What I Really Think...

Today is the March for Our Lives.  Two months ago, was the March for Life.  Both have merit.  Both marches reveal a desire for a society which is better than what is quick, what is easy, and what is merely legal.  Both draw in people of good will, who want  help create a society where the idea of hurting people, of killing people as a means of escape, or revenge, or because we're fed up, tired, or have no hope, is unthinkable.

However, it's very easy to get blinded to good within one march or the other, because it runs counter to one's politics.

We all get caught up in passion for fighting those evils we see ignored. It's human. It's natural. It's ordinary. As Catholics, we're not called to limit ourselves to the first instinct. We're to willfully engage the world and allow grace to work through us to reveal Christ. However, to be a disciple of Christ  is to be a person of service, a servant to all and to be like the Son of God and have no political home. It means we must resist the temptation of the world to engage in tribalism, a favorite means of the Devil to prevent us from being who God would will us to be.

Those who tend to vote Republican, favor restrictions on the liberty to abort. We'd even support an outright ban because we know all abortion ends a human life and damages the souls of many. Those who tend to vote Democrat, favor restrictions on the liberty to bear arms. We'd even support an outright ban on some forms of ammunitions and armaments because we know shootings by people of other people can end human lives and damage the souls of many.

We want a waiting period on buying guns so that people don't take actions they'll regret. We want a waiting period on acquiring abortion for the very same reason. Restricting liberty to act on impulse is something we need, if only to help prevent countless lives from enduring deep regret later. We want restrictions on younger people purchasing fire arms because their judgement is subject to the reality of their age, experience, peer pressure and emotions. We also want the responsible adults in their lives to be involved in the matter. We want restrictions on younger people seeking abortion because their judgement is also subject ot the reality of their age, experience, peer pressure and emotions. We also want the responsible adults in their lives to be involved in the matter.

The right want restrictions on abortion because it kills people. The left want restrictions on guns for the very same reason, because they kill people. There are protected rights in the Constitution and in law regarding both matters. If we want to be fully Pro-life, we should be both and in both circumstances because we want a safer, kinder, better society that protects all human life.

Those who March for Life and brave the cold, should march with those in the March for Our Lives, because we're really pro-life and vis-versa.  This is a great time to be a witness, and to act to bring both hands of the body of Christ together. We should be a seamless garment of love to those who suffer from pain, from tragedy, from poverty, from want. We have great opportunity to be a disciples of mercy to those forgotten, ignored or marginalized in every walk of life and show that being a follower of Christ always means loving more than what the law or politics or popular opinion allows or prefers.

If we're pro-life, it means we want people to have access to medicine and medical care, so they can stay healthy or get better, so they can care for their unborn and born children. To be pro-life, we need good medical care for those who are elderly, and the sick, so they won't feel pressured to accept euthanasia as an alternative to being cared for in their later years. To be pro-life, we hold that "Thou shalt not kill," and know that includes even mere anger against our neighbor. Being Pro-life means standing against violence, against any by any. To be pro-life, we must care for the poor and the immigrant, the stranger and the lost. To be pro-life, we have to care for the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the dying, the imprisonned, the sick, the weak, the powerless, the hopeless, the ignorant, the abandoned and the unpleasant. We are all called, we are all chosen, and we are all here to care for the all with all that we have and all that we are.

It's not an easy task, because it requires we take action again and again and again and again. It's not going to be viewed by everyone as anything but symbolic, (but what others see is not relevant, it is what God knows about our hearts and our actions, that matters). We have to cease to be Republicans or Democrats, right and left and be Catholic Disciples in all things, if we would be anything in the Kingdom of God. Time to all poor ungrateful servants (meaning all of us) get to work.

Two-for One Friday

I know, I didn't link up to yesterday's Small Success Thursday.  I did take down the tree though, and vote for my son...a bit of maternal boasting here if you don't already know, my son was up for Maryland Boy Athlete of the week.  He ran a 1600 meter in 4:25, and an 800 afterwards in 1:59.  Both personal records for him, and both allowing him to win the events over all.   It was cool and we celebrated it by all casting votes on our phones, DS's, computers, etc.  and honestly, his smile was so wide, so awesome.  It made my day. 

