1) And so it begins:
2) "Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans." -- U.S. Bishops
3) “Every evil screams out only one message: 'I am good!' And not only does it scream, but it demands that the people cry out tirelessly in response: 'You are good, you are freedom, you are happiness!'” — Fr. Alexander Schmemann, former Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary
4) "The Uninvited House Guest"
5)
6) Women! You simply must watch this video from the (seemingly not so fictitious) Bureau of Womanhood Conformity:
7) And as my seventh takes seem to be about orphans lately, I will make it a permanent tradition.
About a year and a half ago, Sylvia and her husband adopted a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome, Gabby, from Eastern Europe. After they returned home, they discovered that Gabby had had a little roommate at the orphanage, Ava, who had also been her crib mate. They showed Gabby a photo of Ava, and she reacted with recognition and sadness. Sylvia and her husband determined at that moment to go back across the ocean and adopt Ava as well, thus reuniting two "sisters", who will soon be sisters for real. If you love this story and if you also love iPads, you can enter their iPad giveaway here, and help to reunite these two angels. No donation is necessary to enter, but it sure is appreciated.
By the way, you guys who have been following and supporting my new "orphan passion" really have no idea how many lives you have changed in the past few months, and how many orphans have found homes directly because of you. I can't thank you enough, and maybe one day I will write a post about the individual stories. It's just that every day there is more good news, so I can't keep up right now.
And although it's not orphan-related, I want to throw out one more PSA from wonderful Kaitlin at More Like Mary, More Like Me. Her friend Colleen Nixon is a Catholic missionary (with her husband) and also a fabulous "pop/jazz/indie/quirky" singer who is working on her new CD, but needs your help to spread the word and get 'er done! Check out her music video here, featuring Kaitlin's gorgeous baby girl, and learn about the great giveaway. Or, go straight to Colleen's kickstart page here. She has only seven days to reach her goal and she is soooo close she can taste it!
Okay, guys, have a fantastic weekend!! And thanks to Jen for hosting!
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Thank you Leila for posting about our giveaway to reunite our girls!!! I hope and pray that with your help and others with as much kindness as you have shown us, these girls will be back together in no time :)
ReplyDelete#1 SO PROUD of my alma mater FUS! When the mandate was announced I knew they would stand up to it. I am honored to be an alumni of this amazing institution.
ReplyDelete#4 and #5 = hilarious
#6 Scary but true
Have a great weekend Lelia!
We do not seek to defend religious liberty for partisan or political purposes, as some have suggested. No, we do this because we are lovers of a human dignity that was fashioned and imparted not by the government but by the Creator.
ReplyDeleteWe defend religious liberty because we are lovers of every human person, seeing in the face of every man and woman also the face of Christ, who loved us to the very end and who calls on us to love and serve our neighbor with the same love he has bestowed on us.
We uphold religious liberty because we seek to continue serving those in need while contributing to the common good in accord with the Church’s social teaching and to do so with compassion and effectiveness through Catholic Charities the largest private provider of human services in the State of Maryland.
We do this because Archbishop John Carroll’s generation of believers and patriots bequeathed to us a precious legacy that has enabled the Church to worship in freedom, to bear witness to Christ publicly, and to do massive and amazing works of pastoral love, education, and charity in ways that are true to the faith that inspired them in the first place.
We defend religious liberty in fidelity to the wisdom of James Cardinal Gibbons who withstood in the breach those who said it wasn’t possible to be a practicing Catholic and a loyal American. “…I belong to a country,” he said, “where the civil government holds over us the aegis of its protection, without interfering with us in the legitimate exercise of our sublime mission as ministers of the Gospel of Christ. Our country has liberty without license, and authority without despotism.”
Now we must be loyal Americans by being bold and courageous Catholics!
From Archbishop Lori's Homily at his Installation as the Archbishop of Baltimore
<3
ReplyDeletePoint number 6 is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, I have a number of 'liberated' friends left from my previous lifestyle and as much as they claim they own their bodies (insinuating I don't) they are almost all on some form of chemical because of what their husband wants... they would choose otherwise if it was up to them. The who liberation thing is bunk.