We are like Fireflies

A lightning bug -- or firefly, if you choose -- is one of God's most amazing creatures, able to generate light.

Gazing across a field at dusk recently at Walnut Creek, I was amazed to see hundreds of fireflies flickering their yellow lights in and above the tall, wispy grass. Some of the bugs seemed to blink so randomly. While others flickered with precision, as if they were transmitting Morse Code in patterned bursts of light.

As the sky darkened, the insects stood out even more, in sharper in contrast to the darkness. I'd never seen so many lightning bugs at one time and was in awe of all the tiny specks of light before me in the field.

Then it occurred to me that we are like the fireflies.

God gives each of us a light to shine. Alone, each of is amazing enough as we flicker our little light. But when hundreds or thousands of us shine together, we are truly spectacular. And when darkness descends around us, we shine even brighter, drawing even more attention to our light, the Light of the World.

This comparison is relevant as Catholics in the United States mark another Fortnight for Freedom, from June 21st -- the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More -- to July 4th, Independence Day. The nation's bishops organized the first Fortnight in 2012 to battle threats against religious freedom, which only have increased since then. Our shepherds challenge us to pray, fast and speak out on what Pope Benedict XVI called the "most cherished of American freedoms."

This year in particular, we are called to shine. The theme is "Fortnight for Freedom 2016: Witnesses to Freedom." These are  days to bear witness, to live our faith in Christ with more passion and vigilance than ever. Our darkened world needs His light.

The following is a prayer from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
For freedom You have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).
We praise and bless You for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice, and the common good.
Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties;
By Your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
with Whom You live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Families Need Help and Support

Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, on behalf of the US Bishops, made this 2015 Labor Day statement:

Labor should allow the worker to develop and flourish as a person. Work also must provide the means for families to prosper. "Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment" (Laudato Si' no. 128). Work is meant to be for the sake of the family. We do not undertake labor for its own sake, but as a way to grow toward lasting and meaningful realities in our lives and communities. Parents are called to be providers and educators to their children, passing down essential values and creating a home environment in which all members of the family can be fully present to one another and grow. Dignity-filled work and the fruits of that labor nourish families, communities, and the common good.

Is there any question that families in America are struggling today? Too many marriages bear the crushing weight of unpredictable schedules from multiple jobs, which make impossible adequate time for nurturing children, faith, and community. Wage stagnation has increased pressures on families, as the costs of food, housing, transportation, and education continue to pile up. Couples intentionally delay marriage, as unemployment and substandard work make a vison of stable family life difficult to see.

Is there any question that too many children feel the tragic pangs of hunger and poverty commonplace in a society that seems willing to accept these things as routine, the cost of doing business? Millions of children live in or near poverty in this country. Many of them are latch key kids, returning to empty homes every day as their working parents struggle to make ends meet.

Pope Francis continues to rouse our consciences and challenge us to live more thoroughly Catholic lives. Laudato Si' is, in large part, about something called "integral ecology," an idea that our care for and relationships with one another deeply impact our care for the environment, and vice-versa. The Pope writes extensively about the importance of work in that context. "We were created with a vocation to work" (no. 128), and "the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals relate to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to others" (no. 141). Reminding us that "called into being by one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect," he calls for a "sense of fraternity [that] excludes nothing and no one" (nos. 89-92).

For the whole text, click here.

Get Your Ashes, Post Your #ASHTAG

Wednesday Masses are at:
6:20, 8:15 a.m.,
 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

The US Bishops are encouraging you

 to take a Selfie Wednesday:

XIV Ordinary Synod of Bishops; Lineamenta Questionnaire

From a release from the Omaha Archdiocese:

"Your feedback on family life is 

necessary for the upcoming 

XIV Ordinary Synod of Bishops."

Notice that the release does not say your feedback would be "helpful" or appreciated, but "necessary." Whether or not it's what he wants to hear, Archbishop Lucas is saying that your feedback is necessary. Please help him out at this link.

Later this spring Archbishop Lucas will send a summary to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

If you would like to see the complete Lineamenta, you can find it on the Vatican's website here.

Labor Day Statement

Every year on Labor day the US Bishop release a statement. This year the statement was written by Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami who is the Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

This year Pope Francis canonized Saint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II. Both made immense contributions to the social teaching of the Church on the dignity of labor and its importance to human flourishing. St. John Paul II called work "probably the essential key to the whole social question" (Laborem Exercens, No. 3) and St. John XXIII stressed workers are "entitled to a wage that is determined in accordance with the precepts of justice" (Pacem in Terris, No. 20).