I have a piece on the March for Life over at the National Catholic Register today.  I'd written it because I wanted to get at the reasoning behind the march, and also the fuller understanding of what it means to be Pro-life.  It's easy for the message to get muddled with politics and I honestly don't want that to happen.   The goal is always, as Mark Shea and others have said, to be more pro-life, not less, ergo, there isn't a point at which we're supposed to give up, to ignore, or to allow ourselves not to see those who suffer, and demand of ourselves, an accounting. 

I know, in discussing this online, it's not easy. It's not ever going to be simple, and it is long haul, this is an infinite promise we make when we sign on to the sacrament of Confirmation, to be the hands and feet of Christ, and to be sent out in the world as a sign and contradiction, as a source of salt and light, warmth and healing, hope and genuine friendship, to all we encounter from that point forward, on beyond death.   

Time to get to work. 

Quartet

I don't watch talent shows but when I do, it's because I've ignored everything until the winner emerges, and it's fun to see what they do and not have to sit through anything else.  You're busy. I'm busy, so instead of giving you four blog posts with four links, you get all of them in one place, here.  Enjoy.  

1) Hello Everyone! It's Sherry here with another Small Success Thursday! Small Success Thursday is about making gratitude a reflexive way of thinking about the world and your life. If you will, it is the domestic version of the Canticle of the Sun, where we praise God for the gifts of the early morning feedings, the late night homework, the dishes, the laundry, the minutia that seemingly clutters our lives and yet reveals by that very clutter, how blessed to the point of overflowing, our lives are. Like most things in life, it appears simplistic, to seek to be grateful for all things, it seems beautiful when you hear it, maybe even a little too sweet, until you have to practice it. (There's more).

2)

Over at Aleteia with a story that took place in 1993,  I must say, I'm honored by the title: The Happiest, Most Inspiring Pro-Life Story You'll Read Today.

3) I woke to this surprise over at the National Catholic Register...Your Family Will Be a Sanctuary of Love: A Letter to New Parents.

4) Finally, if that wasn't enough, The Diocese of Kansas City, Saint Joseph's Parish, reprinted a piece I wrote back in 2013: 50 Things to Do if You Can't Go to the March for Life!  It's been republished on Catholicmom.com as a result too.

Guess I'd better get to work on those petitions for the mass I need to finish, no one is going to believe I didn't have time.

The March for Living

I love the March for Life. This year, it's being held on the 27th of January.  I've walked in it, I've covered it for a story, and I've met people who came from all over the country and braved horrible weather to walk in it.  

I am pro-life, and that means I believe abortion to be a grave evil that harms the mother, the father, the abortionist and the child.  Abortion is the world's solution because it doesn't require involvement, it doesn't involve commitment, sacrifice or love.   It seems like a quick fix.  As a Catholic, as a human being, I believe we cannot solve an evil (being alone and pregnant), (rape), (incest), (lack of access to medical care), (poverty) with another evil (abortion).   It is to my sensibilities, a means by which society can ignore such evils and allow them to persist.    I am pro-life which means I know there aren't easy or simple fixes to the problems of life, any problem of any weight requires involvement, committment, sacrifice and love.   The question always thrown to the pro-life advocate is, "What are you going to do?" and that's where we need to make a visible sign to the world that we are more than just against something, we are for life.

To be pro-life is to wish we could fund crisis pregnancy centers providing obgyn care in every city across the country so that women wouldn't feel they needed to turn to abortion, and reduce adoption regulations and fees so that it could be considered more often as a viable alternative.   To be pro-life is to ponder, how do we change hearts (which is much harder), than merely defunding something.  

We have organizations like And Then There Were None, and Sisters For Life and National Life Center, and Project Rachel which provide help to practitioners who want out, expectant mothers who need help both during and after the pregnancy, and those who suffer from having experienced an abortion, both recent or deep past.  

