Happy Anniversary to me

And to my husband. No, it's not our wedding anniversary (32 years in October). But it's our 30th anniversary of parenthood. Good gosh, where did that time go? Happy Birthday, Mrs K! 

Yikes. Time to replace the album. Good retirement project.
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Baptism of the Lord

S. Ioannes Paulus, ora pro nobis

Such a wonderful feast. And I'm at home with a sick child. But for what it's worth, I'm watching the Solemn Mass from the Vatican on EWTN (yes, I know it's not the same thing). On the upside, I get to hear the Missa de Angelis and the Litany of the Saints sung (in Latin), and when was the last time I heard that in a church in Canada? Oh yeah, NEVER. But let's not complain about liturgy today.

Twenty-six babies are being baptized at this Mass (a tradition started by --who else?-- St. John Paul the Great). It's very heart-warming to see so many beautiful babies and their equally beautiful young parents (some of them are crying as they come forward for the pope's blessing--the parents, not the babies!). Can you imagine how cool that would be to have your baby baptised by the pope? The commentator on EWTN just said how uncommon it is for the St. Peter's to be filled with strollers and baby toys. That shouldn't be the case. Every Catholic church, every Sunday should be filled with baby strollers and toys and crying babies.
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Phoning it in for the Annunciation

Due once more to busy-ness and lack of time (Confession service tonight at church, early supper, so forth)... shamelessly cutting and pasting this prayer from my favourite Liturgy of the Hours site, Divine Office.org.

Now, let us say it together:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
In you we contemplate
The splendour of true love,
We turn to you with confidence.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
Make our families, also,
Places of communion and cenacles of prayer,
Authentic schools of the Gospel,
And little domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth
May our families never more experience
Violence, isolation, and division:
May anyone who was wounded or scandalized
Rapidly experience consolation and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
May the upcoming Synod of Bishops
Re-awaken in all an awareness
Of the sacred character and inviolability of the family,
Its beauty in the project of God.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Hear and answer our prayer. Amen.
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Happy birthday, Mom

Fun fact (well, terribly tragic, in Marilyn's case): What do my mom and Marilyn Monroe have in common? (Besides both being beautiful and knowing how to rock a 50s frock)

Answer: they were both pregnant 13 times. Marilyn (reportedly) had 12 abortions and 1 miscarriage. Mom had 13 babies...and 50-something grandchildren (some of whom are already in heaven)...and more great-grandchildren than I have time to count (though I'm sure to get around to it when I'm feeing less lazy).
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This is not new: it was once called "the extended family"

But it's still great to see, and in the Netherlands, of all places (where you'd kind of expect mandatory euthanasia instead).

Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)

So-called “intergenerational” projects are also springing up elsewhere in Europe...

which is great to hear. Maybe one day, Europe will even rediscover the "family." Sounds like a model well worth copying.

h/t End of your arm
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Today's Gospel

John 2:13-25: where Jesus unexpectedly shows up at the  annual diocesan $300 a plate fundraising banquet temple. We were reminded this week to take part in Share Lent (though now--quelle surprise!-- Development and Peace has expanded it to Share Year Round. They despise rich captialists, but are always happy to take their money). A letter was read that quoted a Brazilian bishop who used "root causes" and "solidarity" in the same paragraph. He lost me at "root causes."

The bishop from Brazil lauded his local Pastoral Land Commission, which is “acting against hunger, violence and the concentration of ownership of land, all of which oppose God’s plans for a more just and compassionate world.”

I'm curious to know how that 'concentration of ownership of land' comment went over with the ladies and gentlemen in the pews who would be considered "big farmers." I'll bet they had no idea that they were opposing God's plans for a more just and compassionate world. Oh well, they can make it all better by giving generously to D&P. (I'm glad the Church stopped selling Indulgences.) 

I am all for peace, justice and development, but the path to that is not via socialism and/or bureaucracy. 

Besides, when it comes to D&P, I'm still not quite over this. I prefer to donate to Catholic charities that have not, do not, and will not, ignore church teaching.
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Are you sure that's spelled correctly?

Maybe it should be spelled "Goebbels" 

Ontario doctors lose their conscience rights. 

“No rights are absolute,” said Gabel. “We may at times have to reconcile competing rights… It is to me a very Canadian place where we have come down.”

Canadian, eh? In my view, it reeks a little more of Germany, circa 1939. 

Yes, by gum, you can buy them on Amazon. 

Must have been produced at the request of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

Maybe in time, they'll muster the effrontery to replace the maple leaf with the symbol they really want.

