By Eileen Love
This time of year, Respect Life Committees are hard at work making their message known.
No issue is more crucial than protecting innocent life. While all life is sacred and deserving of protection - surely, we are called to remember the elderly, the terminally ill, those incarcerated and in need of someone to minister to them - the life of the innocent unborn – the tiny voiceless creatures whose very lives depend on us are in most urgent need of protection. The basic right to life is the bedrock fundamental truth on which all the other truths will stand.
In our area, one Catholic parish places hundreds of tiny pink and blue flags (such as landscapers might use) on the hillside adjacent to the church. It is an arresting sight, reminding people of the ongoing horror of abortion and affirming that Christ’s healing love and reconciliation await all those affected by this sorrow.
In Denver we will host our Respect Life Conference on Saturday, October 24 at Christ the King Parish. If you can squeeze it into your schedule, do so! The theme is The Family: Hope for the Future- In addition to Mass being celebrated by Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley, we will have Keynote speaker Helen Alvare, pro-life feminist and good friend of ENDOW to give a global perspective on the family.
And how’s this for a God-moment? Praying the rosary in front of the local Planned Parenthood building, two women nodded to each other, both thinking the other looked familiar, but unable to place her. After an hour of prayer, and occasional snippets of conversation as they watched patrons come and go from that sad imposing structure in a fenced off area in a broken-down neighborhood, one of the women suddenly had a light bulb go on. “Wait a minute! Don’t you work at St. Luke’s Hospital?!” “Yes”, answered the other woman. “I’m a labor and delivery nurse. My name is Delaine.” The women stared at each other and slowly, a moment of joy crept up on them.
Said the first woman, “You delivered my baby seven years ago!”
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Mary's Other Month
,Mary's Other Month By Gigi Zapiain
OK I’m biased, but I think my Mom is the cutest senior citizen around. She loves a good romantic comedy at the movies, is a great traveler that enjoys exploring new places, never misses her aerobics class with women 40+ years younger than herself, could plant a dry stick in the ground and nurture it into a blooming plant, and revels in an end-of-season shoe sale as much as I do.
She and my Dad were married for 51 years before he returned to the Lord in 2005. After the funeral, I realized that as long as she had been alive, Mom had never been alone. She grew up in her boisterous family, went to college with her sisters, worked for an airline while living at home when she met the handsome grad student finishing up at Fordham University and tied the knot. With me and my brothers long since grown and out of the house – I realized she no longer had anyone to come home to with Dad gone.
Mom was and still is in good health, but there was no way I was going to leave her – alone. I won’t bore you with the details, but I decided to leave New England and head to Texas to where Mom had lived much of her life to seek my fortune there.
It was in October that I headed south that year – this gorgeous month when the weather is bracing and the trees wear their blazing finery – and remembered that it is that “other” month that is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It’s not often that I can claim to know what Jesus was thinking – but I have to say I know exactly how he felt when he did not want His Mother to be alone. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus thought that Mary couldn’t look after herself – rather the Lord entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple because a Mom is always a Mom – and in her human nature, Mary would do best in an environment where she could continue her loving, nurturing ways; now in a special way with the Apostles, especially the one that Jesus loved.
After getting over a bit of southwest culture shock, the Lord was merciful and I was able to land a good job, and brought Mom to live with me. It would not be true if I told you things are perfect having Mom for a house-mate. If she had her way I would wear sailor-collared dresses to work every day – but it would also be untrue to say it is not good. It is very good, and I believe the Lord has blessed our decision to be together. I know Dad would have approved – and I know that Jesus does.
OK I’m biased, but I think my Mom is the cutest senior citizen around. She loves a good romantic comedy at the movies, is a great traveler that enjoys exploring new places, never misses her aerobics class with women 40+ years younger than herself, could plant a dry stick in the ground and nurture it into a blooming plant, and revels in an end-of-season shoe sale as much as I do.
She and my Dad were married for 51 years before he returned to the Lord in 2005. After the funeral, I realized that as long as she had been alive, Mom had never been alone. She grew up in her boisterous family, went to college with her sisters, worked for an airline while living at home when she met the handsome grad student finishing up at Fordham University and tied the knot. With me and my brothers long since grown and out of the house – I realized she no longer had anyone to come home to with Dad gone.
Mom was and still is in good health, but there was no way I was going to leave her – alone. I won’t bore you with the details, but I decided to leave New England and head to Texas to where Mom had lived much of her life to seek my fortune there.
It was in October that I headed south that year – this gorgeous month when the weather is bracing and the trees wear their blazing finery – and remembered that it is that “other” month that is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It’s not often that I can claim to know what Jesus was thinking – but I have to say I know exactly how he felt when he did not want His Mother to be alone. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus thought that Mary couldn’t look after herself – rather the Lord entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple because a Mom is always a Mom – and in her human nature, Mary would do best in an environment where she could continue her loving, nurturing ways; now in a special way with the Apostles, especially the one that Jesus loved.
After getting over a bit of southwest culture shock, the Lord was merciful and I was able to land a good job, and brought Mom to live with me. It would not be true if I told you things are perfect having Mom for a house-mate. If she had her way I would wear sailor-collared dresses to work every day – but it would also be untrue to say it is not good. It is very good, and I believe the Lord has blessed our decision to be together. I know Dad would have approved – and I know that Jesus does.
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