However, we do not always focus on the reality, to love, we always need to expand outward, to do more.  The march is a great way to hearten those who know, the child in the womb needs protection, but it needs to be about more than abortion, as grave and hard as it is.   We need to be talking about the innate dignity of each person, so that we are pro-life from conception to natural death.

The unborn child has dignity.
The pregnant mother has dignity.
The father of the unborn child has dignity.
The unborn girl has dignity.
The unborn boy has dignity.
The unborn tripplet has dignity.
The unborn child with Down Syndrome has dignity.
The unborn child with any other condition one can diagnose within the womb, has dignity.
The born child with an addiction has dignity.
The child born in poverty has dignity.
The child born with a fragile medical condition has dignity.
The toddler who is behind on benchmarks has dignity.
The toddler who struggles with a temper has dignity.
The child with hyperactivity has dignity.
The child who doesn't like school has dignity.
The child who struggles with reading has dignity.
The child who never turns in homework, has dignity.
The child who doesn't speak, has dignity.
The child diagnosed with autism, has dignity.
The child diagnosed with cancer, has dignity.
The child who is depressed, has dignity.
The child who is overweight, has dignity.
The child who never seems to be clean, has dignity.
The child who is hungry has dignity.
The child who is always sick, has dignity.
The child who is homeless, has dignity.
The child diagnosed with whatever it is, has dignity.
The teen who is rude, has dignity.
The teen who is loud, has dignity.
The teen who is always late, has dignity.
The teen who struggles to pay attention, has dignity.
The teen who doesn't struggle and doesn't pay attention, has dignity.
The teen who leaves early, has dignity.
The teen who has it all together, has dignity.
The teen who seems hopeless in all things, has dignity.
The young adult who doesn't have a job, has dignity.
The young adult who doesn't go to school, has dignity.
The young adult who isn't going to the best school, has dignity.
The young adult who dropped out of school, has dignity.
The young adult who still doesn't know how to be an adult, has dignity.
The young adult with young children, has dignity.
The young adult without children, has dignity.
The middle class adults have dignity.
The poor adults have dignity.
The well off adults have dignity.
The adults without jobs have dignity.
The adults with jobs have dignity.
The adults with houses have dignity.
The adults without homes have dignity.
The married have dignity.
The single have dignity.
The divorced have dignity.
The degreed have dignity.
The skilled have dignity.
The adults lacking degrees have dignity.
The adults lacking skills have dignity.
The older have dignity.
The injured have dignity.
Those with handicapping conditions have dignity.
Those with handicapping conditions we can't see, have dignity.
Those with metal illness, have dignity.
Those with addictions have dignity.
Those with deterriating conditions have dignity.
Those who are dying have dignity.
Those who are alone have dignity.
Those who have nothing, have dignity.
Those who are powerful, have dignity.
Those who are powerless, have dignity.

Everyone, regardless of age, sex, gender identity, race, creed, economics, education, career, politics, capacity and development, has dignity.  I could go on, but the idea is everyone. All ones.  Every single one.  There is no person here now, or ever before, who is not innately a person of value not for what they've done, or how far they've come or the power or riches they may or may not have, or the skills they've acquired and talents they've harnessed, but for being.  

We should be about celebrating the innate dignity of all.  

To that end, we should be extending an invitation to create a summer event, parallel to the March for Life, about the Dignity of All, The March of Living.  We'd hold it in the summer when it would be easy on families and in multiple cities across the nation.  This march would not based on a concensus of political values or one sex or against anything.  Such a march for all would be an attempt to reach out and make sure everyone knows about all the magnificient ministries out there which can help anyone who fits into any of these categories plus any I failed to mention.

We could invite charities of all kinds to be part of the march, and have it every year, as a grand celebration not just of life, but of ministering to life at all of its stages, so that people who might not agree with those who advocate against abortion, could discover we are more than merely against abortion, we are for life and here is how.  We could show the world, "Look how they love each other."
There would be ministries for caring for the sick, for the dying, for the hungry, for the homeless, for the veteran, for the incarcerated, for the addicted, for the recovering, for the jobless, for the struggling, for children, for legal help, for financial help, for whatever kind of help, for elderly, for the educating of all, for inviting all to be part of how we would be the hands and feet of Jesus, ministering to all.   It would be a celebration of service and life.

