Remember Terry Schiavo -- the woman whose husband had her feeding tube removed, resulting in her starving to death? She died three years ago today. Her family is remembering her by commemorating "Terri's Day." You can read more about Terri's life and death on the website of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Terri's Day
Remember Terry Schiavo -- the woman whose husband had her feeding tube removed, resulting in her starving to death? She died three years ago today. Her family is remembering her by commemorating "Terri's Day." You can read more about Terri's life and death on the website of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
One man's pro-life promise in Vietnam
I cannot recommend this article enough. In Vietnam, a young father promised God he would do something to help others, if He would save his wife and son from a complicated pregnancy. What Tong Phuoc Phuc has accomplished, is nothing short of incredible.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Question box Friday -- How do I live chastity?
Our students tend to agree that there are many reasons to save sexual activity for marriage, but when it comes to practically living out the virtue of chastity in day to day life, many are at a loss for what to do. Below are several ideas, some for relationships and some for individuals. Please comment with your own ideas.
1) Write down the reasons why you are committed to chastity. Read them occasionally and add to the list. Reminding yourself of your goals and why they are worth achieving can help you to stay strong when you are being tempted.
2) Have an accountability partner -- a friend to whom you can confide your individual or relational struggles and successes with chastity and who can challenge and encourage you to stay committed.
3) Choose good friends who share your morals and values. Our friends have an influence on us, and it's important to have friends who positively impact our lives and who set a good example.
4) Dress modestly. This one is for guys and girls. The way we dress sends a message about whether or not we respect ourselves and others. If we look like we want to be respected (which is totally possible to do, while still dressing attractively), then others will be more likely to grant us the respect we deserve.
5) Go to confession regularly. The sacrament of Reconciliation isn't only an opportunity for forgiveness; it also gives us the grace and strength we need to live God's plan in the future.
6) Make wise dating choices. Choose dates who you know won't compromise your beliefs and with whom you share values. Discuss early on or even before a relationship commences, your commitment to chastity. Group dates and public places can lessen temptation.
7) Pray to God for the grace of self-control.
8) Stay away from pornography and masturbation, which train people to think that sex is a selfish act and only about pleasure. Caving in doesn't lessen sexual temptation, it increases it.
9) Put a crucifix in your room. Whenever you are tempted, remember that Christ gave His life for love for you. He is your model for how to love -- sacrificing in order to seek what's best for another person.
10) Set strict boundaries. It's more difficult to say no to sex after participating in activities that prepare someone's body for sex. Set boundaries that prevent you from getting to that point.
11) Write letters to your future husband or wife, explaining why you are waiting for him/her, and to remind yourself that your sacrifices are for a real person who you can learn how to love before you even meet.
12) Read http://thenewviewonsex.blogspot.com and other blogs, books, websites, and articles that remind you of the benefits of chastity.
13) Say no to alcohol and drugs.
14) Remember the HALTS concept: Never make a big decision (example, Should I have sex?) when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired or Sad.
15) Spend time learning the true meaning of love, chastity, marriage and sex, which is often completely different from what the media portray. Theology of the Body is one way to discover the depth of these topics.
16) If your boyfriend or girlfriend is pressuring you for sex, break up! If they can't respect you and your values, then they aren't looking out for what's best for you, and consequently they don't truly love you. You deserve better than to be used by another person.
17) Share your convictions with others. Explaining your commitment to chastity can help to solidify your beliefs.
18) Don't be caught in compromising situations. Make a decision now not to lay down with someone of the opposite sex, be alone at home with them or stay up too late with them.
19) Never forget that you are worth the benefits and freedom of chastity, and that you are capable of living a lifestyle of chastity.
20) You tell me what number 20 should be ...
1) Write down the reasons why you are committed to chastity. Read them occasionally and add to the list. Reminding yourself of your goals and why they are worth achieving can help you to stay strong when you are being tempted.
2) Have an accountability partner -- a friend to whom you can confide your individual or relational struggles and successes with chastity and who can challenge and encourage you to stay committed.
3) Choose good friends who share your morals and values. Our friends have an influence on us, and it's important to have friends who positively impact our lives and who set a good example.
4) Dress modestly. This one is for guys and girls. The way we dress sends a message about whether or not we respect ourselves and others. If we look like we want to be respected (which is totally possible to do, while still dressing attractively), then others will be more likely to grant us the respect we deserve.
5) Go to confession regularly. The sacrament of Reconciliation isn't only an opportunity for forgiveness; it also gives us the grace and strength we need to live God's plan in the future.
6) Make wise dating choices. Choose dates who you know won't compromise your beliefs and with whom you share values. Discuss early on or even before a relationship commences, your commitment to chastity. Group dates and public places can lessen temptation.
7) Pray to God for the grace of self-control.
8) Stay away from pornography and masturbation, which train people to think that sex is a selfish act and only about pleasure. Caving in doesn't lessen sexual temptation, it increases it.
9) Put a crucifix in your room. Whenever you are tempted, remember that Christ gave His life for love for you. He is your model for how to love -- sacrificing in order to seek what's best for another person.
