitude. Instead of doubting the mercy and goodness of God, I have come to expect it.

It is said that God can bring good out of even the worst situations. There was a time when I would have found this hard to believe, but I know through personal experience that it is true.

Through His grace, those who have had abortions can come to find peace, healing, and even joy in their lives.

I know some of you are probably thinking, “but I had more than one abortion,” or “mine was probably worse than hers,” or “nobody forced me to abort,” etc.

My answer to you is that the process of healing from abortion isn’t about who you are and what you’ve done, it is about who God is and what He has done!

The mercy of God is there for the taking–if you only dare to trust His lead on the journey of healing. His mercy will bring you a new level of life, one that is full of peace. I feel this peace because God now lives within me.

I no longer feel the need to be perfect, because I know that God loves me in spite of my imperfections–and even because of them.

I no longer fear abandonment, for I have learned that He never abandoned me–even after my abortion.

Through my healing I now have more compassion and mercy for others. I am careful not to judge, for I know where I have come from and how much I needed compassion and mercy. Through my child lost to abortion, God has taught me about true love, as opposed to the self-centered attachments I always wanted.

Through the forgiveness I have received from God and others, I have learned how to forgive others–and even myself. Because of the love I have found in God, I am less afraid of suffering, because I know I am never alone in this life. He is with me.

I won’t lie to you. It was a difficult journey. You must face yourself honestly, and it is frightening to confront the many faults we have.

For those of us who are post-abortive, often the very things we have to face are the same fears that caused us to choose abortion in the first place. The paradox is that facing these things–pride, self-love, fear of abandonment, etc.–is what will set us free from them.

No matter how hard the journey, it is never as difficult as what you are living with now.

So I invite you to begin your journey toward healing, and I pray that you will begin by reaching out to those who can help you.

Remember that you are not alone in your feelings. There are reasons for them. There is no room for “politics” or controversy in post-abortion healing. We have lost our children. We must be allowed to grieve for them.

Through healing you will become a better person in spite of your abortion. God, through His mercy and love, is waiting for you.

I will be praying for you,

Theresa Bonopartis

Unwanted Abortion

Unwanted Abortion Are Common and Strongly Linked to Subsequent Mental Health Decline, New Study 

Louis, MO (Feb. 1, 2023) — Women who feel pressured to have abortions blame their abortions for a decline in their mental health, according to a new peer reviewed study. They were also more likely to say their abortions led to frequent feelings of grief, loss, and disruption of their lives and relationships.

“Over 60% of women who had abortions reported feeling high levels of pressure to abort from one or more sources,” said the lead author David Reardon. “Only 5 percent reported little or no pressure.  Those who felt pressure to abort had more negative reactions across ten different scales.” 

The Unwanted Abortion Studies are a series of studies designed to investigate the prevalence and effects of abortions that conflict with women’s own maternal preferences and moral beliefs. The new study asked women to rate the degree of pressure, if any, they faced from each of five sources: their male partner, family members, other people, financial concerns, and other circumstantial pressures. 

Data was collected using the online survey tools of a national marketing firm drawing on their sample of over 28 million U.S. residents. Women 41-45 years of age were invited to participate until 1,000 surveys were fully completed. Respondents were not informed of the survey topic until they had completed at least one page of background information.

There was a 96% completion rate, with 22.6% reporting a history of abortion.  Those who reported an abortion were four times more likely to drop out once additional questions were asked about their abortion experiences. 

“This is why surveys about abortion will always underreport negative outcomes,” said Reardon. “It is precisely the women feeling the most negative emotions who are most likely to not want to talk about it.”

“It is our hope that this research will point a spotlight on an area of common ground for people on both sides of the political debate over abortion,” said Reardon.  “Surely, everyone can agree that efforts should be made to prevent unwanted and unsafe abortions.” 

Citing: 

Reardon D C, Longbons T (January 31, 2023) Effects of Pressure to Abort on Women’s Emotional Responses and Mental Health. Cureus 15(1): e34456. doi:10.7759/cureus.34456

Entering Canaan - Brighton Michigan

 

 We have kicked off our Entering Canaan Day of Prayer & Healing ministry in Brighton, Michigan.  Our dedicated team is so honored and excited after the Covid hiatus in 2019.  We had so much momentum from a retreat with Theresa in 2014.  At that time she had suffered the loss of her dear friend Father Benedict Groeschel.  We feel his helping hand to this day with our humility and the timing of so many blessings. God knew we were not ready then and both he and our Lady have had their hand on us.  I know God worked on me personally from the calling to start this ministry.  But I needed the time and suffering to learn, as Theresa counseled, to “get out of the way, Eileen!”.  

    Now there is great joy in watching God work with our team who have expanded since the core group from 2019.  Our mission is now more organized and focused on post-abortive suffering.  I am certain Theresa will whole heartedly agree!  She patiently counseled and encouraged us to follow the model when we tried desperately to “make it work” with only a deacon and no confession.  We have since rallied and have graciously received priests who strongly support our mission.  In fact, yesterday we had 7 women (5 new) who joined us and 3 who confessed their abortion for the first time!  They expressed so much gratitude and we saw the healing on their faces.   

    The salvation of souls who suffer from the pain of abortion is our primary goal.  God’s hand reaches out to them through us.  Most noticeably we feel God during the courageous witness talks and group sharing as the most common theme in post abortive women is loneliness in our shame.  We bond through connection and support of each other.  As in the Resurrection, a group of God’s people who once walked in darkness are shown great light.  Restoration!  

    It is such a privilege to be part of this ministry.  We happily report increasing attendance as word spreads of our work.  We even have participants from over 50 miles away driving out to be a part of the day.  Feedback is extremely positive with an average of 9.7/10.  One of the priests who has served with us said: “ I encourage women suffering from the effects of abortion to experience God’s love and mercy in this confidential and compassionate setting.”  What a blessing during this Easter season!  Alleluia!  

 Eileen Craig

Divine Mercy Novena Day 3 - Easter Sunday

“Today bring to Me
ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me
consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of
consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.”

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your
graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It.
We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly
Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.\

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon
the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant
protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the
holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they
glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.