You Are Peter..

As the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI comes to a close this evening with his resignation taking effect at 8pm Roman time, it is a great moment for us all to reflect on the Church and her mission in the world, and Christ's promise to Her.

The last 8 years have been full of challenges and sorrows for the Church and her members as the Holy Father pointed out in his final audience. But during that same time we have also witnessed countless instances of God's grace and work in our midst - Benedict's teaching and example not least among them.

At the end of his final address to us as Pope, Benedict exhorts us: "God guides His Church, maintains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love."

We thank the Holy Father for the time he guided the Barque of Peter through turbulent waters, and we entrust his successor to Our Lord and his mercy. Though we do not yet know who that successor is, we have the assurance of Christ himself that he built his Church on Rock and "the gates of hell not prevail against it."

In Their Own Words

Moments after I published the last post on the new abortion clinic in Columbus, I came across this graphic. And some still defend the moral foundation of Planned Parenthood...

Where Angels Once Played

In the wake of the shocking tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary last month our nation has collectively mourned the loss many innocent, young children. Their lives were cut short and they can never be replaced - particularly in the hearts of their families. Many have drawn attention to the contrast of our reaction to this recent tragedy with the ongoing large-scale destruction of life known as abortion.

The email reproduced below from a woman in Central Ohio is a poignant reminder of the insidious and deceitful nature of the abortion industry. The irony is cruel, and the loss of life staggering.

Even though I cannot remember the best day of my life, I am convinced it forever changed my life for the better. It was a November Sunday in 1988, the day I was welcomed into the Catholic Church. After the sacrament of Baptism, my family celebrated at my grandparents' house. The home was filled with joyful people celebrating the beauty of new life and the richness of faith.

Through the years I would continue to experience the fullness of life in those same rooms: more sacramental celebrations, sleepovers with my cousins, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The quaint home often welcomed me with the smells of apple crisp or peach cobbler, with laughter and most importantly, with love. 

 

Recently, my grandparents had to sell that house. Unbeknownst to them, the buyer was Dr. Mervyn Samuel. When questioned by realtors, the doctors said they were an Ob/Gyn clinic that offers counseling and adoption services. They might offer counseling and adoption referrals, but they also end new and beautiful life; life that was once celebrated in the same home. The rooms have now been remodeled and the windows cemented shut in preparation for the grand opening of a new abortion clinic.

 

I am writing this letter because I think it is important to be informed on what the abortion industry tries to hide: manipulation, greed, and ultimately death. And more importantly to ask for your commitment to pray for the end of abortion, the closing of this new clinic, and the conversion of both Dr. Samuels (father and son) and their staff. This is a tragedy not only for my family, the community of Pickerington, and Central Ohio, but for all of humanity. Let us take time to reflect on this day set aside to celebrate human rights and honor the courage of a leader, Martin Luther King. How are we being asked to manifest that same courage and passion for life?

Satan can be deceiving. Satan can be cruel. Satan can try desecrating the sacredness of life and family. Satan can try to steal all the happy memories I cherish in that house. But he will not succeed. Satan is not all powerful, all knowing, or ever present. He must cringe at the sound of Our Lady's name, remembering how she crushed his head with the power of love. "Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22.

 

As the President of Franciscan University proclaims, “The age of casual Catholicism (Christianity) is over, the age of heroic Catholicism (Christianity) has begun.”

 

Tricia Kasson