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Highlights of this newsletter:
- Advent and Aging
- Upcoming Events
- Pray Always
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Let us prepare the Way of the Lord! The season of Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas when we celebrate the first coming of our Savior in a humble stable two millennia ago. But we begin Advent with a focus also on the Second Coming when Christ will return in great glory signifying the culmination of human history.
Be vigilant, be ready: “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42). This holds true, too, for the death of our earthly bodies. And so, we are reminded to strive always to be in a state of grace, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy and of St. Joseph—that when we are called from this world, we may spend Eternity with the Lord in the company of the Angels and Saints—our ultimate destiny. It follows that our preparation for Advent (prayer, fasting, sacramental confession, etc.) are good practices all year long!
As we conclude November, it is noteworthy that this month is dedicated to the Holy Souls. Also, in marking the final days of the liturgical year, it leads into Advent, so already you might have spent a good deal of time more deeply contemplating the fact that each of us will die one day. This is a good practice, and in fact, there is an efficacious medieval tradition, memento mori in which one keeps the reality of his or her inevitable death in daily focus as motivation to increased holiness.
In a 2006 address on the meaning of death, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out a most profound notion that “To die, in fact, is part of life and not only of its end, but, if we pay attention, of every instant.” That continuous dying process is the nature of our mortal bodies from the moment of conception, but one most poignantly endured as one experiences with advanced age the loss of physical prowess, cognitive function, social contacts and stature, sense of usefulness, etc. Read more
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+ PRAYER
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Th. 5:17
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The Season of Advent
A Time of Anticipation...Hope...Joy... and Life
By Deacon Vinnie Barreca Jr., Church of the Resurrection
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The liturgical season of Advent is upon us. It is a beautiful time of Anticipation...Hope...Joy...and yes...Life. It is during this season that we must spend some quality time to meditate upon the three comings of Christ...the Incarnation...the Second Coming....and the Present Coming.
And...it is all about LIFE!....The God who gives life.
As we all now begin to spend some time meditating on the nativity of our Lord...the Incarnation and the birth of the child Jesus in Bethlehem, it is really the “gift of life” that stands out foremost in our hearts and minds.
As I took some time to meditate on the nativity of our Lord, and the Bethlehem story, what came to mind immediately for me was the thought of all young couples, especially the young moms, that are anticipating the birth of child; be it a first pregnancy, the second or maybe even a third. Regardless of the fact, the intense joy that accompanies such a blessed event is always the same, but there is always a little bit of trepidation that accompanies the time of waiting as well. Read more
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The Human Life Review Notes on Advent
“God’s children deserve to celebrate the day of their birth.”
Reprinted with permission from The Human Life Review Foundation
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Fr Gerald Murry is a Pastor of the Church of the Holy Family in New York City,
Four Sundays on the Church’s liturgical calendar are dedicated to prayerful expectation of God’s coming among us as a newborn child. We are full of joy as we prepare to celebrate his birth, an event that forever changed our world for the better. Those who are blessed to know why God chose to come down to us are asked to spread the word that this beautiful child brings life-changing hope to a world mired in sin and tinged with despair.
The joy of a child’s birth belongs first and foremost to the mother who has carried and nurtured the nascent infant for nine long months. God’s gift of life was announced and received at the moment the Archangel Gabriel spoke to Mary of Nazareth. She responded with the loving trust of a devoted and faithful daughter of God: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” (Lk 1:38) Mary’s Yes made possible the incarnation of Our Lord and Savior: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14) Read more
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A PRAYER FOR PREGNANT MOTHERS | |
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O Blessed Mother,
you received the good
news of the Incarnation of Christ,
your Son,
with faith and trust. Grant your protection
to all pregnant mothers facing difficulties.
Guide us as we strive to make our parish
communities places of welcome and
assistance for mothers in need.
Help us become instruments of
God’s love and compassion.
Mary, Mother of the Church, graciously
help us build a culture of life and
a civilization of love, together with all people of good will, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.
Amen.
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You can call in or sign on zoom: | |
Meeting ID: 856 4708 7922
Passcode: 677757
Call In Number: 1 (646) 876-9923 (New York)
Join in whenever you can.
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“Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Tit. 1:9 | |
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A Bit of Bioethics
REPRINT TAKEN FROM OCTOBER 2010
Defending the Dignity of Those with Dementia
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NEW UPDATED RESOURCES:
NEW!
FAQ on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Exemptions
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See below for a list of current issues for you to learn more and to take action.
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“All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Col. 3:17 | |
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When Roe v. Wade fell, we hit the ground running. Get all the results of the recently completed 40 Days for Life campaign--and our big plans for the future--on this exciting webcast!
Shawn Carney, President/CEO
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LOCAL CAMPAIGN CLOSING EVENTS
HEMPSTEAD VIGIL
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MUSIC:
Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) - Hillsong UNITED
We are all broken vessels when we come to our Lord Jesus.
