Thursday, March 26, 2009

Frances Wilkinson letter to the Ottawa Citizen

Letter-writer Frances Wilkinson draws on her own personal experience and her beliefs to urge women to reconsider their choice of having an abortion. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/letters/vigil+abortion+clinic+help+women+life/1428592/story.html

Dr. Bernard Nathanson's film "The Silent Scream" referred to in the letter below can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjNo_0cW-ek

The Gianna Jessen film can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ&feature=related

March 25th at the Abortion site in Ottawa

Yesterday, March 25 was the Feast of the Annunciation, and I wanted to pray at the abortion site ( 65 Bank Street) before attending Mass at 8:00 AM at Saint Pat's. I arrived there shortly after seven to see at least a dozen others there, most of them youth. It was bitterly cold and so I was glad I didn't pay any attention to the weatherman's forecast of a warm day. The wind blew the new sign down a couple of times so eventually one of the young women stood next to it to keep it in place. The young man standing next to me introduced himself as Dustin and said that he was a CCO member. He told me that the majority of the youth were from the pro life youth group at Ottawa University and every Wednesday morning they come to pray at the site. God bless them! I looked at their faces as they stood side by side shivering and praying silently. They all have such a look of peace and hope. There is no question about it!

Before long more youth dropped by after attending 7:00 AM mass at Saint Patick Basilica. When I left for mass around 8:00 I counted at least 12 young people. I thank God for our youth! They are our hope for the future! As I hurried over to mass, I thought how my parish of the Annunciation has been blessed by the good work of our own young people. At the mid point rally on March 19 all of the members of our parish NET Team braved the bitter cold weather across the street from the coldest part of the city.

After Mass I stayed and prayed for a while and then went back to the site to pray. The crowd had dwindled but there were still a couple of others including the man who walks up and down the sidewalk praying the rosary in front of the abortuary. Usually he is with another man but yesterday he was alone. There was a man in a wheelchair who went up and down the sidewalk bearing witness as well, alternating between sides of the street. After I was there for a while, Liz from Saint Clement and Sue from my parish dropped by to pray so the three of us said the rosary together. I left around 10:20 with a feeling of hope and gratitude.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Prayer Initiative at St. Patrick Basilica, Ottawa, ON

40 DAYS FOR LIFE PRAYER
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
St. Pats has kindly reserved a special pew in the church for a 40 Day for Life prayer initiative. It is our goal during the time the church is open, which also coincides with the time the abortion clinic is open, to have continual quiet prayer in front of the BLESSED SACRAMENT for the intentions of the campaign.
Our special focus is that we might be faithful and pleasing to God by saving the physical lives of God’s precious infants through the spiritual conversion of their mothers and fathers, for the abortionist and their staff, for our politicians and for all who through indifference do nothing to try to stop abortion. Our prayers also provide spiritual and moral support for our sidewalk counsellors at the vigil site. Our prayers are also to provide a personal love to God’s infants who will die that day at 65 Bank Street.
It is our hope that the regular weekday parishioners of St. Pats, as well as those who are unable to be at the vigil site, or those taking part in the vigil but who want to spend some time before or after, in front of the Blessed sacrament, will help with this initiative. No sign-up necessary.
As Catholics, we believe the most powerful prayer in the world is EUCHARISTIC PRAYER, prayer during the sacrifice of the Mass, prayer after receiving Holy Communion, and prayer to our risen saviour in His real but hidden presence in the Blessed Sacrament.


WEEKDAY VIDEO AND DISCUSSION
1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. in Scavi
The battle against abortion is a spiritual battle. To be effective in this battle, we need to know the nature of the battle and follow the battle plan, using the weapons given us, while being aware of the strategy of the enemy. The victory is ours but we must take it. With this in mind, we will be offering a video daily during the weekdays at 1:00 pm in the Scavi. The focus will be on Mary, The Eucharist, The Rosary, Prayer, Fasting, Adoration, the Saints etc., linking these with the call to The 40 Days for Life campaign. See website for video schedule.

Maggie

Monday, February 23, 2009

Sunday Vespers before the beginning of the 40 Days for Life Campaign

I was at Vespers at Saint Patrick Basilica last night and it was very uplifting to see about 300 in attendance. Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast gave a terrific homily on prayer and repentance and the call to conversion

homily of his Grace Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
Sunday before Ash Wednesday
- Vespers—February 22, 2009
St. Patrick's Basilica—Ottawa, Ontario

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J.,speaks on Saint Paul

Year of St. Paul series of monthly articles to celebrate the Year of St. Paul. Each month, Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., a noted Scripture scholar, will highlight a different aspect of Paul’s writings and times.
A Celebration of the Life of Saint Paul
Epistle to Romans contains Paul's theological legacy
Pauline Morality: Thoughtful Worship
The Self Emptying of Jesus
Christ's Coming In Glory
The Complex Nature of the End Times God's Son, born of a woman
The Conversion of Saint Paul
The theology of the body
Dying and Rising with Christ http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/2854/1026/
The Catholic Register 2008 © The Catholic Register

Saint Paul A Convinced Apostle

I attended a wonderful silent retreat on the weekend and I am still in awe of how spiritually rich an event this was. The retreat leader was Father Kenneth Leblanc LC a very holy and humble priest and a brilliant speaker. The theme of the retreat was "Saint Paul, A convinced Apostle" There were eight meditations in all including the Interior Life, Prayer and Paul's Conversion. Indeed we are temples of the Holy Spirit and God lives in us by Grace. Do I use my body to give Glory of God? Do others encounter God is me?

To commemorate the birth of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed this Year a Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul: from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009. "Saint Paul's Spirituality is based on prayer and is mission oriented" said Father Kenneth.

Father Kenneth said that during at least 20 of Benedict's audiences since the beginning of the Pauline Year, the pope spoke passionately on Saint Paul and calls us to be apostles like Paul ; to work for the salvation of souls and to become holy, because, as Christians, we are all called to be co-workers in the kingdom of God and to be saints.

For more on Saint Paul and the Pauline Year go to this link


"....that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
(Ephesians 3:17–19).

12 year old speaks out on the issue of abortion

12-year-old "Lia" of Toronto has become a star at her school and on Youtube with her five-minute pro-life speech, crafted for a school competition. Despite discouragement and outright opposition, Lia's presentation was so well done that she reportedly won the contest she was told she would be disqualified from, due to the "controversial"message of her speech. The speech is available in its entirety on Youtube, where it has been viewed over 100,000 times and sparked a heated discussion.
click here for video of lia's entire speech 12 year old speaks out on the issue of abortion
See complete story on Lifesite News http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09021605.html