Reclaiming Our Children

Jim & Joy

Although it has gotten better, millions of women, men, siblings and grandparents are still suffering in silence because of the loss of a child from abortion.

Very grateful for the opportunity yesterday to be on EWTN's  "At Home with Jim & Joy" live, and spread the message of God's healing and forgiveness. It is already reaping fruit!

The show will re-air this Saturday, March 3rd at 10:30 am.

Thank you Jim & Joy ! 

 

Also wonderful to see the beautiful chapel at EWTN...you cannot really see it here but the back window is so unique...frosted angels playing instruments before the Blessed Sacrament!

 

Upcoming Men's Retreat

God is not a bully - connecting the dots

Sadly, bullying is not just a problem with children, many adults are bullied as well. Whether it is a husband, wife, friend, boss or some other person n your life, it is not a good feeling.

I admit it. I do not do well with people who are controlling and bully other people. In fact, I can do so poorly with it, that dealing with someone like that can ruin an entire day. I hate to admit it, but it is true and something I definitely need divine intervention to let go of (and often confession!).

For me, bullying, being passive aggressive or controlling is a major abortion connector, one that makes my back go up. It is exactly what my father did to coerce me into having an abortion. He bullied and pushed me into a corner, controlling me through abandonment, until he got me to do what he wanted me to do, take the life of my unborn child. 

The feelings people that do this invoke in others are not pretty. I personally feel an aversion and often find myself avoiding the person. It is even worse when these people profess to be of faith. 

Yes, I have my issues with it, and probably always will in this life although I can let go of it a lot easier now, because I know what is going on. It has more to do with the past than the present. Still, bullying, threatening, passive aggressive behavior is not right and does much to harm the dignity of the person it is being directed to. It certainly is not pro life.

God is not a bully, nor is He controlling. He has gifted us with free will. He wins our hearts by His unconditional love and forgiveness, and it is in this way that we want to do His will. Because we are loved, forgiven, and given dignity by Him who we then want to love and respect back and do all He asks of us.

Bullying and controlling behavior does not draw people to God or good works. It is self serving and sinful. Sadly, the behaviors it provokes in others are often sinful as well. Only through God's grace are we able to overcome some of the deep connectors we have as a result of our abortion experiences. He understands and is ready to help us, healing our wounds as only He can.

Bask in the mystery of Christ's passion

This is by far my favorite time of year. The season of Lent. The time of God's great love and mercy for ME!

Amazing isn't it? That someone who thought herself unforgivable because of an abortion, would now know in her heart that He would have made this sacrifice even if I were the only person on earth. I know this to be true.

There is a beautiful Eucharistic prayer in our church that goes like this "We are to show to those in need His goodness to ourselves." For me, this is what this work is all about. To spread the love, mercy and forgiveness of God, because I know He would have done the same thing for each of you if you were the only person alive.

Bask in the mystery of Christ's passion, resurrection and ascension....the act of redemption for each one of us....

The Air We Breathe

Thanks to Peggy Noonan for this article.

The other aspect of course is that millions of this generation know of brothers and sisters that were aborted and are left wondering why they are alive, feeling guilty and worthless.

Next sibling weekend is June 29-July 1st. Spread the word...there is healing.

 

The Parkland Massacre and the Air We Breathe
What’s gone wrong with our culture that produces such atrocities? It’s a very long list.

Peggy Noonan

We discuss motives, but isn’t it always the same motive? “I have murder in my heart.” Why do so many Americans have murder in their hearts?

That is my question after the St. Valentine’s Day shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. We all know it is part of a continuing cultural catastrophe. A terrible aspect of the catastrophe is that so many central thoughts about it, and questions, have been flattened by time into clichés. People stop hearing when you mention them. “We talked about that during Columbine, didn’t we? That couldn’t be it.”

So we immediately revert to discussions of gun law, and only gun law. There is much to be improved in that area—I offer a suggestion at the end—but it is not the only part of the story. The story is also who we are now and what shape we’re in.

A way to look at the question is: What has happened the past 40 years or so to produce a society so ill at ease with itself, so prone to violence?
We know. We all say it privately, but it’s so obvious it’s hardly worth saying. We have been swept by social, technological and cultural revolution. The family blew up—divorce, unwed childbearing. Fatherless sons. Fatherless daughters, too. Poor children with no one to love them. The internet flourished. Porn proliferated. Drugs, legal and illegal. Violent videogames, in which nameless people are eliminated and spattered all over the screen. (The Columbine shooters loved and might have been addicted to “Doom.”) The abortion regime settled in, with its fierce, endless yet somehow casual talk about the right to end a life. An increasingly violent entertainment culture—low, hypersexualized, full of anomie and weirdness, allergic to meaning and depth. The old longing for integration gave way to a culture of accusation—you are a supremacist, a misogynist, you are guilty of privilege and defined by your color and class, we don’t let your sort speak here.

the rest is here

Temptation

In the Gospel we read how Jesus remained in the desert for forty days tempted by Satan.