At the end of the day, we would have a concert, celebrating our gifts and our grattide for all, and give everyone a lit candle, and ask all of them to recognize, they are that singular light in the world, and that if every one were allowed to be nurtured and remain lit, the world itself would be luminous. Now go, and nurture someone else's light, to make the world lighter.

If You Can't March Today

Today is the March for Life in Washington, DC.  I believe all human life is precious, from conception to natural death.  Right now, hundreds of thousands are braving the cold to walk from the mall to the Supreme Court, witnessing and praying for all who suffer the wounds of abortion, and for all those who died because of abortion.  

Even if you cannot march, today you can do something to stand up for life.    I used the number 42 because the decision which made abortion the law of the land happened 42 years ago today.

42) Call your mother.  She accepted you sight unseen.  She said "Yes."
41) Pray a rosary for the unborn and for pregnant mothers.
40) Make a donation of clothing or goods to a local pregnancy crisis shelter.
39) Join your local 40 Days for Life..
38) Fast for the day from something.
37) Make a holy hour.
36) Donate to the Priests for Life, Sisters of Life,, or Good Counsel Homes..
35) Lobby your legislators.   Find your Senators or Representatives.
34) Read "Horton Hears a Who" to your children.
33) Hug your children.
32) Reach out to a friend or family member who is pregnant or a new mom, invite them out to lunch.
31) Bring food to a pantry program.
30) Go to mass.
29) Read Abby Johnson's Unplanned..
28) Tweet the Pope's "Every life is a gift."
27) Consider adoption.
26) Pray before a clinic.
25) Visit someone who can't get out, offer assistance.
24) Register to vote.
23) Join the pro-life ministry in your parish.
22) Read Humane Vitae. (It's short).
20) Read the decision and the dissent of Roe vs. Wade.  Know that the original Roe, now opposes abortion.
19) Read today's readings.
18) Witness to life with your own family.
17) Read Jeremiah's 1:5 "Before I formed you..."
16) Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for those who practice abortion/run the clinics.
15) Discuss this issue with friends.
14) Reflect on the number of people lost world wide as a result of abortion, and then multiply that number by three, to get the number of families scarred by the culture of death.
13) Put a Pro-life sticker on the back of your car.
12) Volunteer in homes for those suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia.
11) Become part of Special Olympics. 90% of those diagnosed with Down Syndrome are terminated in the womb.  Those who survive the rubicon of the womb need our support.
10) Pray to the Blessed Mother, no one understands the impact of saying "Yes" to life more than she,
9) Look at pictures of ultrasounds.
8) Read the stories of Be Not Afraid.
7)  Go to EWTN or Guadalupe Radio to find out what pro-life events are in your area.
6) Study the apologetics of being Pro-life.  Here's one of my favorites: Peter Kreeft.  I just gave you one of his gems. He has more beautiful thoughtful writing at that sight.
5) Follow Jill Stanek.  She's a nurse, she testified about infants being left to die after botched abortions, and stays on top of the political and cultural issues that are pro-life.
4) Get involved in the Susan B Anthony list, an activist group that works to educate both the public and the politicians about pro-life issues.
3) Support programs that help the poor.  I'm partial to Catholic Charities. Poverty is a pro-life issue.  We aren't just about the unborn, we're about life.  Being pro-life means we want to help all out there with the hard business of living.  
2) Watch a pro-life movie.  Some of the more recent possibilities include The Drop Box, Juno, Life is Beautiful, The Giver, Amazing Grace, August Rush, Bella, Children of Men.  I got some of the list from Students for Life.
1) Look for and share articles about the March for Life, they're somewhat rare. The running gag is that 200,000-near 500,000 pro-life ninjas take over the streets of Washington DC every January 22nd. You can watch those masters of stealth witness to life at 12 noon today on C-Span.

