Quick Takes, including the jarring picture that went viral

1) She was twenty weeks pregnant with twin girls when her picture was taken outside an abortion clinic last week, just moments before she went in to abort them. She already had daughters and didn't want more:

Wednesday is late term abortion day at Orlando Women’s Center 

Kelly Clinger, the young women who posted the picture and wrote about the reality of late-term abortion in America, got a massive response that she did not expect. Some folks accused her of perpetuating a hoax, others understood that actual babies were being killed and didn't care, but most told her that the picture opened their eyes to the realities of abortion in America:

A picture is worth a million pageviews: the photo that went viral beyond my wildest imagination

Really, there are no words to describe the sorrow that we should feel as a nation when we see this. We allow this.

It's the banality of evil. Lord, have mercy on us.


2) Like so many others, I was distressed when I learned that Cardinal Dolan had invited Obama to the annual Al Smith dinner. I still wish he hadn't. However, the following picture and story, about the Cardinal's poignant 2010 encounter with Helen Gurley Brown (recently deceased) helped remind me of just who the Cardinal is, and where his heart lies.

photo credit: Cardinal Hayes High School

...Ms. Brown tried to walk forward to greet him, but she started tottering. Archbishop Dolan spotted her and jogged up the steps to help. Meanwhile, the school’s marching band burst into the Cardinal Hayes marching song, inspiring the archbishop to take Ms. Brown in his arms and twirl her around. 

The dancing lasted only for a minute or so, Mr. Meenan said, but he will not soon forget the image of the bearlike archbishop squiring Ms. Brown. He wore his black bishop’s garment and a pink cap; she wore a drop-waist dress, black fur and lace-topped stockings. 

“Everybody’s clapping, everybody’s amazed,” he said….

Read it all, here.

The warm compassion and agape love expressed in the Cardinal's actions -- for a woman who was so misguided, so lost, in so many ways an enemy of the Church, a peddler of so much evil during her own life -- speaks straight to my soul. It reminds me of Jesus' breathtaking encounter with the woman at the well (John 4:7-42; check the seventh recommendation, here), and that the Lord's mercy is without limit.

We don't know Ms. Brown's ultimate fate, nor if she repented before her last breath, but there is something so comforting about Cardinal Dolan's tender outreach to a woman who was known as one of the Architects of the Culture of Death…. It gives me hope for my own wretched soul.

Thank you, Cardinal Dolan.


3) Speaking of "enemies of the Church", I know I am not alone in my mix of emotions about Barack Obama, who is the most aggressively anti-Catholic president we've ever had, his policies endangering our charities, our private businesses, our freedoms, and our souls. It's hard to know what to do and what to think, as it's all come about so quickly. We want to fight his policies (and we must!) but we want to follow the Lord's command to love our enemies, as well. If you are looking for guidance in how to reconcile those tensions, please read this:

On Enemies of the Church

It helped me immeasurably.


4) Speaking of the all-important "fighting his policies", my husband and I are eager to see the movie, 2016 -- Obama's America, tonight:



I hope you all would consider seeing it as well, and make it a great opening weekend.


5) Two of the best memes I've seen this week:

I use this to justify my big fat mouth. And, I adore strong women like St. Catherine.

Jesus is the Bridegroom, the Church is His bride. We are the Church. I could drown in this picture. 

6) How's this for a brain twister? All of these guys below are ardently pro-"choice", but there's something basic and objective that they can't seem to reconcile amongst themselves.

First, we have Canadian medical professionals (yes, doctors, who presumably took biology classes!) who put ideology ahead of elementary scientific facts by declaring that babies are not human beings until after birth! Yes, I'm not kidding! How embarrassing! They are men of science and medicine and they are lying about basic biology in order to push abortion rights? Oy, vey, seriously, how are they not humiliated? Where is their integrity? Look for yourselves:

Canadian Medical Association: Babies not human until after birth

And then we have the world's premiere bioethicist Peter Singer who, although cool with infanticide and bestiality, at least seems to remember Biology 101, unlike the Canadian doctors:

‘Just being human doesn’t give you a right to live’: Peter Singer sums up pro-abortion philosophy

Singer still approves the killing of the unborn, of course, but to his credit he doesn't deny the obvious: that the unborn are, objectively and without scientific dispute, human beings.

How do pro-"choicers" reading this reconcile the two contradictory views? And how can anyone with a basic science background not be embarrassed for the Canadian doctors?


7) Without exception, every human being's life is inviolable and precious, these orphans included…

Ivan, sweet Ivan:

Ivan is a bright child, with a favorable prognosis if he gets his surgery in time!

He is a bright-eyed three-year-old boy who is running out of time to get life-saving surgery on his skull. In America, he would have had the surgery long ago and been out of danger. But unless he gets a family soon, his condition will become dire.

Check out how adorable Ivan is in this video (that's him at around 38 seconds, and there's a little longer clip just after the two minute mark):

For my full Orphan Report blog post on Ivan, please go here.

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And then there is sweet Marla, who has been overlooked her whole life, for the crime of having cerebral palsy:

Five years old and soon to be transferred to an adult mental institution. :(

Marla is a loving little girl who needs a family to help her blossom! Please read my full Orphan Report on Marla, here, to learn more about her, including ways to help this precious child of God.

Please, please, spread the word to others. I see it all the time: It only takes one person to see one photo, and just like that a life is saved.

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I am so thrilled to announce that the facebook auction for Andrew (my Achilles' Heel) is on!! His new family has begun the expensive process to get to him, and our own Brenda has put the entire auction together for them! There are over 134 items so far, and it runs for a week; click here to see all the goods!

Here's just a teeny sampling of the treasures you'll find there:

Made to order! You decide the color and number of eggs in the nest!

Personalized pregnancy loss/infant loss/pro-life rosary. The beads are soft pink (dyed stone) with Swarovski pearl accents. Your choice of other designs if you prefer a different theme.

Beautiful, 3-D wooden Noah's Ark puzzle, made in Morocco!

Swarovski Crystal Covenant Cube Rainbow Bracelet

Plus, gift cards, children's clothing, crafts, home decorations, lip balms and lotions -- and a zillion other things! Go look, now!!



Well, that's all for this Quick Takes! I hope you all have a great weekend! I know I will, as my husband and I are going to a concert, courtesy of our children who got us the most awesome anniversary gift (although I think I am more excited than my hubby):

Yes, Air Supply!! Oh c'mon you ladies of a certain age! You know you're jealous!

Thanks to Jen for hosting!

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