Having been separated from God by our abortions, we are often, within the healing process, tempted, even if we have gone to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Temptations to despair, temptation to old behaviors, temptations to unforgiveness towards other , ourselves, or even believing God has not forgiven us....the list can go on and on.

Temptations are not in themselves a sin. It is what we do with them that can become sinful. It is important to nip them in the beginning so they do not grow into actions. Jesus in His temptations, prayed to God and fasted. He used them as an occasion to join to His Father and grow stronger in His resolve. He knew satan was a lair and that God is love and Mercy.

The next time you are tempted to despair in your healing, feeling like you are going nowhere and wanting to give up, use the occasion instead, as an opportunity to proclaim your trust in God in spite of what you are feeling.

Pray, offer the temptation up for someone or something, and most importantly reach out for help by picking up the phone and speaking to someone who can guide and walk you through it...the devil wants to isolate us so he can fill our head with his lies... remember always, as Jesus did, God love loves you and is there with you even when you cannot feel Him.

 

 

Prayer of St Faustina (that saw me through many temptations)

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless

and the treasury of compassion---inexhaustible,

look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us,

that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent,

but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will,

which is Love and Mercy itself. (950)

At Home with Jim & Joy!

 

 

Looking forward to being on "At Home with Jim & Joy" Live on Monday, February 26th at 2pm EST, EWTN.

Will be speaking about the impact of abortion on society.

Tune in!

Call in!

 

An Amazing Truth

Lent is a time when we are called to look at our sinfulness through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

There is a temptation when we look at our sinfulness to get stuck there. We keep the focus on ourselves and beat ourselves up because of our misery. We get stuck in the “I cannot believe I had an abortion” mode. This, however, is false pride…why should be so shocked that we can commit such a sin? Once we turn from the will of God any sin is possible.

During Lent, we are asked to move beyond that self focus, to focus on the passion of Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice for our sins, even our sin of abortion. It is a time to meditate on His great love for us. As we come to know this love, we do not sacrifice during lent only because we are told to, but instead, because we cannot help loving Him and wanting to return a sacrifice out of that love.

Today, take a few minutes to sit before a cross and repeat “Jesus died on the cross for my sins, even my sin of abortion”. It is an amazing truth of God's love for you!

He loves you as you are

So today is Ash Wednesday, and we enter in to the season of Lent. I love Lent. It is really an opportunity to pull myself back to God, putting Him first and foremost. I would like to think I do that all the time, but the truth is, I often get caught up in things and find I have strayed during the day.

Somehow, during Lent it is  always less likely, as I am more conscious, attempt to keep my promises and fight my urges to break them! And so, I love this quote from "The Gift of Faith". It reminds me that I can always be  with God no matter what.

He will not love me "if" or "when". He always loves me and even loved me when I had my abortion. Of course, that does not mean it was ok to abort my baby, but it does mean that in spite of what I did, He can understand why it may have happened, and He was always there loving me , calling me to Himself.

When you are fighting temptations, especially the temptation to not forgive yourself, remember this quote and that Christ accepts and loves you as you are!

 

"Try, in the light of faith to look at your own imperfections in such a way that you are not saddened by them: Christ accepts you as you are. You can go to Him with all your imperfections and weaknesses. He will repair what you have done wrong and complete all that you lack."

(The Gift of Faith, pg. 83)

Mercy Renewal Retreat

This is the last call for our yearly "Mercy Renewal Retreat". 

This is a retreat developed for those who have been in healing, or those who minister in post abortion healing. It is a time of "renewal" which will aide you in your spiritual growth and healing.

It is just about full, but we do have room for a couple of more people so I am putting it out there for the last time . If you have journeyed on the road to healing and want a great retreat for the Lenten season, pray about attending. I know you will not be disappointed.

Fr Fidelis, CFR will be the spiritual director. The retreat consists of conferences with talks by different women and Father. Adoration and the sacraments are present throughout the weekend, as well a group, all in the beautiful setting of Mary's Villa in Sloatsburg , NY.