Respect Life

What's Happening with our new Respect Life ministry?

Above the altar at St Anthony’s church, we see these words: The Lord Is Here & He Is Calling You.
God is calling us to respect life, the gift he has given us all. We must share this message with everyone and let all know that this gift from God should be cherished and protected at every stage. He is calling us to speak for those who have no voice and desperately need our help. Those carrying the gift of life need to know that they are not alone and help is available.

Our Respect Life group defends the God-given life and dignity of all human persons from conception until natural death. Our goal is to build a Culture of Life and of Love through

• education,
• outreach, and
• advocacy.

Join us and learn how to talk with others about sensitive Life issues and become better at supporting family and friends. Learn to effectively advocate to others in our community for Life from “conception to natural death.” Draw closer, a little at a time, to Our Lord, who is always walking with us.

Did you know...

At day 22, the heart of the child in the womb begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different blood type than the mother's. At week 6, brain waves are detectable, the mouth and lips are present, and fingers are forming. By week 8, every organ is in place, and fingerprints begin to form. The baby in the womb can frown at 9-10 weeks. At week 11, the baby can grasp an object placed in his or her hand, and by week 17, the baby can dream (have REM sleep).

Abortion is a common experience. At current rates, about one in three American women will have had an abortion by the time she reaches age 45. Moreover, a broad cross section of U.S. women have abortions: 57% of women having abortions are in their 20s; 60% have one or more children; 86% are unmarried; 57% are economically disadvantaged; 88% live in a metropolitan area; and 78% report a religious affiliation. No racial or ethnic group makes up a majority: 41% are white non-Hispanic, 32% are black non-Hispanic, 20% are Hispanic and 7% are of other racial backgrounds.

Upcoming Events

• Oct 18: Thought-Ful Thursdays session "Not Your Mother's NFP: Busting Long-Held Myths About Natural Family Planning," explaining the natural and effective alternatives to artifical hormonal contraceptives. If you're looking for a way to plan your family without risking the physical, mental, and spiritual side effects of contraception, please join us for this session!
• Oct 24: Rick DeLorenzo -Legacy of Life Foundation Fundraiser at DeLorenzo's Pizza, Sloan Ave.
• Oct 25: Thought-Ful Thursdays session "Sexual Integrity: The Secrets Men & Women Keep," with Mark Houck founder and president of The King's Men. This presentation will help us to grasp the insidious source of much of the sexual issues that can lead to abuse of life.
• Oct 27: Guadalupe Torch Commissioning Mass,  St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold
• Nov 8: Thought-Ful Thursdays session "Assisted Suicide: The Fatal Flaws of the 'Sympathetic' Solution," providing a little history and some factual results of assisted suicide, based on what has actually happened in states that have approved these laws.
• Nov 11: Our Lady of Guadalupe Torch Arrival at 11 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows Church
• Dec 1: Procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe through Trenton

For more information contact:
Nelson Abreu (609 890 8964; nabreu@optonline.net)

Don't let God catch us sleeping!
Please join us for
our next Respect Life meeting

Novemer 8

at 7 pm
at Our lady of Sorrows
Let's make a difference together!

It is time to pray, and it is a time to make a difference. The definition of Life, as we know it as Catholic Christians, is being re-written and not for the better. Jesus is calling us all to serve as he did and to respect life at all stages. Our Catholic faith, through the teachings of Jesus Christ, clearly tells us that all life, at every stage, is a gift from God. We must spread this news that life is a gift from God and this gift is to be honored and cherished. This gift is not returnable and does not come with a return receipt.

We must learn and educate ourselves on how to help Our Lady of Sorrows and St Anthony parishioners with respect life issues they themselves are dealing with. Please come join us for our next meeting and let us learn and work together to not only walk our faith but live our faith. Let’s make a difference, especially for those who have no voice and desperately need our help. They must learn that they are not alone.

For more information contact: Nelson Abreu (890 8964; nabreu@optonline.net).

 

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Do You Know Catholic Social Teaching?

In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life, the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.

