1) This is love. This is Catholicism lived out. I've no doubt that Father Kapaun's posthumous Medal of Honor will be topped by his future canonization as a saint of the Catholic Church.
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| Fr. Emil Kapaun |
In the cold, barren hills of Korea more than 60 years ago, two teary-eyed soldiers stood in a prisoner of war camp where their chaplain lay dying.
The Rev. Emil Kapaun was weak, his body wracked by pneumonia and dysentery. After six brutal months in the hellish camp, the once sturdy Kansas farmer's son could take no more. Thousands of soldiers had already died, some starving, others freezing to death. Now the end was near for the chaplain.
Lt. Mike Dowe said goodbye to the man who'd given him hope during those terrible days. The young West Point grad cried, even as the chaplain, he says, tried to comfort him with his parting words: "Hey, Mike, don't worry about me. I'm going to where I always wanted to go and I'll say a prayer for all of you."
Lt. Robert Wood wept, too, watching the Roman Catholic chaplain bless and forgive his captors….
Read the rest, here.
2) This also is love. This is Catholicism lived out. It is what every human soul is longing for. I am so moved by this segment, but the part that really gets me is when the young boy, Dominic, wraps his arm around Pope Francis' neck. Just pure love, given, received, and returned. And as we know from the Trinity, of which all human love is a mere reflection, true love is always generative. So, much fruit has and will come.
To see an emotional Megyn Kelly interview Dominic's father, theology professor Dr. Paul Gondreau, go here.
3) A regular reader and friend of the Bubble, Liesl, alerted me the other day to the situation at George Washington University, where homosexual activists are trying to get the university's Catholic chaplain, Fr. Greg Shaffer, kicked off campus. His crime? Teaching Catholicism, namely sexual morality, which offended and disturbed two homosexual men.
But here, in the dozens of testimonials written by the students who support Fr. Greg, who have been loved unconditionally by him, counseled by him, brought back from the abyss by him (Catholic and non-Catholic alike), you will see more of what you've seen in #1 and #2. This is love. This is Catholicism lived out:
May God bless and protect this kind, selfless, and holy priest of God as he is unjustly persecuted for being faithful to His promises, in persona Chrsiti.
4) And here is love in the form of the gift of human life. The newest grade of ultrasound is just breathtaking!
Tell me about that "blob of tissue", Planned Parenthood?
5) Speaking of which, I'm sorry to go from all this love to its opposite, but this simply must be exposed. If you can stomach it, watch the following shocking video of an attorney for Planned Parenthood testifying in front of the Florida legislature about what Planned Parenthood would do with a child, like the one above, who manages to survive a botched abortion at one of their clinics:
The banality of evil, folks.
It dovetails chillingly with the Gosnell "House of Horrors" trial that is, of course, being ignored by the major networks that normally love such gruesome, shocking, serial crimes. And as one commenter noted: “If the pro-life movement were involved in this type of insanity, there would be wall-to-wall coverage from every major news outlet." Does anyone doubt it?
Here is an excellent article on the silence of the media (warning: heartbreaking image), and I would love for a pro-"choice" reader to weigh in and give thoughts on why there is no coverage.
6) Yeah, so, um, I did this little post for Catholic Exchange the other week, and if you want to check it out, here it is, but just so you know, I long ago lost track of the comments and won't be answering any more, ha ha.
Speaking of love and its opposite, I think I have a love-hate relationship with comboxes, and with facebook and email debates. How did I get myself into this? Oh, that's right! I started a blog. And a couple days ago was my third blogoversary! It's been wild and educational, that much I know! And I have had the pleasure of getting to know some of the most amazing people: YOU. :)
7) Speaking of amazing people, Simon is a special needs teenager from Eastern Europe who deserves the love of a family. When he turns 16 in October, he will have lost his chance to be adopted. He has about six months before his hope for a family is gone.
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| Click my photo for more info! |
Visit my Orphan Report blog for more on Simon, and let's help him find that mom and dad he so desperately needs.
Many blessings for a wonderful Easter Season (that's right, Easter is not just a day, it's a whole liturgical season! Hooray!), and thanks to Jen for hosting, even as she prepares to give birth under extraordinary medical circumstances. We love you, Jen!
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That video has me crying. Happy 3rd anniversary to you Leila! I love your blog and I've learned so much from it!
ReplyDeleteLord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war,
ReplyDeleteyour servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun spent himself
in total service to you on the battlefields and
in the prison camps of Korea, until his
death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will,
to make known to all the world the holiness
of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his
complete sacrifice for you by signs of
miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the
source of peace, the strength of our
service to others, and our final hope.
Amen
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us.
My favorite blog! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, now I know who to pray for when war breaks out. This whole North Korea threat is saddening me greatly. I guess we are long over due. Sigh. Chaplain Kapaun pray for us.
ReplyDeleteI read the story of Fr. Kapaun. It makes you wish you could be that kind of person. Thanks for the ultrasound photos. They are already up on my FB page and I will be mailing copies to my cowardly State Senator with the Irish last name who won't even come right out and say that he supports New York's abortion expansion. I'm not leaving that guy alone until he either promises to vote against it, or says, "Yes, I am ok with abortionists killing children like these."
ReplyDeleteThere is much, much more to read about Fr. Kapaun. This link gives a voice to his compatriots, and talks more about the miracles being investigated by the Church. http://www.kansas.com/kapaun/ if you scan down, on the left, there are a series of articles giving in-depth reports. I encourage everyone to read them. A man with a true heart for the Lord. God Bless Him..Fr Kapaun, pray for us.
ReplyDeleteFr. Greg is such an amazing priest! Keep the prayers coming, because I'm sure it's not over... but so much good is going to come out of this, I just know!
ReplyDeleteLeila, I just watched that video of the Pope embracing that sweet boy, Dominic, and my heart burst. What a beautiful thing. I know it's not about me, but I kind of had a feeling of maybe that is what Jesus did to my son when he came to heaven a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as for the PP thing...nothing brings me to my knees faster than all this horror in abortion. Having delivered my dead son who had made it to 17 weeks gestation, and he was complete -- no deformities -- only tiny and had simply died from an unknown infection in utero. It absolutely BREAKS MY HEART the way the pro-choice side discards life at these stages...
Love the ultrasound grade, too. awesome.
Love the #2...The image/video makes me tear up...what a call out to the world for respect and dignity of all human life! Such a treasure for that precious little boy and his family:)
ReplyDeleteOn the same-sex marriage thing--I am 40something and take college classes with college students. Ask them if they're pro gay marriage, they say "yes". Tell them that some student is gay for them, they reply "yuck".
ReplyDeleteRe: #5
ReplyDeleteI think the issue here is that their stance (the PP crowd) is completely rational. If the singular goal of an abortion is a dead baby, what rational reason would they have to give medical attention to what they just failed to kill? They are now in the uncomfortable position of either admitting what they do, or having their heads explode from the extreme cognitive dissonance. I feel such pity for this lawyer...I wonder is she picked the short straw or if she truly feels that the slaughter of children is a worthy sacrifice for...I don't even know what anymore.
Just wanted to take a moment to say that you do a great job with these! God bless!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogging Anniversary, Leila. Your blog rocks!
ReplyDelete