Heroes in the Season of Hope
Dear Friends,
This Sunday, Gaudete Sunday,
we light the third candle of the Advent wreath. The rose-colored candle
and the priests' rose vestments mark a change in the tenor of this
penitential season. For those who have been using Advent as a time to
prepare heart and home for the celebration of Christ's birth, it is a
reminder to rejoice in His approaching arrival. For all it is a reminder
to get serious with the remainder of the season and use it profitably,
to exercise not the feeling, but the virtue, of Hope.
And we do need hope. I don't know how many of you have seen the recent video of the heroes -- yes, the heroes -- who defended the cathedral in San Juan, Argentina from a violent assault by a feminist mob. It was a truly ugly scene: a cursing, half-naked throng of hate-filled and obviously deeply wounded souls molesting, assaulting and spray-painting the defenders of the house of God. These defenders did not retaliate, but kneeled or stood arm-in-arm, praying the Rosary while being kicked, spat upon and cursed.
The cathedral itself suffered some damage along the outside, but the interior was not broached, and the Holy Eucharist in the tabernacle was unmolested. And as we see too often, the police stood by and did nothing, as they were directed to do. And of course despite the fact that this was clearly a news-worthy event with obviously compelling video readily available, the media turned away. To the agenda-driven media, it's the wrong story: Faithful Catholics are not to be portrayed as peaceful victims in the culture wars, and the defenders of abortion and the LGBT agenda -- the perpetrators of these crimes -- must not be portrayed as the aggressors. Hence, nothing to see here.
The defenders of the cathedral are heroes. Without question.
The confrontation between good and evil does not get much more clear than this, through the eyes of faith. On this same view we see incredible virtue -- and hope -- as triumphant. The faithful Christian can be justly angry at this injustice, but cannot despair at yet another assault on life. Rather, how can we not look at the example of faith and courage in our brothers and not be filled with hope, and more: a challenge to step up our own game? What would we do in this situation? What can we do in our own situation?
Continue reading on HLI.org...
And we do need hope. I don't know how many of you have seen the recent video of the heroes -- yes, the heroes -- who defended the cathedral in San Juan, Argentina from a violent assault by a feminist mob. It was a truly ugly scene: a cursing, half-naked throng of hate-filled and obviously deeply wounded souls molesting, assaulting and spray-painting the defenders of the house of God. These defenders did not retaliate, but kneeled or stood arm-in-arm, praying the Rosary while being kicked, spat upon and cursed.
The cathedral itself suffered some damage along the outside, but the interior was not broached, and the Holy Eucharist in the tabernacle was unmolested. And as we see too often, the police stood by and did nothing, as they were directed to do. And of course despite the fact that this was clearly a news-worthy event with obviously compelling video readily available, the media turned away. To the agenda-driven media, it's the wrong story: Faithful Catholics are not to be portrayed as peaceful victims in the culture wars, and the defenders of abortion and the LGBT agenda -- the perpetrators of these crimes -- must not be portrayed as the aggressors. Hence, nothing to see here.
The defenders of the cathedral are heroes. Without question.
The confrontation between good and evil does not get much more clear than this, through the eyes of faith. On this same view we see incredible virtue -- and hope -- as triumphant. The faithful Christian can be justly angry at this injustice, but cannot despair at yet another assault on life. Rather, how can we not look at the example of faith and courage in our brothers and not be filled with hope, and more: a challenge to step up our own game? What would we do in this situation? What can we do in our own situation?
Continue reading on HLI.org...
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
HLI in Europe
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by Adam Cassandra
In a nation-wide survey beginning this week, Human Life International Ireland is asking every pharmacy in Ireland if they provide "emergency contraceptives" and other contraceptive drugs and devices with abortifacient properties. Read More...
Ocean to Ocean Pilgrimage
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by HLI Staff
Filmmaker
Katie Breidenbach released a beautiful video this week highlighting a
visit of the pilgrim icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (the Black Madonna)
to New York City as part of the Human Life International-sponsored From
Ocean to Ocean Pilgrimage in Defense of Life. Read More...
by Fr. Peter West
The
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary offers Masses in English, Spanish and
Portuguese, and is staffed by the Society of St. Francis de Sales, also
known as the Salesians of Don Bosco. Founded as a religious order in the
19th century in Italy to care for poor children, the Salesians of Our
Lady of the Rosary run a soup kitchen in the parish to care for the poor
with the help of many parishioners and volunteers. The parish also
helps women going through challenging pregnancies to choose life. Read More...
