Reclaiming Our Children

Abortion & the Eighth Station

“Do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.”

I just saw what they are calling a “fact sheet” put out by the White House, touting how wonderful they are for protecting women’s “ reproductive rights”.  Of course, their “facts” are based on half-truths and downright lies. It is scary and heartbreaking because sadly many women believe their rhetoric. In fact I think it is possible the Democrats are going to win on the abortion issue. I pray I am wrong. I hate to think we have become so hard hearted that we will do anything so that we can kill our unborn children.

Just this week France secured abortion in their constitution lighting up the Eiffel Tower with the words “my body, my choice” in French, and as if that were not bad enough, the Huffington Post had a piece from a mom who was lamenting the fact that our daughters may not have access to abortion if they go to college in certain states, so be careful which one you pick! After all, abortion access is more important than education.

One thing each of these pieces had in common, aside from their blatant lies, was the omission of the truth of what abortion is and does. The online definition states, “ Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus.” What of course is missing from that, is what exactly they do to that fetus to “expel” it. We would rather not know.

"Weep not for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.”

As I prayed the stations of the cross this morning I was particularly struck with the eighth station. It is not as if I had not thought of this before, but the intensity of the meaning seemed to come fully alive as I reflected on the state of our country and the world in relation to abortion and destruction of the dignity and beauty of motherhood.

Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen...He knew women, through this terrible act, were going to destroy all that is good and loving in themselves, giving rise to harden hearts detached from the child they had once carried in their womb, gleefully celebrating instead their right to destroy it. Jesus knew the unborn were going to be viciously slaughtered, torn apart, burnt, and yanked from the place they should be the safest. He knew the devastation abortion was going to cause to living siblings who feel they need to justify their existence because a brother or sister were terminated. "Weep not for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.”

I truly believe that the eighth station is for our times. He saw that abortion is the destruction of women and children- the most sacred bond there should be. The sacrament of “reproductive freedom”, “my body, my choice”, ultimately causing the bondage of millions of people many living in silent suffering or justifying what they did because to do otherwise would mean having to face the truth .

In “The Imitation of Christ”, Thomas Kempis states,  "Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant and delightful; strong, patient, faithful, prudent, longsuffering, courageous, and never seeking itself. For where a man seeks himself he falls from love "

That is exactly what abortion does, it seeks itself. It is not always intentional, many women fall prey to the lies they have been fed for decades, truly believing it is the answer to their problem. The self-seeking also can be hidden by false compassion that makes a mother believe it is loving to kill her unborn child in the case of diagnosis abortions, or the belief that it is the best option given other circumstances, but the truth is, it is always “self” seeking and it is always a failure of love.

Sadly, the day will come when the reality of abortion will hit everyone. For some it will not be until the time of the death but make no mistake it will come. Abortion goes against all a woman is and there is no true peace without contrition and reconciliation.

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us pray for the women and men separated from God because of abortion. May they learn of God’s forgiveness and mercy which waits for each one of them, and may we pray for our nation and a world which seems to have lost its soul to the god of abortion, the ultimate failure of love.

 

Prayers for You!

On Friday September 8th, Mary’s birthday, I will be leaving for a ten-day trip to Medjugorje.

In many ways my healing from abortion began in this little Hamlet. I had just returned to the church and made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in the late eighties with members of my parish.

I remember being very raw and in great pain as I struggled to find peace after having been coerced into a saline abortion by my father while I was in my teens. The abortion was life altering and contrary to what women are told, life did not go back to normal after my pregnancy was terminated.

I don’t remember too much about that first trip to Medjugorje except spending most of the time crying, as if Mary were allowing me to feel for the first time, the deep grief and sorrow that society denied and told me I was not allowed to acknowledge.

For some reason I had the foresight to bring a fetal model with me to represent my aborted son Joshua. I left it on the top of cross mountain entrusting him to Jesus and Mary. It was a life changing trip- a first act of true surrender and trust. I knew I was safely under Mary’s mantle.

