"May the joy of Christmas, which sings of the birth of the Saviour,
instill in all trust in the power of truth and of patient perseverance in
doing good.
For each of us the divine message of Bethlehem resounds:
"Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy,
to you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:10-11)."
(Urbi et Orbi message of Blessed John Paul II, Christmas 1998)
Christmas Blessings!
The New Roman Missal designates January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) as a particular day of prayer and penance for abortion, called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life”
The beautiful prayer below is from the opening prayer of the second of two brand new texts for a Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life.”
O God, who adorn creation with splendor and beauty
and fashion human lives in your image and likeness,
awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of human life.
It is time to start planning for the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision. To help inspire Catholics to pray and work for renewed respect for every human life, the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has produced this video titled, Proudly Pro-Life, combining images from the procession of the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life in January 2011 with powerful and engaging quotes from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the Principal Celebrant, and Blessed Pope John Paul II.
"Watch and share to be part of the joyful pride of being Catholic and pro-life. Features over 11,000 youth, families, religious, seminarians and other leaders joined in prayer with Cardinal DiNardo, chair of the bishops' pro-life committee and other cardinals, bishops, and priests in praying for an end to abortion at the Opening Mass of the all-night 2011 National Prayer Vigil for Life."
www.usccb.org
Sunday, November 6th brings the close of the Fall 2011 40 Days for Life campaign. Closing services are planned at three of the four 40 Days for Life prayer sites in the Diocese. I hope that you will be able to attend one of the closing prayer services and pray at one of the sites during the last days of this campaign.
40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach.
Burlington County: On Saturday, November 5th at 4 pm there will be a closing rally for the fall 40 Days for Life campaign. Please let Claire know if you will attend at Claire@abortionclinicvigil.com so that there will be enough prayer and hymn handouts available. Location: Cherry Hill Women’s Center, 502 Kings Hwy. N., Cherry Hill, NJ. Prayer vigils will continue at this site every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. throughout the year.
Monmouth County: On November 6th at 3:00 pm there will be an adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction at St. Mary Chapel (St. Mary’s Old Church, 26 Leonardville Rd., New Monmouth, NJ) of the Mary, Mother of God Parish to close the 40 Days for Life campaign. Refreshments will be served afterward. Vigil location is Planned Parenthood, 69 E. Newman Springs Road, Shrewsbury, NJ – Contact Father Joe at 732-671-0071 Ext. 225 for additional information. Or contact Mary Ellen at imarye@aol.com.
Ocean County: On Sunday, November 6th at 2:30 p.m. there will be a special Mass for Life at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Toms River to close the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil. Celebrants will be Father Leon Buni and Father Vic Magnaraog. Music will be by Our Lady of Guadalupe Apostolate Music Ministry. All are invited. Pray the Rosary at American Women’s Services, 651 Rte 37 West, Toms River, NJ every Saturday at 1:00 pm, or join the prayer vigils on Mondays from noon to 4 pm; Wednesdays from 8 am to noon; Thursdays from noon to 4 pm; or Saturdays from noon to 4 pm. Contact Frank at 908-330-7861 or Mario at 732-557-6689 for additional information.
Mercer County: There will be a closing Mass for the Mercer County 40 Days for Life at a date to be announced. Planned Parenthood, 437 E. State St., Trenton, NJ – Contact Jim and Jackie at 908-433-9001 or Monica at 609-273-7248 for additional information.
I would like to share with you a beautiful email sent by the Department of Pastoral Care in honor of Pastoral Care Week.
Quotation: “Let faith and perseverance be our guide. We will never recognize the true value of our own lives until we affirm the value in the life of others, a value of which Malcolm Muggeridge says, ‘however low it flickers or fiercely burns, it is still a Divine flame which no man dare presume to put
out, be his motives ever so humane and enlightened.” (Ronald Reagan, Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation)
Prayer: Lord, God, Creator of all Life, help all people to see the Divine flame in every human life, from conception to natural death, whether healthy or ill, young or old, contributing to society or simply
existing…help us to recognize that the value of each and every life is identical, and that value is priceless. Bless those who work to defend the right to life of all, and touch the hearts of those who are entrusted with crafting the laws of the land, with eyes to see the true dignity and value of all human life. In the Name of Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we make our prayer…
Donna Goodwin
In honor of Respect Life Month, the respect life ministry of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Hamilton Square, New Jersey has displayed the Truth Booth – A Window to the Womb in the church’s gathering space for the month of October. Consider stopping by and seeing this 3D and 4D ultrasound display of the development of the child in the womb. “The mission of the ‘Truth Booth’ is to educate the public on the pre-natal development of the child in the womb using ultrasound video footage presented through an unmanned kiosk. It is factual and scientific, presented in an ingenious, gentle format that allows all age groups to comprehend our early development with clarity.”
Watching the baby move in the 4D ultrasound is fascinating and educational. It is obvious that the baby in the womb is not just a clump of cells. I hope you will be able to view the Truth Booth in person at St. Gregory the Great Parish, but if you cannot, click on the photo of the Truth Booth to watch the video on your own computer and consider bringing the Truth Booth to your school or parish.
Donna Goodwin
Twenty leaders of national Catholic organizations signed a joint statement protesting the “preventive services” mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and calling for legislative reform to protect conscience rights. The statement was issued on October 11th in a full-page ad in the Capitol Hill papers, Politico and The Hill. Click on the ad to read.
Donna Goodwin
Many times in my life I have thought “When things slow down I would like to volunteer for a good cause.” I am sure I am not alone in this thinking. If we are honest with ourselves, with our hectic, frenetic lifestyles, the day that we slow down will never come. So we must make the time in our schedules to include activities that reach out to those in need. Here is an excellent cause that needs your help.
Good Counsel Home – South Jersey located in Riverside needs volunteers willing to help with maintenance of the home. Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, masons, painters, etc., your services would be a blessing. Good counsel Homes will also be focusing on prayers and fundraising. Volunteer ministries will be set up across parishes so that "many hands will make light work."
“I believe if we are going to ask these mother’s not to abort their children and tell them to have faith that God will help them, we need to put our own faith into action and be His hands on earth. We need to provide them with the type of support that Good Counsel Home –SJ offers. They really need shelter, food, education, assistance to obtain jobs, emotional and spiritual support, they need to learn to trust again… they need the love of Christ through His people. We need to show His Divine Mercy. I have personally seen the change in these woman from fear and powerlessness to being filled with hope for a good future for them and their child. There is such a need for these types of homes.”
Debbie Reader, Good Counsel Home-SJ Leadership Committee
What can you do?
Attend the October 23, 2011, 5th Annual Fundraising Banquet to Benefit Good Counsel Home –
South Jersey, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lucien's Manor, 81 White Horse Pike (Rte 30), Berlin, NJ. All are welcome to attend - reservations are required. Contact Brenda Quinn at 856-423-3468 or email olvbquinn@aol.com for additional information.
Or email Ynnette Karbiwnyk, Good Counsel Home Ministry Coordinator, at goodcounselhmc@yahoo.com or call 609-922-2128.
Or email Debbie Reader, Good Counsel Home-SJ Leadership Committee, at debra.s.reader@lmco.com or call 856-229-3311 to find out how you can help.
Donna Goodwin
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