May 2022 Newsletter

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THIS MONTH OF MAY

May is a month filled with promise and hope, a time we honor mothers and motherhood, and a time dedicated to Our Lady, the Mother of God and our Mother, too. It is a time we may ponder how Mary reflects the magnificence of God in her grace, her holiness, and her mediation on our behalf, showing us the way to her Son and our eternal destiny, the Beatific Vision. In particular, as we approach the Solemnity of the Ascension, we are reminded how the Blessed Mother prayed with the Apostles after Jesus’ Ascension, waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 1:14) We know in our trying times, she does that with us, too.

These last few weeks have presented a dizzying array of politics, culture, religion, medical science and bioethics. The unprecedented leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson case brought some hope that the era of Roe v. Wade might finally come to a close, but also precipitated false and exaggerated claims by abortion advocates about the consequences of reversing the error of Roe v. Wade.  Overruling the Roe v. Wade decision merely returns the issue of abortion to the states. However, this breach sparked a furious response to advance abortion more deeply into our culture: a partisan effort in the Senate rabidly sought to codify abortion into U.S. law through the Women’s Health Protection Act (passed by the House in Sept. 2021 ) but thankfully the bill failed to garner the necessary Senate votes; our governor directed $35 million taxpayer dollars to protect and expand abortion access in New York, setting the stage to restore the Empire State’s pre-1973 reputation for abortion tourism; and a growing number of corporations, e.g. Apple, Amazon and Citigroup, etc. announced they will cover employees’ abortion-related travel expenses, etc. Beyond abortion, many asserted false claims that a Dobbs v. Jackson decision favorable to life foretells the dismantling of other so-called rights (e.g. same sex marriage), and so they have redoubled efforts to promote other agendas that offend God’s plan for us. It seems the world is falling to pieces! But, in the words of St. Josemaria Escriva:

“Remember this and never forget it: Even if it should seem at times that everything is collapsing, nothing is collapsing at all, because God doesn’t lose battles.”

Therefore, we must continue our efforts to defend every unborn human life unperturbed and joined in fervent prayer with Our Lady. We welcome a post-Roe world, but we also have no disillusions about the work that must continue to be done for the unborn, their mothers (and fathers), and a world that still rejects the sacred gift of all human life.

Read more

We have added new resources to our website: Please click here for more information. Dobbs v. Jackson

Every evening the Church prays the Magnificat, Mary’s hymn (Luke 1:46-55). Each and every day priests, deacons, religious women and men, and anyone who prays the Liturgy of the Hours, pray the words of Mary, which are set in Luke’s gospel at the scene of the Visitation. When Mary, who has conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, visits her cousin Elizabeth, who has conceived John the Baptist in her advanced age, the two women greet each other with joy and praise for God. It is perhaps the most significant “baby shower” in history!

The Magnificat is a hymn to the power of God that anyone can and should pray every day. It can stand alone as a prayer, apart from the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a testament to Mary’s faith and Mary’s humility. The title “Magnificat” comes from the first words of the canticle, “My soul magnifies the Lord”. The breviary, the prayer book of the Liturgy of the Hours, reads “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”, but the literal meaning of the Latin “Magnificat” is “magnifies”. At first one may say, how does one magnify, or make bigger, something (the Lord, God) which is greater than all things? Well, if you think about it, a magnifying glass or a microscope doesn’t make something bigger – it makes things appear bigger, so one can see them more clearly.

The Magnificat is a hymn to the power of God that anyone can and should pray every day. It can stand alone as a prayer, apart from the Liturgy of the Hours. Read more

Draw near, we beseech you, O Lord, to those contemplating abortion. As John leaped for joy in the womb of his mother when You came near, may struggling women, and the children they bear, experience Your presence. Fill them with Your Holy Spirit, that they, too, may cry for joy at Your coming. You who live and reign for ever. Amen.

-Feast of the Visitation Novena

INTO LIFE: Love Changes Everything - Trailer - YouTube

The Sisters of Life and the McGrath Institute for Church Life team up with Camp Campo Films to bring you an original 12-part video series based on the work of the Sisters serving women who are pregnant. Journey with the Sisters of Life as they explain what it means to walk with a woman who is pregnant and vulnerable. Learn how to listen and understand the heart of another, how to rejoice in the beauty of the individual person in an encounter of hope, and how to truly accompany someone into God’s life and freedom. 

In post-Roe v. Wade America, some states will protect moms and unborn babies from abortion. Others will become "abortion swing states." And others yet are hopeless--at least politically. But there is hope in Jesus Christ! In this new video, find out why two key numbers--45% and 75%--will define the post-Roe era (even in blue states!).

The summary of national statistics for the 2022 Spring Campaign:

• 588 cities on board
• 754 lives saved from abortion
• 10 abortion workers converted
• Yet another abortion facility CLOSED

PRAISE GOD! We are so grateful for the graces and blessings for all the devoted people in the 40 Days for Life Campaigns.