In His mercy and grace, we are made whole. God can create something beautiful
out of these vessels when we yield to His loving mastery.
Song by Taya Smith
On November 5th, we closed our Fall Campaign, with a prayer vigil on the sidewalk of Planned Parenthood. THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRAYER WARRIORS that attended the closing prayer vigil. Fr. Innocent, cfr accompanied us in prayer to close our Fall Campaign in Thanksgiving for all that God had done. Here are some of the successes of our campaign:
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ALL GLORY AND HONOR TO GOD... WE HAD ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL 40 DAYS FOR LIFE CAMPAIGNS!!!
LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and with the presence of sidewalk counselors, prayer warriors and the assistance of the counselors at the Women First Pregnancy Center.
WE had ‘SIX BABY SAVES’ and THIRTY FIVE women referred to Women First Pregnancy Center for counseling, pregnancy tests and baby items.
Also, numerous Women First pamphlets were given to people entering Planned Parenthood and to people in the community.
THE PRO BIKERS FOR LIFE HUMBLY ASK that you continue to pray in front of the Hempstead Planned Parenthood. Your presence is a powerful pro life witness to the community, Planned Parenthood employees and the abortion minded mothers entering Planned Parenthood. You’re also giving dignity to the unborn babies being aborted (some one cared). LET’S GROW TIRED DOING GOOD, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
See you for the Spring campaign! But the fight continues on a daily basis, we must continue to pray daily.
God Bless you,
~The Pro Bikers For Life.
AFTER THE VIGIL, sidewalk counselors referred a woman entering Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test to the Women First Pregnancy Center. The test came back positive and the woman was scheduled for a sonogram this week. Prayers answered!
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Welcome to our newest PBFL Fr. Peter Hesse from Ghana, Africa...
A Newbie in Pro Life totally on fire for the unborn, and how he can assist a abortion minded woman, with his Pro Life team. Fr. Peter overlooks three hospitals in Ghana.
ABORTION IS ILLEGAL IN GHANA, BUT BEING DONE!
So, during our 40 Days for Life Campaign... the same time period Fr. Peter had Six Baby Saves!!! WOW!!! PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!
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PATCHOGUE CLOSING VIGIL
Heart to Heart Mission!
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Please enjoy our Youtube video of the 2022 Fall Campaign
(subscribe and LIKE our YouTube Channel to get automatic Updates)
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Our closing Mass was celebrated on Saturday November 5th at 5pm at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Patchogue. Our Spiritual Director Fr Kline gave a great Homily about LIFE and what we need to get to ETERNAL LIFE!
Thanks to Fr Henry Reid, Pastor of Our Lady of Mt Carmel for allowing us to celebrate the Mass, my son Raymond for doing the reading, Donna Crean from the Diocesan Office of Human Life, Family and Bioethics. Thanks to Mike Malano for setting us up.
Of course the GREATEST THANKS goes to Almighty God first and then to Many of our veteran Witnesses who " Martyr" or "Martus"(the Greek word for bearing witness/testifying) their time at Waverly Avenue to be a "Beacon of PEACE, HELP and HOPE" for Pregnant Mothers in Crisis.
We also provide "Help Care" for young people as we engage, never to confront, to provide them with the TRUTH about the sanctity of LIFE. Heart to Heart mission.
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Thanks to many of my brother Knights of Columbus from the Patchogue Council under the leadership of Grand Knight James Kaan and other councils who came and prayed with us.
The "Blessed Candles" and Mass were sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Resurrection Council under the leadership of Grand Knight Neal Manfredi.
Many stayed for the 🕯 Pro-Life Candelight Rosary 🕯 and special thanks to the Smith Brothers who rang the Bells to start and end the Rachel Rosary in honor of the unborn.
Recognition also goes to the Rosary Leaders and Peter Leuthart who provided the much needed reading light.
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On Wednesday November 9th we started our Modified Witness which happens on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday and Saturday of the month.
THE TIMES ARE:
10-12 and 3-5 on the Wednesday and 10-12 on the Saturday.
Our Witness Days for December are:
Wednesday: Dec 14 and 28 10-12 and 2-4
Saturday: Dec 10 and 24 10-12
The Campaign has come to an end but our work to be THE VOICE for the Unborn and to offer HELP CARE to those Pregnant Women and their Families in need and to ACT OUT OUR our Christian Faith in the street for all those to see still continues on our Modified Schedule.
Between Campaigns we will be providing baby supplies to Parish Outreaches that work with us in addition to PRC's.
We NEED volunteer Coordinators to deliver the items and access needs.