In the years that followed I progressed in my healing and became involved in pro-life work. I was active in our parish Respect Life Group and even some activism. In time, through God’s grace, I co-developed a ministry of healing named Entering Canaan, with the Sisters of Life, which was later expanded with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to include men and siblings of aborted babies.

From its beginnings, I have always known Entering Canaan belonged to Our Lady. It was an unspoken reality of what was revealed in prayer with her developing its different aspects. She became our patroness of the ministry under the title of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the polish icon said to have been painted by St Luke. There her face bears permanent wounds that even though covered numerous times by painters, always resurface, much like the denial and wounds of those who have had abortions.

Many years after my first trip to Medjugorje, I felt very strongly I was being called back.

I did not know anyone going but a friend told me of a group to connect with once I got there and so I made my plans. As things turned out, I was put with the wrong group and ended up meeting a man from Australia who had also experienced abortion.

We spoke a lot during that time, and I expressed the desire I had to bring a group of people from the Entering Canaan ministry to Medjugorje for a healing retreat. I went home with that in my heart not knowing if it would be possible since so many of those in the ministry were not in a financial position to go. Still, I knew if it were Our Lady’s desire, she would find a way.

Not long after returning I received a message from my friend from Australia. He had returned home and had been praying and he told me he wanted to give me $10,000 to bring a group to Medjugorje.

I was overwhelmed by his generosity but told him I did not know if I could allow him to do that and that he should pray about it more and so would I.

Not too long after I heard from him again. He told me he was praying and that I was right, he should not give me $10,000, he should give me $30,000 to have this retreat.

I don’t know what to say about this man and his generosity except that I am sure Our Lady will give back a hundredfold for this gift he gave to so many.
We were blessed to have three of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Fr Mariusz Koch, CFR, Fr Conrad Osterhaut, CFR and Br Gerard, CFR accompany us on the trip as well as David Reardon, of Elliot Institute, a friend who does research on the impact of abortion on women. His work truly grounded me in my healing, validating all the things I had felt for years but was told were nonexistent.

So, with the Fathers, Dave and twenty something others we embarked on a life changing retreat in Medjugorje embraced by the mercy, love, and forgiveness that Christ longed to give. At the end of the trip we brought hearts with our children’s names on them and left them at the top of cross mountain in gratitude and love.

And so once again I will set out to Medjugorje, feeling her call. This time I am only going with one friend. I have no idea why she is calling but I do know and trust to listen.

In these times of such chaos all over the place it is so important to stay grounded in Them. To remember Christ came to call sinners and we are not deserving of it, which makes it even more beautiful!

To remember always, that the victory is at the cross, the place of ultimate love and He is waiting for us in our woundedness, to fill us with His healing and love. May the Queen of Peace once more direct my travels as she leads me always closer to her Son.!  Keeping you all in prayer!

Women are Angry about Dobbs & I Don’t Blame Them!

Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of “Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion,” a book published in 1997 that gives an inside look at the reasons women chose abortion said: “No woman wants an abortion as she wants an ice cream cone or a Porsche. She wants an abortion as an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.”

Now, almost fifty years after Roe, our country is filled with women who “gnawed off” their own legs and believed the promise of freedom, empowerment, and success. To them bringing abortion back to the states says it was all a big mistake.

No leg, no child.

No wonder they’re angry!

So, here we are sixty-three million abortions later. For decades women have been told abortion is their “reproductive right,” that it is “women’s healthcare,” that it will solve the problem of an unplanned pregnancy so all children can be “wanted.”

Young women who have grown up with Roe honestly believe that they’re powerless and can’t be successful if they don’t have the option of “terminating” their “unwanted” pregnancies. The mere thought of Roe’s reversal prompts panic. They think carrying a baby to term is the end of their lives, hopes and dreams.

On May 3^rd, after the draft leak, Westchester County New York’s District Attorney tweeted, “My 14-year-old daughter was sitting on the couch this evening and crying,” “When I asked her why, she said ‘What’s happened to our country?’ And told me she feels powerless. I was not prepared for that.”

Think about that: A 14-year-old girl with her entire life ahead of her believes Roe’s absence renders her “powerless”.

