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APOSTLES FOR LIFE NEWS
MAY-JUNE 2003 AD - THE YEAR OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Published bi-monthly, with the support and
encouragement of the Bishop of Lismore, the Most Reverend Geoffrey
Jarrett, to inspire and support pro-life prayer, education and action -
a means of communication between those who attend our meetings and those
who are unable to attend for whatever reason. Meetings are held 11am on
the 3rd Saturday of each month in the Cathedral in prayer support of all
pro-life activists in the Lismore Diocese, followed by informative
discussion over a cuppa at Doyle House.
Editor: Angela Martello |
He is risen! He has conquered sin and death. It is through Him, with
Him and in Him that we continue His work in 2003, in the place we find
ourselves. Without Him we can do nothing. With Him we can win the battle of Life
over death.
The only way to conquer the deadly epidemics that are raging through our
society is through prayer, and the practice of the Virtues, particularly modesty
and chastity. But how can we expect our youth to practice chastity if their
parents and teachers do not take the lead in practicing and teaching chastity?
We must be prepared to speak the Truth with Love, whenever and wherever it is
being denied, or is not being proclaimed. Is chastity being taught in the home
and in the school? Is modesty encouraged in the street, the school, the Church?
If not, we are culpable for depriving our young of what is, in justice, their
due, and selling them short.
Towards this end, you will find on page 2, “The Advantages of Natural
Family Planning over Contraception”, which has been adapted from a
brochure of Fr. Paul Marx, Founder of Human Life International. I hope you can
make good use of it, sharing it with family, friends or in your parish.
The other good news is that, around September, we will have a weekend
of prayer and sharing at Mt. Tabor Retreat House in Bellingen. This will
be a wonderful opportunity to relax, and make new, and renew old friendships, in
a peaceful and beautiful environment, while being renewed and nourished by
prayer. The emphasis will be mainly on meeting and sharing what we are doing in
our various parishes and pro-life apostolates and there will be the opportunity
to hear Dr. Deirdre Little speak on a subject vital to the pro-life apostolate –
Humanae Vitae. More details later.
This News is coming a little early, as I wanted to give you earlier notice of
our meetings with Brisbane Courage, which will take place over the
weekend of 10th-11th May in Lismore, and to ask your prayers that we will reach
those in need of the saving message that Courage has to offer (see page 3).
God bless,
Angela
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The
Advantages of Natural Family Planning
Over
Contraception
Adapted from ”The Advantages of Natural Family
Planning” brochure by Fr Paul Marx, O.S.B., Ph.D.
(1) NFP does not interfere
with the natural reproductive system and process designed by God.
(2) NFP is morally acceptable
to all religions and cultures.
(3) NFP avoids the use of
mechanical devices or powerful hormones, which may have harmful effects.
(4) NFP is among the most
effective methods of non-permanent fertility regula¬tion, when learned
and used properly - up to 99 %.
(5) NFP is virtually free of
charge, whereas contraceptive and abortifacient methods cost anywhere
from $US33 to $US365 annually. This is particularly crucial in
developing countries where health care is rudimentary and expensive.
(6) NFP strengthens marriage
and family. It allows husband and wife to have the dignity of actual
stewardship of the gift of fer¬tility according to their unique
circumstances. It fosters sexual self-control, which is central and
essential to human freedom, true love and maturity. It also sets a good
example of chastity in married life for teenage children.
(7) NFP is aesthetic. Of all
of the methods of fertility regulation, only NFP allows the couple to
make love as God and nature intended. It is an enduring contradiction
that many of the same people who pride themselves on the “natural”
aspects of their lives don’t hesitate to pollute their bodies with drugs
and devices, and cannot let the most intimate aspect of their existence
be truly natural and human.
(8) NFP cannot cause abortion
as contraception may do.
(9) NFP, unlike all
contraceptive and abortifacient methods, lets women and men learn about
their bodies and work with them, rather than remaining ignorant and
subduing them with chemicals.