What We Can Do

Many of us aren't near Washington, DC for tomorrow's march which takes place regardless of the weather at 1 o'clock.  Many of us can't go owing to work or distance, health or familial obligations, but that does not release us from bearing witness to the Gospel of life in our daily lives.  How remains the question, do we reveal ourselves to be pro-life in the everyday if not with those who can brave the cold and march from the mall to the Supreme Court tomorrow? 

1) Phone your legislators on the federal, state and local level and tell them to vote pro-life.  You can find your senators here and representatives here.

2) Pray and fast for the end of abortion.  This is a battle for souls, it will not be won without grace.  Prayer is the greatest weapon we have, and some reparations must be done for the great injuries we export daily by the culture which promotes an evil as a right.  Fasting, little penances, help bring about the turning of hearts. 

3) Visit the sick, the lonely, feed the poor, comfort the cold and the seemingly lost.  Again, pro-life isn't just about abortion, it's merely the most visible manifestation of how little we understand the infinite value of everyone.   Pro-life means everyone, all of them.  We want to want everyone in Heaven, so we must see Christ in everyone, and serve Him as such.  

4) Read what the Church really teaches in the catechism.  We cannot witness what we do not know.  It is not enough to simply be aware of the Church's position, else we may come to slip into viewing it as a merely political stance.  We must know the root, the stem, the whole of the tree of thought, Humane Vitae seems an easy place to start.   The writings of Dorthy Day and Blessed Mother Teresa also reveal the heart of the Church, grounded in both theology and the muscular participation of serving the poor.  

5) Develop a relationship with your own family, connect with all of those given to you as blood, and with your friends, see them for the gifts they are, pray for those who have died, and offer whatever alms or sacrifices you can as gifts before the blessed sacrament, before the Christ child, before the crucifixion in thanks for the infinite mercy available to all of us. 

6) Watch Bella or Juno or Give Me Shelter, and understand that the question of abortion is often one driven by fear, so become someone who offers room in the inn, for the person knocking at the door, hoping someone will welcome them.  

7) Donate clothing and necessities to a pregnancy center or even better, your time. 

8) Prayerfully consider adoption. 

9) Pray for adoptions. 

10) Subscribe to or follow lifenews, Jill Stanek or Abby Johnson, all three good sources of information about the pro-life movement and how to help stem the bloody tide of 55 million killed.

Just One Week Until National Media Mime Day

That's right, only 7 days left until all the major news networks, print, websites, radio, streaming radio, newspapers, pundits and blogs join in silent solidarity with those tiresome artists who think if they don't think it's there, it isn't, and if they think it is, well then it exists.  Funny how that invisible wall is so strong and then not, depending upon the will of the individual.

Rumors of the run on black and white stripped shirts, black leggings and clown makeup causing a mark up on prices continue to be dismissed, but the dearth of Mime supplies lend credence to the possibility that this year, participants in the Nothing Happened Today of Any Significance Whatsoever Whistle past the National Mall are united in their efforts to avoid discussion of that which must not be covered, that which must not be acknowledged, that which cannot be said.

When asked if they were going to do a report on any random amassing of crowds from all over the country on the National Mall for a 2.5 mile walk despite the traditionally frigid weather...

Guess they're practicing for the big day.  

If You Can't March

Every day we have the opportunity to witness to the culture of life or death.   We forget that the culture of Life we want to build involves everyone.  So today, if you cannot be in the March for Life in Washington, DC for whatever reason, use this gift of 24 hours on January 25, 2013 to witness to the culture of life.  Here are some ways how:

50) Give food to the local pantry.
49) Visit the sick.
48) Hug your children
47) Call a friend you've lost touch with over time.
46) Write an op-ed to the newspaper on Pro-life issues.
45) Pray a family rosary
44) Say the Divine Mercy Chaplet
43) Enter a marathon to raise money for charities that support the mentally handicapped.
42) Volunteer at a school to serve at recess or in the library
41) Find out what your local pregnancy center needs, organize a drive.
40) Fast or abstain today
39) Go to an extra mass a week as a sacrifice for those who need the graces to say no to the easy out the world gives.
38) Read and meditate on today's gospel
37) Call your representative to let them know, you care about the pro-life issue.
36) Educate yourself about the HHS mandate and its effects on Catholic Health services, on religious liberty.
35) Pray at the sidewalk of a clinic
34) Go to adoration
33) Give up something for the year, as a sacrifice to the unborn.
32) Call a friend who is expecting, offer to watch their kids or cook a meal or just go visit.
31) Read to your children.
30) Write a letter to your family about why you are pro-life.
29) Study the Theology of the Body
28) Rent Juno or Bella
27) Volunteer to hold children in the NICU that suffer from addictions.
26) Go to a Special Olympics meet.
25) See if your Parish has a Pro-life committee, find out when they meet.  Put it on the schedule.
24) Take your children out to eat, sit at the restaurant.  Enjoy their presence.
23) Pick up the trash in your neighborhood.
22) Donate time/talent/service to a homeless shelter.
21) If the subject comes up, speak out.
20) Spend some time talking about abortion with your older children.
19) Go to reconciliation
18) Consider abandoning birth control or talking to someone about how it injures relationships
17) Turn off the television when it exploits women or sensationalizes violence and meaningless sex.
16) Bring flowers to the Church to lay at the feet of the Virgin Mary
15) Bake something to share with your family.
14) Invite people over to break bread.
13) Ask someone else what they want to do.  Then do it.
12) Contemplate the loss of memories, laughter and light that 54 million souls lost to this Earth could have brought.
11) Commit to a budget, have giving as part of the monthly expenses that are not negotiable.
10) Babysit for some couple so they can have a date night.
9) Visit a cemetery today.  Pray for the souls departed.
8) Call or visit a widow or widower, listen.
7) Talk to your spouse about adoption. 
6) Listen to the speeches/mass/events of the March for Life
5) Pray for those who travel to it.
4) Sell Cupcakes or pizza or what have you, to raise money for a pregnancy center
3) Create or join a prayer group.
2) Become informed about all the ways in which the Culture of Death is trying to advance, Wesley Smith of First Things, Jill Stanek and the Blog, When Mary Met Dolly are three excellent sources.
1) Feeling overwhelmed?  Recognize that this is a battle we are called to participate in, we are not required to win it.  We are mere foot soldiers.  Have some hot chocolate and remember, prayer is the most powerful thing we can do. 

Feel free to add some in the com box. 

OCTOBER CATHOLIC SPEAKER

Yes, I know it is December 13th and I am behind by a month and a half.   In October, I signed on to the Adopt a Catholic Speaker Month, a program run by Brandon Vogt over at his blog.

I picked Tony Melendez.

Then life happened and while I fired off an email, the project sat untouched.  Brandon was gentle about it and sent me an email and quite honestly before the week was over, it left my brain again.  

So I am here attempting to apologize. 

I saw Tony perform back in 2000 at our parish as part of the week of the March for Life.  What struck me was not simply his talent, his illustration of the infinite value of all of us, but the relationship he held with his brother. 

His brother introduced him.  There was a humorous tale about their youth.  But the affection was not a show.  The genuine filial love they held for each other, was part of the manifestation of grace that is Tony's message, that all of us, are necessary, that all of us help each of us, to love more as God loves.  This is a story of family as much as it is an illustration of brokenness being made whole via grace, via beauty, via love.

Tony's talent of playing the guitar with his feet is illustrative of dedication, determination, imagination, fierce will and proof that the limitations of our bodies are no where near as great as the limitations we have in our minds.   He is a great witness to the world to not dismiss the differently abled or visibly handicapped, and to all of us to not listen to the "Can'ts" of the world that have to do with who we are and what we dream.  

I didn't get to interview Tony for this write up, but the message he sang for Pope John Paul by his performance and the message he still teaches today each time he picks up the guitar is the same.  With God, all things are possible.  We are all infinitely loved, and we are all called to infinitely love.   Most of our limitations to develop skills, create beauty or grow friendships are our own.   His performance will inspire all of us to consider how stunted we are, how much we limit our own capacity to reach others, to grow our talents, and to persevere when the world tells us to quit.  