Pope Francis added to this tradition that work "is fundamental to the dignity of a person.... [It] 'anoints' us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God... gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one's family, [and] to contribute to the growth of one's own nation." Work helps us realize our humanity and is necessary for human flourishing. Work is not a punishment for sin but rather a means by which we make a gift of ourselves to each other and our communities. We simply cannot advance the common good without decent work and a strong commitment to solidarity.

Labor Day gives us the chance to see how work in America matches up to the lofty ideals of our Catholic tradition. This year, some Americans who have found stability and security are breathing a sigh of relief. Sporadic economic growth, a falling unemployment rate, and more consistent job creation suggest that the country may finally be healing economically after years of suffering and pain. For those men and women, and their children, this is good news. ...

Meaningful and decent work is vital if young adults hope to form healthy and stable families. Work and family life "must be properly united and must properly permeate each other. In a way, work is a condition for making it possible to found a family, since the family requires the means of subsistence which man normally gains through work" (Laborem Exercens, No. 10). Research is bearing out the consequences of neglecting this relationship: marriage rates have declined by close to 20 percent in the last 40 years, and the birth rate is the lowest on record. Among young adults, the decline in marriage has been steeper, at 40 percent. Although not the only reason, many young adults, because they are unable to find decent work, are delaying marriage and starting a family.

Our challenge this Labor Day is to rise to the challenge of solidarity posed by Jesus when he commanded, "[L]ove one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples" (No. 1941). Since each of us is made in the image of God and bound by His love, possessing a profound human dignity, we have an obligation to love and honor that dignity in one another, and especially in our work.
What would our communities, parishes, and country look like if we all recommitted to each other and the common good? If, instead of lamenting the dwindling hopes of our young people, we create institutions, relationships, and an economy that nurture human flourishing? If, instead of bickering about ideologies, people acknowledged the human dignity of others and worked together?

For the full statement, click here

Persistence to End an Outrage

"Then He told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 'There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, "Render a just decision for me against my adversary." For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, "While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me." '

"The Lord said, 'Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night? Will He be slow to answer them? I tell you, He will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?' "

-- Luke 18:1-8

A 5-year-old was killed, apparently by a stray shot from a gun battle, and our community is understandably outraged.

The unnatural and violent death of an innocent should shock and anger us.

But somehow, after 41 years of legalized abortion in the United States, we as a nation have accepted the estimated 55 million innocent lives lost because of abortion.

Some people, including many in our parish, have refused to forget this injustice. They pray like the persistent widow in Jesus' parable, at home, church and in front of abortion clinics. Others demonstrate peacefully and prayerfully at walks, marches and other events. Some help care for mothers and families, enabling them to provide for a child.

Everyone can do something to end legalized abortion.

U.S. Catholic bishops are encouraging us to observe the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion in the United States, by participating in nine days of prayer and penance and pilgrimage. They are asking us to participate in local pro-life events and pray and perform acts of reparation through a novena Jan. 18-26. Participants can access the novena prayers through apps, emails, texts and online. More information is available on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops web site.

Let us call out to the Lord day and night to end abortion.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Our Bishops Met

This week the US Bishops gathered in Baltimore earlier this week. There they heard from apostolic nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who encouraged them to be witnesses of Christ. He said, "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers."

Also during the week, our Archbishop George Lucas was elected by his fellow bishops to Chair of the Committee on Education.

There are currently 265 active and 180 retired Bishops in the United States. Archbishop Elden Curtiss was among the retired bishops attending.

Bishop Christopher Coyne (@bishopcoyne) tweeted some picture from the conference including the one above and two below. Above he shows his view at the conference.

Here he shows how much space the bishops had at their seats.

Above is the device bishops would use to cast their votes.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley decribed the conference in his blog:

There was also time spent at the conference on the situation in the Philippines and how the Catholics of the United States might assist them, both through prayer and monetary contributions, in relief and rebuilding efforts.

Perhaps one of the most widely anticipated actions we took during our meeting was the election of our new president, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky who will succeed Cardinal Dolan in that position. ...

Of course, the issue of the HHS mandate was also discussed at the meeting, and on the final day of the conference, we released a Special Message on the issue that I want to share with you here:

Call to Prayer

90 Seconds! That's all it takes to watch A Call to Prayer from the U.S. Bishops. Join the movement! Your prayers and sacrifices matter! 

Our Bishops are Praying

Above is a picture Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Raleigh diocese tweeted showing the US Bishops gathered and praying together at California's First Mission: San Diego de Alcala.

Here is a picture Bishop Kevin Vann tweeted before sunset last night as it reminded him of the Eucharistic Prayer where it says, "From the rising of the sun to its setting."