(10) Finally, NFP allows
husbands to more intimately understand the psychology of their wives by
understanding the nature of their menstrual cycles. |
Brisbane Courage comes to Lismore
As a follow-up to Fr. John Harvey’s visit, and to consolidate the work
started at that time, all are warmly invited to meet members of Brisbane Courage
who will share their experiences, and possibly testimonies, with us, at 2pm on
Saturday 10th May, at the Parish Centre, St Carthage Cathedral, Lismore.
Our guest speaker, Brendan Scarce, BA, DipEd, BSocStud, BTh, is involved with
Brisbane Courage from its beginnings five years ago. In his private practice, he
counsels both lay and religious, who experience unwanted same-sex attraction,
and is willing to share pastoral insights with us. He is a member of Emmanuel
Covenant Community, is presently studying for his Masters in Theology.
He will cover the psychological, social and moral elements of homosexuality,
correcting any misinformation about Courage in the media. Courage is about
respecting each person in whatever circumstances he/she finds him/herself.
He will speak on the work of both
• Courage - an international Catholic
Ministry which invites men and women who experience same sex attraction into
relationship with Jesus Christ and helps them, through support groups and a
spiritual program, to live chaste lives in accordance with Church teaching, and
• EnCourage - a ministry dedicated to
the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, relatives and friends of
persons with same sex attraction. There is Holy Mass in the Cathedral at 5pm,
after which there will be a chance to share a meal together, chat and relax at a
venue yet to be decided.
========================================================= Special request for
prayer The work of Courage – EnCourage may not be for you, but we ask you to
make a special effort to intercede in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament that
those in need may be helped to come to understand and accept God’s providence of
Grace to live a chaste life, and that they might be feel loved by, and welcomed
in, His Church. ===================================================
The following excerpt from Brisbane Courage Newsletter (April
2003) - from a report of Father Harvey’s meeting in Brisbane, which was subject
to a group of hostile protesters - illustrates the importance and reassurance of
prayer support for those involved in the work:
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“The anger and hatred displayed in the press and in
the papers means that we have to base our work ever more deeply in
prayer. On the night of the Brisbane meeting, a small group of Emmanuel
Covenant Community members were in intercession before the Blessed
Sacrament. I took great heart from this. Courage is such a small group.
Yet the amount of press comment and rage against it was out of all
proportion to its size. As someone said to me during the protest, we
must be doing the Lord’s work because of the opposition and its
hell-bent determination to block out our simple message of becoming holy
and seeking the face of God in our lives, our actions, our behaviours,
our recreations and mission. “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is
perfect.” The clear message of the good news of God’s gift of sexuality
needs to be proclaimed with clarity, charity, conciseness, confidence
and courage.” |
This Is My Body
Fr. Frank A.
Pavone, Priests For Life
Did you realize that the same four words
that were used by the Lord Jesus to save the world, are also used to promote
abortion?
"This is my body." The same simple words are spoken from
opposite ends of the universe, with meanings that are directly contrary to
each other.
Scripture tells us that on the night before He died, the Lord Jesus took
bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "This is
My Body, which is given up for you." He was pointing to what would happen
the next day, when He would give that same Body on the Cross. He sacrifices
Himself so that we may live. He gives up His Body so that He can destroy the
power of sin and death. As a result, He welcomes us into His life, into His
Kingdom. He makes us members of His Body!
On the other hand, abortion supporters say, "This is my body. So don't
interfere with it! It's mine. I can do what I want, even to the point of killing
the life within it. All is secondary to my dominion over my body." In fact one
abortion supporter has written, "I say their (pro-lifers') God is worth nothing
compared to my body" (Michelle Goldberg, "Rant for Choice," in University of
Buffalo student newspaper, 1995).
"This is my body." Same words, different results. Christ gives His body so we
might live; abortion supporters cling to their bodies so others might die. In
giving His Body, Christ teaches the meaning of love: I sacrifice myself for the
good of the other person. Abortion teaches the opposite of love: I sacrifice the
other person for the good of myself!