In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and assisted suicide. The value of human life is being threatened by increasing use of the death penalty. The dignity of life is undermined when the creation of human life is reduced to the manufacture of a product, as in human cloning or proposals for genetic engineering to create "perfect" human beings. We believe that every person is precious; that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life or dignity of the human person.

"America, you are beautiful and blessed. The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless. If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life"
                                                                                  ~ Pope St. John Paul II

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If you find yourself in situations where your beliefs on life, abortion, and contraception are questioned, it helps to have some facts ready to support your beliefs. You can find shareable articles on recent research on these life issues on the Women Speak for Themselves Facebook page. You can also find information on how to speak for yourself on these issues, as well as links to articles and blog posts on the Women Speak for Themselves website.

Reclaiming & Restoring Family Culture

Doing research in high school, Cristina Barba discovered that 87% of abortions were performed on unmarried women. “We don’t have an abortion issue as much as a sex issue. If people were living according to the Church’s teachings on sexuality, we wouldn’t be dealing with abortion.” In various ways, she has devoted her life to educating others about these teachings.

Then, in 2014, she and 30 friends formed The Culture Project. Based in Philadelphia, it has hubs in L.A. and Toledo, with a travel team based in San Francisco. The Culture Project invites recent college grads to live one year in community and minister to youth via talks on human sexuality, life and love.

Barba strongly advocates that every family have meals together; share life together. Each family should be one “that loves one another, that forgives each other because we’re going to screw up. Love your kids fiercely and share your faith.”

Gretchen R. Crowe, “One Group’s Mission”
Our Sunday Visitor, 1/21/18
 

Every life is worth living

Whether it lasts for a brief moment or for a hundred years, each of our lives is a good and perfect gift. At every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God's love.

Our relationships on earth are meant to help us and others grow in perfect love. We are meant to depend on one another, serve each other in humility, and walk together in times of suffering.

An elderly man whose health is quickly deteriorating; an unborn baby girl whose diagnosis indicates she may not live very long; a little boy with Down syndrome; a mother facing terminal cancer—each may have great difficulties and need assistance, but each of their lives is a good and perfect gift.

Experiencing suffering—or watching another suffer—is one of the hardest human experiences. But we are not alone. Christ experienced suffering more deeply than we can comprehend, and our own suffering can be meaningful when we unite it with his.

Jesus is with us every step of the way, giving us the grace we need. God invites us to embrace the lives we have been given, for as long as they are given. Every life is worth living.

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It's not what you think!

Most pro-life people tend to shy away from gathering to pray near an abortion clinic. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT a protest of demonstration. There is no confrontation or interference with people going in or out. It is simply praying the Rosary other prayers together for people considering or having abortions, the babies being lost there, and for a greater awareness of the sanctity of life in our nation and our community.

Twice weekly (Wed. from 8 to 9 AM and Sat. from 7 to 11 AM), there is a prayerful witness nearby (1345 Kuser Road in Hamilton). If you would like to learn more, please visit http://365daysforlifehamilton.org. If, like most Catholics, you have never attended one of these witnesses, you will be pleasantly surprised at the peace and spiritual uplift you will experience.
 

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Something to Think About

Physician-Assisted Suicide...What is at Stake?

Advocates for the disabled strongly oppose assisted suicide. They point to the lack of adequate safeguards, which could open the door to abuse, manipulation, and coercion.

Suicide is always a tragedy! Do not be misled by the seductive language of "dignity," "mercy," "compassion," or "aid in dying." True compassion does not put a lethal weapon—in this case a prescription of 100 capsules of Seconal—into the hands of a person to help take his or her life.

Compassionate care at the end of life should involve the loving support and involvement of family members. The NJ legislation does not require family notification.
 

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Words of Life

Each of us is a "creature" whose origin is the loving gaze of God, who looks upon us "within His very self" and draws us forth from this Love. This is the love that is the very being of God; the love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for the Father, the Holy Spirit that is love. This is what being created in the image and likeness of God means: to be drawn forth from love; created for love. Thus, every human life conceived in the womb is conceived with a spark of divinity! No wonder we cherish all life as sacred and worthy of the dignity of the children of God. No wonder we believe that all life conceived in the womb is worth all our effort to protect so that the child may come forth from the Light of God into the light of the world.