Thinking out loud as we celebrate Canada Day

I love Canada. I think we have one of the most beautiful countries in the world . That being said I
I don't like the direction our leaders are taking us. We all know that abortion is legal in Canada for the full nine months of pregnancy for any reason or no reason. We care more for unhatched bird eggs than pre born babies. What the heck is wrong with us anyways???

When I saw the Irish people gleefully jumping up and down with tears of joy streaming down their faces celebrating their new found right to abortion in Ireland a few weeks ago, it literally made me feel sick. They are turning into us.

What can we do? Well we just  have to keep on doing what we have always done: peacefully tell the truth.  We will continue to be vilified by our mainstream media  and our politicians as being intolerant and hateful. It's depressing actually because it's just the opposite. It's slanderous really.

The Peaceful  March for Life on Parliament Hill attended by about 20, 000 is just one example of the goodness and stamina of the second  most persecuted person in Canada. The Pro lifer. The most persecute person in Canada is the child in the mother's womb.  A handful of shrieking crude abusive protesters that don't even know what it means to be Pro Life, blocked our route for the third year in a row while the police did nothing. I can't imagine any other group of people that would have to change their route in the manner that we were forced to.

I could go on and on but there's no point. We all know of the numerous negative ways that  that the pro life  person has been treated in our country during the past year. There is no question about it; this is persecution. I heard a lawyer say not long ago say that Christianity is the most persecuted Religion in  the entire world and that includes Canada. I believe this to be true

What else can we do?  Pray Pray and  Pray some more! This is a spiritual battle.

As A Catholic I pray the rosary each day for a change in the hearts of our political leaders.

A holy priest once told me that the Rosary is the weapon against Satan

click here for the Joyful Mysteries for Life from USCCB

At one time the Knights of Columbus of our Parish of the Annunciation of the Lord in Ottawa, ON led us in this rosary at least a couple of times during the year. I think we should start praying these prayers again

O Canada We Stand on Guard for Thee

 

This July let us pray to make Canada Great Again

What can we do?

Please join in Praying with the Canadian Bible Society
in 31 Days of Prayer for our Nation

 

 

 

Is there too much apathy among Canadian Catholics?

From what I have seen, I really do think there is too much apathy among Canadian Catholics. There could be a few reasons for this. Perhaps some Catholics are really not aware of how badly we are persecuted . For others, they see the negative portrayal of us but feel helpless in the face of it. It is pretty daunting

Because I am a Catholic I am speaking from the point of view of a Catholic but all Christians in Canada are treated this way


Over the past few years we have been bullied over and over again for our beliefs. Remember when our so called Catholic Prime Minister wouldn't allow anyone who was Pro Life to be a member of the Liberal Party? How can we forget.  

Well, all practicing Catholics ARE Pro Life. When we pray during mass and pray that "we believe in the Holy Catholic Church", this means that we believe in the Teachings of the Church. We believe that abortion and Euthanasia are mortal sins. And because the Church is Apostolic therefore Catholics are not meant to keep these teachings to themselves.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Abortion

2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person -- among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.(71) Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (72)
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth .(73)2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish .(74)
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.(75)2272 Formal co-operation in an abortion constitutes a grave offence. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. 'A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae' (76) 'by the very commission of the offence', (77) and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law . (78) The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
'The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.'(79)
'The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights.' (80)2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, 'if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human foetus and is directed toward its safeguarding or healing as an individual... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.' (81)
2275 'One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing, the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival.' (82)
'It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material.' (83)
'Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity' (84) which are unique and unrepeatable.
 
Euthanasia
 
2276 Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.
2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.
Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgement into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.
2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of 'over-zealous' treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.
2279 Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable. Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.

And we believe that marriage is a holy union between one man and one woman

ARTICLE 7

THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

# 1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." [CIC, can. 1055 # 1; GS 48 # 1]"

I. MARRIAGE IN GOD'S PLAN

# 1602 "Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the wedding-feast of the Lamb." [Rev 19:7, 9; Gen 1:26-27] Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church. [1 Cor 7:39; cf. Eph 5:31-32]"

But in regards to what Catholics ( and all Christians) believe in regards to marriage: that marriage is designed by God and that it is a Sacred Union between one man and one woman; and even though Freedom of Religion is part of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms it doesn't seem to matter in this supposedly free country anymore because

On Friday, June 15, the Supreme Court of Canada threw out a quarter-century of legal precedent on religious liberty by deciding, by a margin of 7-2, that it was “proportionate and reasonable” for the law societies of British Columbia and Ontario to refuse accreditation to any law students coming from Trinity Western University due to TWU’s much-maligned “community covenant.” The covenant, which students who choose to attend Trinity agree to, is a lifestyle policy that asks students to adhere to biblical codes of conduct, including the restriction of sexual activity to heterosexual marriage.It was this covenant—again, a code of conduct for a small, privately-funded evangelical university that nobody has to attend if they don’t want to—that led law societies to claim that students coming from a TWU law school would not be able to escape their particular bias, and thus should not be accredited. Their presumption, apparently, is that people who have a specific set of religious beliefs are incapable of also reading the law as it is written, and that only those who heartily endorse every jot and tittle of what is legally permitted can function as lawyers. Ironically, the Court even managed to claim that their decision was being made as a nod to diversity, when their decision actually struck a devastating blow to diversity in the public square.


And below is another brilliant article by Jonathan

Jordan Peterson: Canadian Christians must ‘stand up’ for religious rights after top court ruling here

and from this article

Better stand up for yourselves, because your religious rights are very low on the rights totem pole at the moment,” Peterson warned, his voice deadly serious, “and that’s going to get worse, a lot worse, before it gets better. So if you think your religious freedom is worth having, you better be ready to defend it, and you better be ready to do that in an articulated way, because you’re not a priority—put it that way.”