These young women have grown up not knowing anything else. They have been led to believe abortion is a choice “between a woman and her doctor” or that all women make the choice freely. It’s all been repeated so many times like a mantra that they genuinely believe it. They are terrified.

This is the kind of terror that arises when someone feels their survival is at stake, like “an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg”. They are angry and crazed, but their anger is misplaced. The abortion itself is the trap.

One only has to read New York Governor Hochul’s “Nation Leading Legislative Package to Protect Abortion and Reproductive Rights for All” to understand that it is not about the safety of women at all, but the protection of abortion itself.

This is no surprise to those of us who have experienced the devastation of abortion. Many of us have been speaking the truth of abortions harm only to have the adverse effects we have lived with denied by the abortion industry.

A recent USA Today article, “Abortion Does Not Need to be Traumatic” by Jane Ryu states: That the abortion procedures do not cause pain and trauma and that abortion does not increase mental health risk,  but being denied one does.

Governor Hochul and her cohorts make it seem as if women always freely choose abortion. This in itself is evidence of how disconnected they are from the reality.

Pregnant women are often abandoned by those who are supposed to love them, coerced by boyfriends, husbands, or parents. Some have been physically injured and live with the fact that the baby they aborted was their only one. Some suffer psychological consequences for decades, and yes, some have even died from “safe, legal abortion.”

Those who promote the extreme abortion agenda have never done anything to protect these women, in fact, they have actively fought against any such legislation.

After the decision yesterday I listened as speaker after speaker spoke to the danger women are now in because of Roe's reversal. Yet, they promote abortion by non -physicians and have no problem with virtual abortions or pills by mail. 

One read of Hochul’s legislation, (which she touts as “leading legislation for the country,) and you can quickly see that the real concern is not for the women but for the protection of abortion and those who perform them.

One piece “prohibits medical malpractice insurance companies from taking any adverse action against an abortion or reproductive healthcare provider who performs an abortion or provides reproductive healthcare that is legal in the state of New York on someone who is from out of state.”  

They are also actively seeking to harass Crisis pregnancy centers that provide , much needed assistance to women who choose to keep their babies. “Legislation S.470/A.5499 directs the New York State Department of Health commissioner to conduct a “study” and issue a report examining the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant people in New York…” What resource are they referring to? Abortion.

Our program of healing for women who have experienced abortion sees between 100-200 new people each year for what these pro abortion extremists continue to deny.

Radical feminists go out of their way to describe their abortions in positive terms, trying to convince others – and themselves – that they’re unaffected. They protest, they justify. “Abortion is healthcare!”  “Abortion saves lives! Abortion at any time without exceptions. No apologies!” ,  I get it.

Many on both sides have fought this fight of abortion. Our country has lived with Roe and as Justice Alito stated: “ far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have inflamed debate and deepened division.”

As a country we have denied the walking wounded and stepped over those laying on the ground who are suffering silently, gaslighted, and afraid to talk about their experience because it results in judgement from both sides. Many have been radicalized in an attempt to continue to justify- you cannot look t such a horror as abortion if you don't know God. Perhaps it is time to listen to them. A few months ago, in her anger, one of these women wrote "They talk about the babies all the time-what about us?"

In the end, abortion is the total exploitation of women, the killing of an unborn baby and the ultimate failure of love. 

We all deserve better than that!

Upcoming Retreat for Siblings

Silence of Nature

I love silence.  For sure my favorite part of the day is the time I spend with Jesus in Holy Hour. There is however, something to be said about silence in the grandure of nature and meeting God there.

The world is a busy place. I for one,, know how easy it is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle being deaf to the voice of God even without knowing it. 

This week I am blessed to be able to be in North Carolina on on the Outer Banks. It is pretty much deserted.  Far from the hustle and bustle of the summer, there is barely anyone around. I have the ocean to myself and can clearly hear the whispers of God as I walk along the beach, or just sit in silence.

It strikes me that this is all that is really important The noise of the world often takes us away from the presence of God no matter how hard we try to stay attentive to His voice. We mistakenly think things are important that quickly pass away.