Your morning cup of awesome

Happy September! Here we are, on the first day of school. Found this video this morning on Facebook and just had to share it with you. If it doesn't make you smile, then you are probably comatose or possibly dead. It is totally worth the entire 7 minutes. You don't even have to like Irish fiddle music (but it helps.)

For those of you who don't know of her,  Natalie MacMaster is a very lovely, talented, energetic lady from Canada who plays traditional fiddle music and can dance up a storm. Frequently both at the same time. My husband and older girls saw her in concert some years back, and she is an amazing, amazing performer.

For a celebrity, she also has her head on straight. Many years ago, I saw her being interviewed on TV by a (secular) journalist. The interviewer asked Natalie what her ambition was for the future. (By this time the young, vivacious Natalie had already achieved much recording success and worldwide recognition for her art). Her answer? She hoped to get married and have babies. And did she ever.

Quotation from her website bio: "If anything, family has reinvigorated Natalie MacMaster’s commitment to the stage and her audience.“I like being on stage even more,” enthuses the mother of five, who gave birth to son Alec in August 2012."

Good on you, Natalie (and husband, Donnell Leahy, who is also a professional musician)! They are Catholic, by the way.

Enjoy!

Can anything good come from Gosnell?

Yes. More baby-murderers going to jail. Abortion clinics being shut down. Post-modern western society re-thinking its see-no-evil love affair with all things abortion. LSN: abortion workers are "starting to panic." Praise the Lord.
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"Linguistic Minuet"

What a pretty euphemism for Damnable Liars arguing Damned Lies.

"Thus began a kind of linguistic minuet, as the judges reached for acceptable nomenclature for a hypothetical baby that the law might not regard as a person. [Chief Justice] McLachlin tried ‘object’ and ‘being’ and, at one cringeworthy point, referred to it as ‘this, um, dead, um, whatever.’ Her colleagues didn’t fare much better. During a discussion of the applicability of mens rea, Justice Michael Moldaver, a former criminal lawyer who joined the court one year ago, referred to the infant in such cases as ‘the thing’.”

LSN

Here's hoping that "Justice" (cringe) McLachlin's relatives will inscribe: "Here Lies this, um, Dead, um, Whatever" on her gravestone. 
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Tragedy and/or crime lead to increased regulation

Except when they don't.  Matthew Archbold at CMR.
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"He enjoyed it."

I agree. There is no other explanation. I'm going to go cry for a little while now. God help us all.
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Mainstream media not covering Gosnell trial

Because they still can't figure out how to spin headlines like: "Abortion doctor on trial for killing babies" without it sounding too weird or dangerous. Or something.
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Amusing. Concise. True.

Thanks to Mark Shea, I have discovered (quite late in the game, as usual) the Population Research Institute's POP 101 animated series. Check out all their videos.

Cue "Twilight Zone" music...

Ooooooooo! "Women are Watching!"

It should continue with even finer print: "But NOT the future women who will never come to be because they are being aborted in utero just because and only because they are female. Not those women. We are not watching for them."

Oh, and if this has 'nothing to do with politics' why is it signed "First Lady" instead of just "Michelle Obama, Woman Who Cares."

Update: Welcome, PWPL readers. Thank you for the link, Andrea.
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I don't speak Communist "basic truth" Chinese

But I still think I can translate part of this news story, which is (incredibly) even being reported outside the prolife media.

The Shaanxi provincial government said in a statement that a preliminary probe had confirmed the case was "basically true"
"Crap--we got caught. Some comrade's head is going to roll."

The government did not pinpoint exactly who the perpetrators were,
"Cuz, like, it's us!"

but vowed to avoid a repeat of such a case,
"From now on, we will not get caught when we do forced late-term abortions. There will be no photographs."

What is Stephen Harper afraid of?

 Despicable.
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My 10-year-old is smarter than President Obama

But then she hasn't suffered brain damage from dope use. Hearing about this story, she said of Obama, "But he has girls." I wonder if the Big 0 asked Sasha and Malia's opinions regarding sex-selective abortion, just like he did on gay marriage. I wonder if the Misses Obama would think that killing perborn baby girls 'just isn't right.' Oh well, perhaps we can pray that Obama will evolve.
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March for Life yesterday

Borrowing a pic from Deborah Gyapong (thanks!) Sure wish I could have been there. (I hope the forces for death are quaking in their Birkenstocks...)

Well done, folks! More photos (and links) at Lilley's Pad. (I like his photo of the vicious hooligans in front of the Morgentaler clinic--and I don't mean the police officers sent to protect it, but the potential "rioters").
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March. For. Life.

Be there, or be there in prayer.