As the US Bishops are gether together in prayer and meetings this week. Today Bishop John Wester tweeted, "Am enjoying the Special Assembly of the US bishops here in San Diego. The theme is New Evangelization. Cardinal Collins of Toronto is great. The New Evangelization seeks to reach the 'gathered and the scattered,' giving new life and vitality to our faith. [The] theme today is the Eucharist. Evangelize through good music, good preaching and good welcome. Then, people called to go and live the Mass."

Pray for our bishops as they are gathered together.

Praying for Oklahoma

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City (@ArchbishopOKC) tweeted the picture above with the message, "Spent yesterday in Moore. Terrible destruction. Even in suffering their hope is unshaken. Pray for this community!"

He also tweeted this picture saying, "Grateful for the prayers, messages and gestures of support from brother bishops and Catholics around the country."

This weekend we will take a second collection to assist the US Bishops as they respond to this tragedy and to other natural disasters that may take place this year.

St. John Neumann

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops highlights an American saint each month during the Year of Faith. St. John Neumann, the patron saint for Catholic schools, is our saint for December.

 

In 1836 the Bohemia native sailed to the United States to be ordained a priest. At that time, Neumann was one of only 36 priests in the country. He served thousands in a 'parish' that stretched from Lake Ontario through Pennsylvania.

 

God accomplished much through one man. Here are some highlights taken from the Web sites of the USCCB and the National Shrine of St. John Neumann:

• The saint reached out to everyone. He learned Gaelic so he could hear the confessions of the Irish immigrants and had learned Italian as a seminarian in Bohemia. He founded the first national parish for Italians in the United States.
• He was the first Redemptorist to profess vows in the United States and was appointed general superior of the American Redemptorists.
• In 1852, on his 41st birthday, he was consecrated as the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. He had become a U.S. citizen four years earlier.
• He founded the first diocesan Catholic school system, which quickly grew from two schools to one hundred.
• He is known for helping to establish the 40 Hours Devotion in the United States.
• Under the recommendation of Pope Pius IX, Neumann set up a religious order, the Third Order of Sisters of St. Francis.

Today seems an appropriate day to tell a story about our saint. Bishop Neumann traveled to a small parish to confirm the young people just after a snowstorm. The pastor explained that one candidate lived further away and could not make it, "but that's okay, he can be confirmed next year."

 

"Does he have a soul?" the bishop asked. After confirmation Bishop Neumann walked to the candidate's house and stayed with the family that night. In the morning he celebrated Mass and confirmed the young man.

 

Above all, St. John Neumann was holy. Let's adopt his simple prayer from his first Mass as a newly ordained priest:

 

"Dearest God, give me holiness!"

 

 

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays.

To Be Faithful Citizens

As faithful citizens we should: 1. Form our consciences; 2. Pray; and 3. Vote.

The US Bishop have a document called Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. It is a good read for before the election.

USCCB & The Vice Presidential Debate

USCCB Responds To Inaccurate Statement Of Fact On HHS Mandate Made During Vice Presidential Debate


October 12, 2012

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement, October 12. Full text follows:

Last night, the following statement was made during the Vice Presidential debate regarding the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to force virtually all employers to include sterilization and contraception, including drugs that may cause abortion, in the health insurance coverage they provide their employees:

"With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact."

This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain "religious employers." That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to "Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital," or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.

HHS has proposed an additional "accommodation" for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes as "non-exempt." That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations from the obligation "to pay for contraception" and "to be a vehicle to get contraception." They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.

USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.

For more details, please see USCCB's regulatory comments filed on May 15 regarding the proposed "accommodation": by clicking here.

Reflections from 9/11

An Instrument of Peace at Ground Zero"I did not see the devil's face at Ground Zero. I saw the face of God in the people working, caring, sweating, crying, rescuing, recovering and being very spiritual in their very humanness."
-Franciscan Father Joseph Bayne, chief chaplain of New York's Erie County Emergency Services

The Parable of Ground Zero
"I thought 'what is God like? God is like the firefighter who rushes into a burning building to save someone. That's how much God loves us."
-Jesuit Father James Martin, culture editor of America magazine

One Firefighter Spared Twice That Day"I still try to figure out what God was thinking and why I deserved to be spared twice that day."
-Kenneth Zaveckas, New York City firefighter

We Stood Together on September 11
"People came together in unity that day. We can all remember where we were on 9/11 because we were all together."
-Paulist Father Paul Wierichs, a former chaplain to the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Choosing Action in the Face of Evil
"Tom was a hero on Flight 93. He and his fellow passengers were drafted unknowingly as the first citizen-soldiers in the war on terrorism."
-Beverly and Thomas Burnett, Sr., parents of Tom Burnett

 These are just some of the stories at the US Bishop's Site

Day Seven of the Fortnight

We are on day seven of the Fornight For Freedom. The following prayer is being said at each Mass during the Fortnight:

O God our Creator,

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

The U.S. bishops launched a text messaging campaign June 21 to provide a new way for people to join the national campaign for religious freedom.

