A poem about the Gift of a Special Child

A talk was held quite far from earth,
It’s time again for another birth,
Said the angels to the Lord above,
This special child will need much love.
His progress may seem very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show,
And he may need much extra care
From all the folks he meets down there.
He may not learn, nor laugh, nor play
His thoughts may seem far away.
In many ways he won’t adapt
He will be know as handicapped.
So let’s be careful where he’s sent,
We want his life to be content.
Please Lord find parents who
Will do this special job for you.
They will not gather right away
The leading note they’re asked to play,
But with this child sent from above,
Comes stronger faith and richer love,
And soon they’ll know the privilege given,
In caring for this child from heaven,
That special child so meek and mild,
Is heavens very Special Child

Anon

Posted: 20 June 2007

Isaiah 49:1

‘The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.’

Posted: 15 June 2007

Justice and Peace cannot be separated from a Commitment to Life

Last November Pope Benedict XVI told the Swiss Bishops on their ad limina visit to Rome that it is only if human life is respected from conception to death that the ethics of peace is also possible and credible:

“It is as if morality has been divided into two parts,” Pope Benedict told the Swiss bishops. “There are the great themes of peace, non-violence, justice for all, concern for the poor and respect for creation. For many, these themes constitute “a substitute religion, or its successor”. Then there is the morality of “commitment on behalf of life, from conception to death; that is, its defence against abortion, against euthanasia, against manipulation and against man’s self-conferred authorisation to dispose of life”. The Church’s task is to rejoin these “two moralities”. Benedict said, “It is only if human life is respected from conception to death that the ethics of peace is also possible and credible; it is only then that non-violence can express itself in every direction; only then that we truly welcome creation, and only then that we can arrive at true justice.” In sum, the pro-life cause and the peace and justice cause are one cause. If it seems the Church is more insistent and specific on the first, it is because the attack on life, as in abortion and related actions, is more direct and unambiguous. The search for peace and justice, by way of contrast, engages many questions on which there can be legitimate disagreement. ”

Posted: 8 June 2007

Prayer for Sanctity of Life

Eternal Father,
Source of life and light,
Whose love extends to all people,
all creatures,
all things;
Grant us that reverence for life which
becomes all those who believe in you;
lest we despise it;
degrade it;
or come callously to destroy it.
Rather let us save it,
secure it
and sanctify it
After the example of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. – Amen

(The Archbishop of Canterbury), 1980

Posted: 8 June 2007

DAY FOR LIFE 2007: SCOTLAND
The Sisters of the Gospel of Life – Podcast

Sr Andrea Fraile is one of the Founding Sisters of the Community of the Gospel of Life; by day she works at the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative. She speaks here about what it means to be pro-life and how the inspiration for the foundation of their new community came from John Paul II’s Encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, the Gospel of Life.

‘Being pro-life is far more than being anti-abortion; it is not just about saving lives – it is about allowing every person to flourish in the way God intended. The Gospel of Life is embodied in the Person of Jesus Christ, who came to us that ‘we may have life, and have it abundantly’ (Jn 10:10). For the world we are living in desperately needs the life that only Christ can bring. People look for pleasure, excitement, fulfilment in all those things that never last and, in the end, they despair and wonder if their own lives have any meaning at all. That’s what happens when we, as creatures, lose sight of God our Creator; we quickly lose sight of each other and our responsibility for each other’.

Listen to the podcast in full.

Posted: 31 May 2007

DAY FOR LIFE 2007: SCOTLAND
Join in the 10th Anniversary Celebrations – Video

Earlier this year, the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative celebrated its 10th anniversary. Over the course of the last ten years, it has helped over 2200 women through some aspect of crisis pregnancy. The Co-ordinator of the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative, Sr Roseann Reddy, opens the doors of the centre to our cameras and allows us to join in the 10th anniversary celebrations.

Sr Roseann said, "In our experience, the main problem that women face is not to do with the baby but to do with the issues surrounding the baby. So, lack of support from either the baby's father or from their parents, financial pressures, pressures to do with work. And what we say to women is: 'If all those problems could be taken away, do you want to have this baby?' The vast majority of them say 'Well, yes I do – but how can I?' That's when our work really kicks in.'’

Watch the video in full.

Posted: 31 May 2007

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