Friday, February 12, 2016

Spirit & Life - Lenten Priorities




Your Support Helps HLI Defend Life & Family Around the World! 
    


How is your Lent so far? Mine has begun in Belarus, where I am traveling with HLI Europe's Joannes Bucher and our gracious hosts. They've kept us busy, in a very good way. We've driven over 2,000 km in between Minsk, Pinsk and other Belorussian communities, sharing the Gospel of Life and meeting other leaders. 

I'll have more to say about this trip later, but for now I will just say how encouraging it is to have open support for life and family at the level of national politics. Belarus has not completely rolled back its abortion disaster, but they are strongly defending marriage, beginning to enact restrictions on abortion, and we have seen many pro-life and pro-marriage billboards in prominent places. See some of the photos and meet our new friends at HLI's Facebook page. 

Belarus Billboard
_We beg you to please protect every life_
So my Lenten observances include a fast from the internet. OK, this is mostly forced since we just haven't had much access, but I'm going to count it. 

All joking aside, I pray that Ash Wednesday has begun a fruitful penitential season for you and for all the faithful. What a gift it is that our Holy Church prepares for the passion, death, and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ with a season in which we mortify the senses and desires, and focus instead on loving service and sacrifice. Don't miss this opportunity - you can still begin today!

I encourage you to read Monsignor Barreiro's article on natural law, and Allison LeDoux's article on yesterday's World Day of the Sick. Her meditation on the value of suffering would be good to contemplate and share this Lent, as we offer up our pains and difficulties to the One Who suffered the most unjust and brutal death. He can truly transform our suffering through grace in ways that will always amaze. 

Our Lord is so good! Have a wonderful Lent, and thank you again many times over for your continued prayers and support for HLI. 

 
Sincerely yours in Christ,  
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
Send a reminder: Catholic=Pro-Life!

Thomas Aquinas
Even within the Church we see how the forces of relativism are active, though such positions were denounced by Cardinal Ratzinger in his well-known homily at the Mass "Pro Eligendo Romano Ponfice" just before he was elected pope. This relativism leads to the rejection of natural law based on the supposed authority of varying cultures to which one belongs. Such contradictory moral pluralism is contrary to the will of God, the Source of the universal natural law. In these times of confusion the Catholic principle of discernment to which we should hold was formulated many centuries ago by Cesareo of Arles: "What has been always, everywhere and from all believed and practiced." - continue -
 
Send a reminder: Catholic=Pro-Life!

Miracle Wedding Cana
Jesus Himself is the Divine Physician. The miracle at Cana was the first of many miracles in which Jesus showed the presence of God - we see throughout the Gospels how the blind regained sight, the deaf could hear, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, demons cast out, sins forgiven, and heavy burdens made light. And just as Jesus called His disciples to be servants, starting with stewards at the wedding feast who unhesitatingly and generously followed Jesus' command to fill the jars with water, Jesus calls us too, to serve and care for the sick with the same faith-filled readiness. - continue -
 
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Send a reminder: Catholic=Pro-Life!
Families, the Building Blocks, Fr. Boquet
real estate for life
Send a reminder: Catholic=Pro-Life!



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