Catholics and supporters of religious freedom from all other faiths around the nation now can send the text message "Freedom” to 377377 to join the movement. Texters can then receive information regularly on how to help protect religious freedom worldwide.

The U.S. bishops have issued a call to action to defend religious liberty and urged laity to work to protect the First Freedom of the Bill of Rights. The U.S. bishops plan to communicate with supporters by SMS (short message service) about twice a month. Standard text message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt-out. Reply HELP or contact FREEDOM@USCCB.ORG for help.

The Fortnight For Freedom begins!

The United States Bishops have dedicated fourteen days (from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day) to the “fortnight for freedom”—a great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty.

Archbishop George Lucas speaks about this Fortnight here. Archbishop George J. Lucas and area speakers will headline the archdiocese’s June 23 “Fortnight for Freedom Rally” at the Memorial Park Monument. The 10:00 a.m. rally will conclude at St. Margaret Mary Church, which is adjacent to Memorial Park, with a prayer service and homily from Archbishop George Lucas.

“Religious liberty is not only about our ability to publicly worship in churches and
synagogues,” said Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha. “It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?”

“This is not a Catholic issue. This is not a Jewish issue. This is not an Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim issue. It is an American issue, and about protecting the most cherished of American freedoms” McNeil said.

“A Fortnight for Freedom” Schedule of Events

Saturday, June 23, Memorial Park Monument

Rosary …………………………….. 9:30 a.m.
Program ………………………….. 10:00 a.m.
Process to St. Margaret Mary…….. 10:45 a.m.
Exposition, Homily, Benediction .......11:00 a.m.
Conclusion ……………………….. 11:30 a.m.

At St. Columbkille the activites will include a prayer for religious liberty at all the Masses and Holy Hours. These include:

Thursday, June 21: Holy Hours 9 – 10 a.m. and 9 – 10 p.m.

Friday, June 22: Holy Hour 9 – 10 a.m., Come see the “For Greater Glory” movie at 6:45 p.m. at Twin Creek Cinema, Bellevue); evening Holy Hour to follow movie or at 9 p.m.
 
Saturday, June 23: 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Freedom Rally at Memorial Park & St. Margaret Mary (Rosary 9:30 a.m. in the church, Rally 10 a.m. in the park, Exposition 11 a.m in the church); Holy Hour 9 – 10 p.m.

Sunday, June 24: Holy Hour 6 – 8 p.m. Exposition begins with end of 5 p.m. Mass, adoration time includes Evening Prayer and Night prayer

Monday, June 25: Holy Hour 9 – 10 a.m., and 9 – 10 p.m. (in the Social Level)

Tuesday, June 26 to Wednesday, July 4: Holy Hour 9 – 10 p.m. (in the Social Level)

Friday, June 29: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Prayer at the Bellevue Abortion Clinic

Marriage and the Council of Jerusalem

The first readings this week have concerned the Council of Jerusalem in the first century. While the Israelites had lived under the 613 commandments of Mosaic law, there was the question of what must the gentiles have to do to become a Christian? Did they need to follow all the laws? Did they need to become circumcised?

In the 15th chapter of Acts it is decided that not all of the Mosaic laws needed to be followed. However, they did decide that there were four rules that all Christians must follow. Three of those rules involved food (such as not drinking blood) and the fourth was to avoid unlawful marriage.

While that was the decision of the Church in the first century, the importance of lawful marriage is just as important to bishops in the 21st century.

Click here for information on how the US Bishops' response to Frequently Asked Questions About the Defense of Marriage.

Wow, This Must Matter

So the Department of Health an Human services made a rule requiring all health insurance companies to provide sterilization procedures, contraception including the “morning after pill” (which can cause spontaneous abortions) and tubal ligation.

In response Cardinal-designate Tim Dolan (president of the USCCB) immediate spoke out against it in video, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have been publishing things like the six things people ought to know, and our own Archbishop George Lucas had a letter in our bulletin February 5th, will have another this weekend and has said "We will not comply" in his podcast (at the link, look to the bottom right under 'Podcasts' for the 2/3 podcast.) The Army said that a letter written by Archbishop Broglio could not be read at Mass because they thought it sounded like a call to civil disobedience.