What we forget, we who have all our limbs and thus do not see our brokeness easily, is courage is always needed to perservere, we just often forget to ask for it because we think (foolishly), it somehow should be possible to do all God asks, without asking God. 

If you would like to book Tony for a speaking engagement for your parish, here is his website: http://www.tonymelendez.com.  

If you need me, I'll be over here planning Thanksgiving dinner.  

Tebow and the Super Bowl and Commercials

Pro abortion advocates are going insane over a 30 second ad by Heisman Trophy Winner, Pat Tebow and his mom. She was counseled to have an abortion of her fifth pregnancy because of serious medical complications. Obviously, she didn't follow the Doctor's recommendations. Their family's witness to their faith is what would be showcased in this half minute advertisement.
From the Washington Post Jan 27th

"CBS's acceptance of the advocacy ad seems to mark a shift in network policy against airing Super Bowl commercials with divisive political or social content.”An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center, said in a statement."
Personal snark, "I'm sure Greene and other members of the Women's Media Center just love to fire up the grill, cook some ribs, wings and pour cold ones while they watch the Super Bowl."

Now I love football. I like the Super Bowl and I admit I'd be upset if a Pro-abortion video came on during the game so I guess I can understand the ire. But banning ads and topics for ads because they are upsetting to some, smacks of intolerance, of a secular political censorship designed to dampen dissent, deny the existence or validity of alternative view points, and strikes me as a dangerous path for a network. If one witness is that powerful that it cannot be seen, no wonder the media never covers the March for Life as anything other than "There's an event that will affect your commute."

Some (Joy Behar in particular) tried to argue that Tebow could have been an awful person, and thus the fact that he is a talented and reverent football player should not be given any credence as an argument against abortion. Life may be about making choices, but the capacity to be, shouldn't be simply the whims of one over another, whether in war, in a laboratory, in a camp or in a doctor's office. The very existence of the possible as of yet unaired spot has already reminded people that abortion does limit the possibilities that life brings.

The arguments that having a controversial ad in the midst of a social cultural event like the Super Bowl detract from the experience smack of hypocrisy. Go Daddy Girl, Viagra and Beer for every occasion is fine family fare but a person who lived out their faith life and is willing to put dollars on the line to say that this is a good that came from being unafraid to be Pro-Life for a mere 30 seconds; that's worth a boycott, that's worth screaming and shouting.

Now, imagine all the 50 Million since Roe vs. Wade who were denied the opportunity to change the world. 1.37 Million Each year in the United States never got to have 30 seconds. That translates to 3,700 abortions a day.

One brave witness to life provoked all this with 30 seconds. Imagine what the 3,700 of just Superbowl Sunday would have done with lifetimes.

 

Going to my First March for Life at 43

When we moved to Maryland back in the Winter of 1995, I wanted to go to the March for Life. It was a frigid January and with our only son not yet two, I let prudence dictate otherwise. There would be other years I thought. My husband agreed, "You won't always have a toddler." That statement satisfied me and so I didn't go.

For the next 11 years, toddlers continued to give me my out from signing up or even considering participation. Then my oldest entered 8th grade and I realized, he would make it to the march before me. I contented myself with having a proxy. Three years later, my daughter entered 8th grade. I would have two proxies.

But my 4th grader has a unique nature. Peter's spirit is like a rich vein of precious ore surrounded by massive amounts of heavy unyielding rock. I spend a lot of time going round and round with him, trying to blast through the rock. There is no child for whom I spend more time talking to God or going to confession to work on my patience, my charity and my endurance. He honestly knows how to push every button with everyone, every time. But sometimes, the ore reveals itself unbidden. He asked at the beginning of the week, "Are we going to the march?" I demurred without answering.

He asked again two days ago. I said "I'd watch the weather to decide."