 

Run With Life: More pro-life chronicles

Run With Life: More pro-life chronicles: The series on Netflix Call the Midwife is wonderful. They actually have nuns on the show; a preacher is one of the regular cast; and dare I...

Christopher Folz Presentation - Annunciation of the Lord Parish - May 27, 2018

Presentation / Discussion with Christopher Folz, Barrister and Solicitor
After mass this Sunday morning
on Catholicism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What can we do?

Christopher Folz  

It was an interesting and enlightening presentation
As a practicing Catholic, Mr. Folz is concerned these days by what he sees in respect to recent laws He explained some ways that we as Catholics can and should advocate for our beliefs which are under attack by Governments as well as the media.

He spoke about the Constitution and our Rights under the Constitution.

Entrenched In the Constitution is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and under #7 of  the Charter of the Rights and Freedoms is the right to Life, Liberty and Religion and these Rights must be applied equally to each person.

From the preamble of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
 " Whereas, Canada is founded on principals that recognize ' the Supremecy of God AND the rule of law '"  The use of the word AND means that both are together. The separation of Church and State does not mean they they are mutually exclusive.

Mr. Folz said that the Catholic Church is a self governing organization and we MUST be able to advocate on behalf of our Faith . In regards to the Summer Jobs Program the Liberal Government is essentially picking on us and Folz says this is extremely problematic. Right now there are about 27 court challenges. The Federal Government has not deemed it necessary to create an Administrative Tribunal which would be necessary  to challenge the decision of the Minister responsible. So this is basically a unilateral decision on the part of the Government so the Right to have the Law applied equally to each person is missing in the Summer Jobs Program. Is the law applied equally when you are required to sign a form that goes against your Conscience? The answer is NO. It is contrary to Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 1700 Organizations have been turned away because of this.

Whether our Government leaders like it or not the Christian Faith  is an essential part of our Constitution.  Our Separate Schools are as well. The Constitution would have to be changed to get rid of them .

But in spite of all this Folz says there are things that we can do and we must not loose hope: letter writing, speaking to your MP, peaceful witnessing etc. We do a lot of peaceful witnessing and of course we will continue.  It is frustrating though : Catholics are often portrayed by the media as closed minded hateful bigots and we are probably the most persecuted of Christians

But we keep going and we give Praise to God!

For the Catholic Association of Lawyers see the link below
https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/


 

Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2018/03/03/0168/00350.html#ingD

CONGREGATIO DE CULTO DIVINO ET DISCIPLINA SACRAMENTORUM

DECREE
on the celebration
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mother of the Church
in the General Roman Calendar

The joyous veneration given to the Mother of God by the contemporary Church, in light of reflection on the mystery of Christ and on his nature, cannot ignore the figure of a woman (cf. Gal 4:4), the Virgin Mary, who is both the Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church.
In some ways this was already present in the mind of the Church from the premonitory words of Saint Augustine and Saint Leo the Great. In fact the former says that Mary is the mother of the members of Christ, because with charity she cooperated in the rebirth of the faithful into the Church, while the latter says that the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, thus indicating that Mary is at once Mother of Christ, the Son of God, and mother of the members of his Mystical Body, which is the Church. These considerations derive from the divine motherhood of Mary and from her intimate union in the work of the Redeemer, which culminated at the hour of the cross.
Indeed, the Mother standing beneath the cross (cf. Jn 19:25), accepted her Son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal. She thus became the tender Mother of the Church which Christ begot on the cross handing on the Spirit. Christ, in turn, in the beloved disciple, chose all disciples as ministers of his love towards his Mother, entrusting her to them so that they might welcome her with filial affection.
As a caring guide to the emerging Church Mary had already begun her mission in the Upper Room, praying with the Apostles while awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14). In this sense, in the course of the centuries, Christian piety has honoured Mary with various titles, in many ways equivalent, such as Mother of Disciples, of the Faithful, of Believers, of all those who are reborn in Christ; and also as “Mother of the Church” as is used in the texts of spiritual authors as well as in the Magisterium of Popes Benedict XIV and Leo XIII.
Thus the foundation is clearly established by which Blessed Paul VI, on 21 November 1964, at the conclusion of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council, declared the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Mother of the Church, that is to say of all Christian people, the faithful as well as the pastors, who call her the most loving Mother” and established that “the Mother of God should be further honoured and invoked by the entire Christian people by this tenderest of titles”.
Therefore the Apostolic See on the occasion of the Holy Year of Reconciliation (1975), proposed a votive Mass in honour of Beata Maria Ecclesiæ Matre, which was subsequently inserted into the Roman Missal. The Holy See also granted the faculty to add the invocation of this title in the Litany of Loreto (1980) and published other formularies in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1986). Some countries, dioceses and religious families who petitioned the Holy See were allowed to add this celebration to their particular calendars.
Having attentively considered how greatly the promotion of this devotion might encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety, Pope Francis has decreed that the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, should be inscribed in the Roman Calendar on the Monday after Pentecost and be now celebrated every year.
This celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, the Virgin who makes her offering to God.
The Memorial therefore is to appear in all Calendars and liturgical books for the celebration of Mass and of the Liturgy of the Hours. The relative liturgical texts are attached to this decree and their translations, prepared and approved by the Episcopal Conferences, will be published after confirmation by this Dicastery.
Where the celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, is already celebrated on a day with a higher liturgical rank, approved according to the norm of particular law, in the future it may continue to be celebrated in the same way.
Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.
From the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 11 February 2018, the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes.

Robert Card. Sarah
Prefect

+ Arthur Roche
Archbishop Secretary