I’m grateful for this time of grace with Jesus and Mary, that reminds me not only if what is important, but of the gratitude I must have for the gift of healing and all the other many gifts they have given me. There was a time in my life when I would have thought this peace was unattainable, but the miracle of His Mercy has shown me otherwise.

If you are struggling with healing from an abortion do not be afraid to be alone with God. Spend some time listening to Him instead of the clamor of your own mind which fills you with lies and thoughts of being unforgivable. There are no limits to God's Mercy and He longs to heal you.

Seek out a good ministry or healing program to learn the dynamics of healing from abortion, but most importantly put yourself in His presence and allow Him to speak to your heart.

May we stay in the silence even in the business of the world, keeping our focus on Him, His love and the salvation that came to set us free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abortion is Awesome...really?

Real Choice has a blog post about Slate writer Jessica Grose who calls her own abortion "Fan F***ing tastic," calls for "blithe and unapologetic" abortion stories based on her article,  "Enough With the Grueling, Wrenching, “I Had an Abortion” Essays."

I do not love suffering. Oh, I try to "offer it up," especially for those we serve in our ministry.  However, in spite of all the suffering I went through in healing from my own abortion, or the thousands of women I have walked with on their post abortion journeys over the years, I would choose the suffering over this person's view any day.

Granted, I am sure she is in denial, rationalizing, etc., etc., like so many women do after abortion, but I cannot imagine having such a cold, selfish heart and I would take all the suffering in the world rather than be her.

What is it with these women? Is this really who we want directing decisions and legislation regarding abortion? Have we come that far since Roe vs Wade?  In some ways, yes. It is scary to think the NY "Women's Equality Act" proposed by Governor Cuomo which would allow abortions for all nine months and for them to be performed by non-physicians was only defeated by one vote.  However, it is also hopeful to see what happened in Texas with the passage of the bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, and require all abortions take place in surgical centers.

Sounds reasonable to me!  If you truly cared for women wouldn't you want to see this passed? And yet women like Jessica were out in full force to prevent it because they think abortion is "awesome."

Obviously, the pain of those of us who have experienced abortion is of no concern to Jessica, but why would it be if the following reflects her sentiments: "A lot of women don’t want a baby, and they don’t care whether the fetus is viable or how much money is in their bank account." 

So, no matter how painful, I thank God and would not trade one minute of pain for the total self centeredness that cares nothing for any life but your own.  One day I am sure Jessica will not think it is so "Fan F***ing..tastic." It is actually very sad. When that day comes, and she sees things in the light of truth, I pray she finds the help she needs.

Are you living in darkness and depression after an abortion?
Unable to get past the pain of your loss? 
There is Hope.  There is Healing.  There is a way out of the darkness.
Visit Lumina at www.postabortionhelp.org
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 1-877-586-4621

 

Are you living in darkness and depression after an abortion?
Unable to get past the pain of your loss? 
There is Hope.  There is Healing.  There is a way out of the darkness.
Visit Lumina at www.postabortionhelp.org
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 1-877-586-4621 - See more at: http://reclaimingourchildren.typepad.com/lumina_a_ray_of_light_aft/2013/07/entering-the-promised-land.html#sthash.rPvC1JYL.dpuf

Are you living in darkness and depression after an abortion?
Unable to get past the pain of your loss? 
There is Hope.  There is Healing.  There is a way out of the darkness.
Visit Lumina at www.postabortionhelp.org
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 1-877-586-4621 - See more at: http://reclaimingourchildren.typepad.com/lumina_a_ray_of_light_aft/2013/07/entering-the-promised-land.html#sthash.rPvC1JYL.dpuf

Are you living in darkness and depression after an abortion?
Unable to get past the pain of your loss? 
There is Hope.  There is Healing.  There is a way out of the darkness.
Visit Lumina at www.postabortionhelp.org
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 1-877-586-4621 - See more at: http://reclaimingourchildren.typepad.com/lumina_a_ray_of_light_aft/2013/07/entering-the-promised-land.html#sthash.rPvC1JYL.dpuf

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