"This is my body." If, indeed, my body is mine, then let's ask the question:
Why? The answer is so that I can give my body, my life, myself, in love to one
another and to God. Christ declares, "Do this in memory of Me." He calls us to
do what He did, and that is precisely how we reverse the dynamic of abortion.
Mum and Dad must say to their child, "This is my body, my life, given for you,"
rather than, "This is my body, my life, so go away!"
Human happiness and fulfillment are never found by pushing others out of the
way. They are found when we push ourselves out of the way. Pope John Paul II
says as much in Evangelium Vitae #51:
| He who had come "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45), attains on the Cross the heights of
love: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends" (Jn. 15:13). “And He died for us while we were yet
sinners” (cf. Rom. 5:8).
In this way Jesus proclaims that life finds its centre, its meaning
and its fulfillment when it is given up.
At this point our meditation becomes praise and thanksgiving, and at
the same time urges us to imitate Christ and follow in his footsteps
(cf. 1 Pt. 2:21).
We too are called to give our lives for our brothers and sisters, and
thus to realize in the fullness of truth the meaning and destiny of our
existence. |
"This is my body." It is no accident that the same words are used for
such different purposes. A spiritual conflict rages here. We win, in our own
lives and in the world, by living these words in self-giving, life-giving love.
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News from around the Diocese…………
Please share what is happening in your area….It encourages and inspires us
all. Teresita Zapirain of Dorrigo writes:
| Just a short note to tell you what I organised up here in Dorrigo on
the Feast of the Annunciation. With Fr Jim’s permission we organised
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 10 to 11am. I considered it a
success because we got ten persons to attend as compared to the 4 or 5
we have on Saturday mornings. Besides the Rosary we included prayers
that were sent up to me by Human Life International. Some even asked me
for a copy of my very worn pamphlet, which I have been photocopying to
give away. I think I may have enlisted a couple more people to pray for
the pro-life cause. I guess that’s all for now. Best regards and more
power to your movement,
Teresita |
…………………Thank you so much, Teresita, for your Good News! Ten people adoring
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for an hour is a wonderful gift to celebrate his
arrival in this world as a tiny invisible Babe in the Womb, nevertheless God and
Man even then. To celebrate the Annunciation in this way each year is bound to
get through to people the value of Life from its very beginnings.
 ……And
around the World
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The Power of love
Commenting on a case involving a Briton who went to
Switzerland to die with the help of Dignitas, a writer in the Observer
(Nov 10) pointed out the dangers of letting people in pain put an end to
their lives. The writer, Alison Davis, has spina bifida, emphysema and
osteoporosis. Confined to a wheelchair and in severe daily pain, she
tried to commit suicide 17 years ago. At the time, one doctor had
estimated she only had six months to live. And a law allowing euthanasia
in cases of unbearable suffering would have allowed her to undergo
euthanasia.
What changed her life was a trip to India, where she visited disabled
children. As a result of that visit, she founded, and now runs, a
charity to help the disabled children. The children, she explained, also
have incurable conditions, and many suffer much pain. But, she noted:
"They can and do give and receive a tremendous love, which transformed
my life."
Giving love, and not an overdose, to those tempted to end their lives
would be a truly dignified way to approach the problem. Zenit 25-1-03
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Mother Teresa on Contraception
But the saints who catch the popular imagination are those who seem to take
their virtues to an extreme. The purest modern example is Mother Teresa of
Calcutta. She is due to be beatified as quickly as possible, perhaps even this
year, and in a large part that is a result of her global fame as being the most
compassionate human being it is possible to be. This was not entirely apparent
to journalists: on the only occasion I met her she grasped my hand, looked at me
with absolute sincerity and, as I braced myself for something profound and
life-changing, she said:
“Tell your readers that contraception murders love.”
Andrew Brown, The Times, June 6,
2001,
Why Saints go Marching on.
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