Blessings,
Bob Williams
Servant Leader
Call/Text 1(631) 615-1735
www.WaverlyAvenueRespectLife.org
Join us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/groups/WaverlyAvenueRespectLife/
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"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Mt 25:40 | | |
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PRAY
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
REFLECT
The source of human dignity lies in the reality that God became man to save us and calls us into communion with him. The Good Samaritan, who goes out of his way to aid an injured man, shows us what it really means to fulfill the commandment to love our neighbors. Despite our best efforts, it can sometimes be difficult to recognize the profound value of human life when we see its full weakness and fragility. Yet, the faithful care of human life until its natural end is entrusted to every person.
Death is a decisive moment in our encounter with God the Savior. Helping our neighbor to prepare for this moment is a supreme act of charity, encompassing the patient with the solid support of human relationships to accompany them and help them be open to hope. The Church learns from the example of the Good Samaritan how to care for those who are sick or dying, respecting and defending every human life. Each of us is invited to imitate the Samaritan’s example, to “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37).
The Good Samaritan shows us that our relationship with our suffering neighbor should embrace the qualities of attention, listening, understanding, compassion, and accompaniment. We need to learn how to look upon our own existence and that of others and to recognize that every human existence is a unique and unrepeatable wonder, one to be received and welcomed as a gift.
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We are invited to “remain” at the side of a suffering person, as the Blessed Mother and the beloved disciple remained at the foot of the Cross. Their example provides a way to understand that, even when it seems that there is nothing more to do, there is much to do—because “remaining” by the side of the sick is a sign of love and of the hope that it contains. Healed by Jesus, we become men and women called to proclaim his healing power and provide care for our neighbors, until the very end.
Reflection adapted from “The Witness of the Good Samaritan: Palliative Care and Hospice.” Scriptural excerpts from NABRE © 2010 CCD. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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ACT (choose one)
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Offer the Prayer of the Elderly written by Pope St. John Paul II (bit.ly/prayer-elderly).
- Read the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37). Meditate on how you can help accompany those who are sick or dying.
- Offer some other sacrifice or prayer that you feel called to do for this month’s intention.
ONE STEP FURTHER
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Learn more about hospice and palliative care from a Catholic perspective: bit.ly/witness-good-samaritan
Monthly Prayer Guides
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Experience a new approach to women’s health care |
The Gianna Center is a medical practice dedicated to empowering women with a restorative, scientifically based method for treating, monitoring, and maintaining their health. | |
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- Infertility
- Menstrual cycle abnormalities
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- Ovarian cysts
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- Menopausal therapy
- Creighton Model FertilityCare System™
- (Natural family planning)
- NaProTECHNOLOGY™ medical
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- Women’s general medical care
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Gianna Center of Long Island
661 Deer Park Avenue
Babylon, NY 11702
631-376-3232
The Gianna Center, Rockville Centre
1000 North Village Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
516-705-1148
Gianna Center of New York City
15 East 40th Street, Suite 101
New York, NY 10016
212-481-1219
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Project Rachel is a ministry about finding hope and healing after abortion.
It’s normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one’s heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness.
You are not alone…
COME BACK TO LOVE AND MERCY! JESUS AWAITS YOU!
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Please Call For Information About The Next Rachel’s Vineyard Healing Retreat! | |
This retreat is not only for women. Men, grandparents and siblings are welcome to come and receive God’s Grace, Mercy and Healing! | |
Jesus’ Great Mercy and Healing | |
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Excerpts from Retreatants on Spanish Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat
November 2022
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We thank Jesus, Blessed Mother and St Joseph for the marriages that were healed on this weekend after so much pain and destruction in their marriages and families. Twenty-nine babies were memorialized and now have names from their mothers and fathers. Praise God.
A gentleman left all his past burdens at the altar, and asked Christ to begin a new life in Him and proposed to the mother of his children to marry in the Catholic Church and begin anew also with his family.
A marvelous experience of the life of Christ among His people. Jesus walked through each experience with us and healed us of all our bleeding wounds which we buried for so many years. I like a lot the way the hermeneutic theory was used in the life of the retreatants and Sacred Scripture. I received so much Spiritual Healing.
My grand impression of the retreat was how the team received us with so much love, and affection even though they did not know us. You could feel the love of God pouring out of each one of them. The most significant part of the retreat for me was after 17 years I was able to lay to rest my unborn child and to heal the pain that was buried in the deepest part of my soul, after so many years. By God’s grace I was healed from the guilt and pain of a horrible decision I had made.
Naming my child and bringing into the light the humanity of my child who lives with God was so powerful. It was painful yet transforming. My abortion was no longer my abortion, it was my child who I can have a spiritual relationship with now who is in Heaven. Thanks a million for accompanying us on this journey of hope and healing. View or download
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Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! | |
Lisa A. Honkanen, M.D. – Director
Donna Crean – Assistant Director/Project Rachel Coordinator
Jamey Hutchinson BSN CFCP CFCE Educational Liaison to
Gianna Center for Women's Health & Fertility
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992 No Village Ave . Rockville Ctr., NY 11570
www.drvclife.org
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Additional Informational Websites |
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED MISSION TO SERVE LIFE! | | | | | |