10) Set strict boundaries. It's more difficult to say no to sex after participating in activities that prepare someone's body for sex. Set boundaries that prevent you from getting to that point.
11) Write letters to your future husband or wife, explaining why you are waiting for him/her, and to remind yourself that your sacrifices are for a real person who you can learn how to love before you even meet.
12) Read http://thenewviewonsex.blogspot.com and other blogs, books, websites, and articles that remind you of the benefits of chastity.
13) Say no to alcohol and drugs.
14) Remember the HALTS concept: Never make a big decision (example, Should I have sex?) when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired or Sad.
15) Spend time learning the true meaning of love, chastity, marriage and sex, which is often completely different from what the media portray. Theology of the Body is one way to discover the depth of these topics.
16) If your boyfriend or girlfriend is pressuring you for sex, break up! If they can't respect you and your values, then they aren't looking out for what's best for you, and consequently they don't truly love you. You deserve better than to be used by another person.
17) Share your convictions with others. Explaining your commitment to chastity can help to solidify your beliefs.
18) Don't be caught in compromising situations. Make a decision now not to lay down with someone of the opposite sex, be alone at home with them or stay up too late with them.
19) Never forget that you are worth the benefits and freedom of chastity, and that you are capable of living a lifestyle of chastity.
20) You tell me what number 20 should be ...
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI on preparing for marriage
"The second area, where you are called to express your love and grow in it, is your preparation for the future that awaits you. If you are engaged to be married, God has a project of love for your future as a couple and as a family. Therefore, it is essential that you discover it with the help of the Church, free from the common prejudice that says that Christianity with its commandments and prohibitions places obstacles to the joy of love and impedes you from fully enjoying the happiness that a man and woman seek in their reciprocal love. The love of a man and woman is at the origin of the human family and the couple formed by a man and a woman has its foundation in God’s original plan (cf Gen 2:18-25).
"Learning to love each other as a couple is a wonderful journey, yet it requires a demanding “apprenticeship”. The period of engagement, very necessary in order to form a couple, is a time of expectation and preparation that needs to be lived in purity of gesture and words. It allows you to mature in love, in concern and in attention for each other; it helps you to practise self-control and to develop your respect for each other. These are the characteristics of true love that does not place emphasis on seeking its own satisfaction or its own welfare. In your prayer together, ask the Lord to watch over and increase your love and to purify it of all selfishness.
"Do not hesitate to respond generously to the Lord’s call, for Christian matrimony is truly and wholly a vocation in the Church. Likewise, dear young men and women, be ready to say “yes” if God should call you to follow the path of ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life. Your example will be one of encouragement for many of your peers who are seeking true happiness."
--- Read his entire Message for the 22nd World Youth Day here.
"Learning to love each other as a couple is a wonderful journey, yet it requires a demanding “apprenticeship”. The period of engagement, very necessary in order to form a couple, is a time of expectation and preparation that needs to be lived in purity of gesture and words. It allows you to mature in love, in concern and in attention for each other; it helps you to practise self-control and to develop your respect for each other. These are the characteristics of true love that does not place emphasis on seeking its own satisfaction or its own welfare. In your prayer together, ask the Lord to watch over and increase your love and to purify it of all selfishness.
"Do not hesitate to respond generously to the Lord’s call, for Christian matrimony is truly and wholly a vocation in the Church. Likewise, dear young men and women, be ready to say “yes” if God should call you to follow the path of ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life. Your example will be one of encouragement for many of your peers who are seeking true happiness."
--- Read his entire Message for the 22nd World Youth Day here.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Bella on DVD
Exciting news for "Bella" fans: The DVD will be available by April 10 from Heritage House. Pre-order price is $27.50. This sale price is valid through March 30. All of the information is available here.The biology of theology of the body
Pretty interesting stuff from Project Rachel foundress Vicki Thorn, regarding the biology of theology of the body. You can read her article, "Why didn't somebody tell me the truth?" for some great insights. Apparently, she is working on a couple of books on this subject, and I am eager for their publishing dates.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Rock for Life training in Cincinnati
This news in from Pregnancy Center West and Cincinnati Right to Life:Rock for Life Training Day at NKU
Get Involved & Register Now!
Get Involved & Register Now!
March 12, 2008--Students, plan to attend the 2nd annual Greater Cincinnati Rock for Life Training and Activism Weekend at Northern Kentucky University's Welcome Center, March 29, 2008, 9:30am - 4:30pm; co-host Northern Kentucky University's Northern Right to Life.
The cost is $5 for the event, which features the national Director of Rock for Life, Phil Eddy, and other local pro-life speakers. Topics include:
* Defending the Little Ones - The Attack on the Embryo
* Debating on the Streets
* Abortion and its Effects on the Black Community
* A Rwandan Genocide Survivor's Story of Forgiveness - Standing Up for the Value of All Life, Born and Unborn.
* Defending the Little Ones - The Attack on the Embryo
* Debating on the Streets
* Abortion and its Effects on the Black Community
* A Rwandan Genocide Survivor's Story of Forgiveness - Standing Up for the Value of All Life, Born and Unborn.
Register by going to this site.
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