Today, I woke up to him and his sister having a serious spat. It put me in the wrong place immediately. After getting everything sorted out, I began the routine of breakfast for everyone and checked my email. A friend had written a beautiful piece on her journal about the value and beauty of life and witness we are all called to show to the world to keep all children sacred. It was all the more poignant because she had lost her youngest to cancer back on October 14th. Her daughter would have been three two days ago.

My son asked quietly, "Are we going?"

And the answer had to be yes. It was ten thirty. We weren't dressed. We weren't packed. It was starting to sleet but the answer was yes. My silver ore child made peanut butter sandwiches and baloney ones, and packed apples and oranges. The sister he'd fought with, helped. I swung through getting the littles dressed. We roused the 12 year old who wasn't really moving yet to get herself going, packed the car and loaded the stroller.

All the time, I threw occasional prayer demands at the various saints. "If we're going to do this...we're going to need help." I explained. "Saint Rita of Cassia, patroness of the impossible task, this qualifies." "Saint Anthony, help us find a way to get there and be on time." I rattled off my stresses, my worries. Thousands of people and me. What if it's freezing? What if I lost one? How would I find them? What if one needed to go the bathroom? I thought of all the countless ways things could go wrong as I gathered up as many gloves as I could. They wouldn't match but they'd be warm.

But I'd also read a piece just that morning in the Catholic Standard asking us to meditate on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the "power" of the Holy Spirit, and knew that this moment, like saying yes to the first child, to every child, was one of those moments where one had to shut one’s mind eyes and free fall with God.

We went.

The sleet stopped and the sun came out. No one needed the facilities. No one got lost. There were squabbles. We saw priests and nuns and handicapped and young and old, long haired surfer type dudes from Florida, four bus loads from New Orleans, a couple with seven from Michigan, a mother of a daughter with Down Syndrome from Ohio. Countless people stopped to help us with the stroller or to hand back "piggy" who my daughter insisted come with us, or to count them or to ask how many. One guy took a picture. Paul, my youngest was blessed by almost every priest we passed, including a Bishop Benjamin who told me he had three siblings with disabilities. Peter handed out the sandwiches and held a sign until he got tired of it and started using it to tap his sisters on the head.

Pushing the double stroller through the mud and ordering my walkers to keep their hands on my shoulder, I wondered what my kids would take away. My first thought ran to "their mother was nuts. It’s crowded. I’m cold. I’m hungry. Why aren’t we riding the carosel?" My resolve at the march felt silly in light of the logistics. Then, the kids saw a banner held by two parents of a child with disabilities.

It read “90% of all Down Syndrome children are killed in the Womb through Abortion!” Even the seven year old looked at me and asked, “Is that true?” “Yes. It’s very sad.”

I could feel my sons and daughters close ranks with their baby brother at the thought. The speaker asked everyone to say the Hail Mary and the march started. We had come and witnessed but I felt I'd asked all I could of them. I told them we were going back to the car. Everyone cooperated with such lightning compliance, I knew it was the right call.

Walking back from the Washington mall, my kindergarten son chased squirrels, everyone remembered they were hungry and a few complained about all the walking they'd done. We went to a favorite chili bar for large late lunch. I thanked Peter for asking and asking and asking and he gave me one of those rare million dollar pleased looks he has, as he softly mumbled "You're welcome." and gulped down his cheese burger and chocolate milk. They each talked about what they liked best, of course for the five year old, it was chasing the squirrel.

Having gone and survived, I know that this will happen again and again. It will be part of the year because all the excuses have been taken away. I know it will happen because my richly veined son Peter loves it. Also, their mother is nuts.

Going to the march was like exercise or prayer or sacraments or anything else in life that is good. I often reject the opportunities to be present, for things less meaningful, less important. Grace waits for all of us to come around. I can't tell you how often I don't want it, I want to refuse it, put it off or ignore it as long as possible. But God waits. Once we go and say or do what God asks, we discover it was greater and bigger and more beautiful than we could have imagined, and we don't have the excuse anymore. We wonder why we put up such a fight in the first place. It's all that hard rock surrounding the ore.

Thanks Peter for being such a rich vein, and reminding me that all of this life is supposed to be a freefall with God.