On Abortion

The only alternative to child sacrifice is self-sacrifice.
  The problem with the prevalence of abortion at this time in history is not poverty or over-population or unwed mothers--it is selfishness.
  Mother Teresa said: It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you can live as you wish.
  Many people think having sex is a need that you can't do without, like eating, sleeping or drinking water. They don't understand that the primary reason sexual intercourse was created was for procreation. The pleasure part is secondary. When something interferes with their pleasure (like a baby) they look at it as just that--interference. They are even willing to go so far as to sacrifice their child for their selfish motives.
  The answer to the scourge of abortion is not just to outlaw it--some people will seek the means to have their child killed even if the original laws against it are reinstated. The answer is to teach people, especially children, the sanctity of life; the value of each and every human life, no matter how small. We must teach others the marvelous intricacy of the human mind and body; the potential value to the world of each and every person. We must teach them that every person has a purpose in this world, even if it is only to be.
  Then, and only then, will the scourge of abortion end.


For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb... . Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:13, 16 NIV

On the Child Within Us

As long as your parents are alive, there is still a part of you that is a child. Once they pass on, it sometimes seems that the child within us dies too. We are now the older generation. Even when a parent dies when a person is still young, a part of their childhood ends.
  Children are innocent, joyful and trusting. They live each day fully; sometimes thinking about the future, but only if there's an upcoming holiday or special occasion. They notice the little things in life--a bug on the window, a flower, the birds, the animals.
  It's not so much our age or whether our parents are alive or have passed on that determines whether the child within us still lives--it's our attitude towards life. No, we can't retain our innocence; life takes that away. But we can live each day fully, one day at a time. We can savor the beauty around us. There is beauty and goodness everywhere no matter how bad our circumstances might be.
  One of my Facebook friends often posts little videos with pictures of gardens, birds or other wonders of nature. She lives alone and recently had surgery which confined her to her home for three weeks. I'm sure those little videos brightened her day as they did mine.
  I am currently reading a book, Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, by Raymond Arroyo. It's a compilation of many of her wise sayings. She was a woman who grew up living as an only child with her mother. She suffered many physical ailments throughout her life. Yet she had a great sense of humor and looked at life's difficulties from a positive angle.
  Jesus says that in our relationship with God we must be like little children.
I assure you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.  Matthew 18:3
  Let's pray for and strive to grow in trust of God and His great love for us and to keep the child within us alive.

The Futility of Teaching Morality Without God

I know adults (parents, grandparents, teachers) have the responsibility of teaching good morals to the younger generation, but I think it's often an exercise in futility. You can't teach morality without the grace of God, for without God's help men and women are doomed to failure.
  All people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23
  It reminds me of the Old Testament where the Israelites were given the Law by God, but time after time, generation after generation, the people failed to keep it. At least then they believed in God and tried to keep His Law. Now people try to teach moral behavior without God at all!
  Maybe that's why many people lower the standards of character and behavior. Like those who think we need to teach children "safe sex" (a lie in itself, since no sex with multiple partners is safe) because they're going to "do it anyway."
  Way back in the 70's there was a very popular song "Jesus Is the Answer":
            Jesus is the answer,
            for all the world today.
            Above Him there's no other,
            Jesus is The Way.
  There needs to be a resurgence of that song. For it's only through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commands, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can hope to  be a moral society.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy - Part 1: Admonish the Sinner

As Christians, it seems to me that more focus and attention is given to the corporal works of mercy--feed the hungry, visit the sick, shelter the homeless, etc.--rather than the spiritual works of mercy. People often read Matthew 25:31-46 regarding the final judgment and think that's all we have to do to be considered a "sheep" rather than a "goat".


For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.


But the spiritual works of mercy are just as important.


The seven spiritual works of mercy are:
  To instruct the ignorant
  To counsel the doubtful
  To admonish sinners
  To bear wrongs patiently.
  To forgive offences willingly
  To comfort the afflicted
  To pray for the living and the dead


I would like to focus on one at a time. I will begin with admonishing sinners.


My brothers, the case may arise among you of someone straying from the truth, and of another bringing him back. Remember this: the person who brings a sinner back from his way will save his soul from death and cancel a multitude of sins.  James 5:19-20


  I think that pointing out someone's sin is one of the most difficult of the spiritual works of mercy. It's especially difficult in our times because of the doctrine of relativism--that knowledge, truth and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute. If we are dealing with someone who believes in the doctrine of relativism, it's useless to point out where he or she is straying from the truth.
  There was a word of wisdom spoken by the late Mother Angelica:
We don't like to speak the truth about evil because we're going to hurt somebody. Let me tell you, you are going to hurt somebody, but that Somebody is God. If you would rather hurt God than your neighbor, there is something wrong with your spirituality. It's your obligation to speak the truth and everyone can either take it or leave it. But truth must be in us. We live in such poverty of the truth today.
  Also, when we bring to someone's attention an area where they are going the wrong direction we don't want to do so in a Pharasitical way--that we are the holy one pointing out their error. No, we must approach the person in love and humility, as one sinner admonishing another.  He is able to deal patiently with erring sinners, for he himself is beset by weakness...  Hebrews 5:2
  We are not called to admonish every sinner we know. We must first have a personal relationship with them. They should feel that we care for them--that we are speaking to them about this area of their lives out of love, not out of judgment. (regarding judging others, we are judging their actions, not the person themselves.)  We should also sense that the Holy Spirit is prompting us to speak to this person regarding their sin.  We should pray for some time before confronting the person, asking the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak and asking God to help them to be open to what we have to say.  Let your speech be always gracious and in good taste,...  Colossians 4:6a
  No one likes to be corrected. Almost everyone (including me) responds initially with denial, excuses or rationalization. Sometimes the person will become angry with you and remain angry for some time. Our job is not to convince a person of their error. Our job is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit; to share our discernment, to bring the sin into the light, and then to step back and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.  If the person doesn't return to the right path it doesn't mean we were wrong to confront them.


...and the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but must be kindly toward all. He must be an apt teacher, patiently and gently correcting those who contradict him, in the hope always that God will enable them to repent and know the truth. Thus, taken captive by God to do His will, they shall escape the devil's trap.  2 Timothy 2:24-26