So why are all of these old, celibate

dudes so excited about this?

It must matter.

While the Wall Street Journal has has called the mandate unconstitutional and illegal, on the underlying principle, a Business Journal has declared it is Time to Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control. Dr. Janet Smith points out how prophetically accurate Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae was on birth control.

Maybe we ought know

more about this teaching?

While one of the expectations of parishioners at St. Columbkille Parish is to believe the teachings of the Church, we don't say everyone must do this with blind faith. If you question or disagree with this teaching, we encourage you to study it closer. There are resources available for that.

Hidden on the Omaha Archdiocese's website is a video teaching on Humanae Vitae by Archbishop Lucas. Archbishop Lucas said that Pope John Paul II took Humanae Vitae and "put it to music" with his teaching on the Theology of the Body. The teachings that came to be known as the Theology of the Body were not made to counter birth control, but to show the inherent dignity in the Human Being. When understand, it is obvious that birth control contradicts that truth.

In our diocese, the Family Life Office has developed a three hour "come and see” class on the beauty of marital intimacy and responsible love which includes education on the biological basis of NFP and details on charts and usage statistics; all in the context of the Church's care for us.  The class is led by certified teachers from the Couple-to-Couple League and FertilityCare Centers.  Couples attending have the opportunity to ask candid questions of practicing NFP couples as well as spend time in couple prayer and discussion.  The cost is $25 per couple.  For more information, contact Heidi Emanuel at the Family Life Office at 402.551.9003. (Unfortunately there are not dates for it online.)

As you understand this, you may ask:

What should I do

to oppose this?

While the US Bishops have advocated an online petition with pre-written text asking for your Congressman to co-sponsor legislation against it, the reality is that Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry is THE sponsor of the legislation which he introduced about 11 months ago (well before this rule was made.) So it would be appropriate to write him and say thanks. You could also contact Congressman Lee Terry, Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Mike Johanns, all of whom have expressed their opposition to the HHS mandate. 

What Else?

It is important to know your faith so you can discuss this with others when it comes up. Also, as one woman points out, this is an issue that should be taken up with your doctor. Stacy Trasancos wrote:

 

It is I who should have been decrying this all along. It’s not just unacceptable for the doctor to push it on a Catholic woman, it’s unacceptable for any doctor in any Catholic institution to even make it available, and women have the unique opportunity to say so directly to the doctors they visit. How many do that though?

Think about it. If a doctor is willing to prescribe abortifacient drugs or abortifacient devices, then the doctor is willing to induce abortions. If we wouldn’t let a practicing sex offender examine our children, then why for Heaven’s sake would we let a practicing abortionist deliver them?

Unless I have looked at every doctor along the way for the last three decades in the face and told them why contraception, sterilization and abortion are immoral, and demanded they stop offering it lest I seek new medical professionals to care for my body and my family, then I really have no foundation for any outrage today at all. Yes, I confess, I’ve walked out of doctor’s offices and ignored the contraception ads hanging on the wall, just glad I did “the right thing.” But I failed. I should have spoken up, right then, right there, directly to the medical professionals.

Mea culpa

Is Following Our Conscience Important?

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which it “ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans.” He made the statement in a web video.

“Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said.

On January 20, Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Health and Human Services, announced that non-profit employers will have one year to comply with the new rule.

Cardinal-designate Dolan urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest.

“Let your elected leaders know that you want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and that you want the administration’s contraceptive mandate rescinded,” he said.

Remembering 9/11

An Instrument of Peace at Ground Zero"I did not see the devil's face at Ground Zero. I saw the face of God in the people working, caring, sweating, crying, rescuing, recovering and being very spiritual in their very humanness."
-Franciscan Father Joseph Bayne, chief chaplain of New York's Erie County Emergency Services

One Firefighter Spared Twice That Day"I still try to figure out what God was thinking and why I deserved to be spared twice that day."
-Kenneth Zaveckas, New York City firefighter

The Parable of Ground Zero
"I thought 'what is God like? God is like the firefighter who rushes into a burning building to save someone. That's how much God loves us."
-Jesuit Father James Martin, culture editor of America magazine

Choosing Action in the Face of Evil
"Tom was a hero on Flight 93. He and his fellow passengers were drafted unknowingly as the first citizen-soldiers in the war on terrorism."
-Beverly and Thomas Burnett, Sr., parents of Tom Burnett

We Stood Together on September 11
"People came together in unity that day. We can all remember where we were on 9/11 because we were all together."
-Paulist Father Paul Wierichs, a former chaplain to the Federal Bureau of Investigation

 These are just some of the stories at the US Bishop's Site