BIG C CATHOLICS

Pray more Read Scripture Keep holy the Sabbath Sin less Eat less Honor your father and mother Spend less Spend more time with family Read a Psalm a day Live more simply

There fared a mother driven forth Out of an inn to roam; In the place where she was homeless All men are at home. The crazy stable close at hand, With shaking timber and shifting sand, Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand Than the square stones of Rome. For men are homesick in their homes, And strangers under the sun, And they lay on their heads in a foreign land Whenever the day is done. Here we have battle and blazing eyes, And chance and honour and high surprise, But our homes are under miraculous skies Where the yule tale was begun. A Child in a foul stable, Where the beasts feed and foam; Only where He was homeless Are you and I at home; We have hands that fashion and heads that know, But our hearts we lost - how long ago! In a place no chart nor ship can show Under the sky's dome. This world is wild as an old wives' tale, And strange the plain things are, The earth is enough and the air is enough For our

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Urbi et Orbi Message Christmas 2011 'Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world! Christ is born for us! Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women whom he loves. May all people hear an echo of the message of Bethlehem which the Catholic Church repeats in every continent, beyond the confines of every nation, language and culture. The Son of the Virgin Mary is born for everyone; he is the Saviour of all. This is how Christ is invoked in an ancient liturgical antiphon: “O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, hope and salvation of the peoples: come to save us, O Lord our God”. Veni ad salvandum nos! Come to save us! This is the cry raised by men and women in every age, who sense that by themselves they cannot prevail over difficulties and dangers. They need to put their hands in a greater and stronger hand, a hand which reaches out to them from on high. Dear brothers and sisters, this hand is Christ, born in Bethl

May the blessing of Christmas be with you and your loved ones - now and forever.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be out walking one day and suddenly see a woman of perfect demeanor, her clothes shining like the sun? Well, this is pretty much what happened in 1531. Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a recent native convert, on Tepeyac Hill, in what is not Mexico City. She asked that Juan go to his bishop and ask that a church be built there, a “house for her son.” When the bishop asked for a sign, the woman told Juan to fill his cloak with flowers that appeared miraculously on the hill. Returning to the bishop, Juan opened his cloak to find not only the flowers but also an image of Mary, “clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet,” on his cloak. On Tepeyac Hill, Mary identified herself as Our Lady of Guadalupe, and she appeared at a time when human sacrifice was part of the native Aztec culture. It has been estimated that one out of every five children was sacrificed to the Aztecs’ gods. The image on Juan Diego’s cloak conveyed an important message to

Today (Dec. 8th) is the fest of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is, according to Roman Catholic Dogma, the conception of the Virgin Mary without any stain (macula in Latin) of original sin. The dogma states that, from the first moment of her existence, she was preserved by God from the lack of sanctifying grace that afflicts mankind, and that she was instead filled with divine grace. It is further believed by Catholics that she lived a life completely free from sin. Her immaculate conception in the womb of her mother, through sexual intercourse, may be contrasted with the doctrine of the virginal conception of her son Jesus, known as the Annunciation, and followed by the Virgin Birth. The dogma is based upon the following text from Luke; The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,“Hail, full of grace! Th

Novena Prayer for Life to Our Lady of Guadalupe ( Click here for Spanish -- En Español ) Oh Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of Life, We honor you as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Thank you for pointing us to Jesus your Son, The only Savior and hope of the world. Renew our hope in him, That we all may have the courage to say Yes to life, And to defend those children in danger of abortion. Give us your compassion To reach out to those tempted to abort, And to those suffering from a past abortion. Lead us to the day when abortion Will be a sad, past chapter in our history. Keep us close to Jesus, the Life of the World, Who is Lord forever and ever. Amen

The Good Samaritan Theme : Being honest and trustworthy – even when no one is watching. Object : A dollar bill and a bag such as one that a business might use to take deposits to the bank. Scripture : “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 116:10 (NIV) What would you do if you were walking by your friend’s room and you saw a dollar on the floor? Would you pick it up and give it to your friend, or would you look around to make sure no one was watching then slip it into your pocket? What would you do if you were walking down the corridor and found a bag like this one – and when you looked inside, you discovered that it contained a lot of money? Would you tell the nurses and report your find, or would you say, “Wow! This must be my lucky day?” Today I am going to tell you two true stories about people who found a large amount of money a

Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be. -- St Thomas More

Father Rene Butler   There’s an old joke about a little boy who noticed that his great-grandmother read the Bible constantly. One day he asked her why. She answered, “I’m cramming for finals!” There is plenty to make us anxious in today’s readings. Malachi prophesies doom for evildoers. Jesus says his followers will be. And why? “Because of my name.” Even family and friends will hand you over, everyone will hate you. And why? Again, “Because of my name.” But then Jesus says two strange things. 1. In a time of persecution, don’t prepare your defense. Now any self-respecting “Law & Order” addict can tell you that you never go into a courtroom unprepared. Witnesses have to be prepped. 2. Don’t worry. Jesus doesn’t say this in so many words, but he assures us that not a hair of our head will be destroyed. How can he maked such a claim? If we look back at the reading from Malachi, we read, “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing

This haunting video talks about abortion throught the eyes of the unborn child. To think that this has been repeated over 53 million times since 1973. Oh what might have been...

All SOULS DAY REFLECTION If you were to collect all the passages about death and the afterlife in the Bible, you would still not have a clear picture about what the experience of death is like or what we can expect life to be like after we have died. Obviously God has had no intention of revealing very much about these two basic experiences, even though humans have speculated and written much about them. Death is an impenetrable wall or abyss that exists between us and the afterlife, at least as our knowledge is concerned. We are, however, asked to reflect on what precedes and what follows the experience of death itself. With regard to what precedes death, we are encouraged to reflect on God's mercy and goodness, not on our failures, torments, and trials of the past. The prophet Jeremiah rejects the thoughts that bring despair, regret, and depression; instead he fills his heart with the positive qualities of God: "His mercies are not spent; they are renewed

Let Us Pray Anima Christi This well known Catholic prayer dates to the early fourteenth century and was possibly written by Pope John XXII. Anima Christi means "the soul of Christ." It is popularly believed to have been composed by St. Ignatius Loyola who put it at the beginning of his "Spiritual Exercises." However, the prayer was in manuscripts written a hundred years before his birth. Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from thee. From the malignant enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me. And bid me come unto Thee, That with all Thy saints, I may praise thee Forever and ever. Amen This prayer may be variously worded depending on its translation from the Latin.

In our last post on Genesis we talked about how the sin of Adam had thrown everything out of balance. The world was no longer a temple as it was before. Man had literally fallen out of God's grace. He was now estranged from God though not entirely. God promises to send a redeemer to save man and defeat evil once and for all. (More on this in a later post.) Last but not least, man's relationship with man and with woman was forever transformed. Brother would fight against and kill brother. Marriage would no longer be predicated on love. Instead, the battle of the sexes had begun. This was not part of God's original plan but a consequence of original sin. "In the beginning," Adam was charged with protecting the Garden and everything in it - including Eve. Man was supposed to tend the Garden, reap its fruits and defend it against the very evil he would succumb to. Adam was standing next to Eve as the snake tempted her. The idea that a "mere garden snake" t

Concerning God, we cannot grasp what He is, but only what He is not, and how other beings stand in relation to Him. -- St. Thomas Aquinas

O Sacred Heart of Jesus , animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee. The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus! The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hope of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole Hope of mankind! The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus! The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus! The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall delight to observe them, O most holy Heart of Jesus! The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most generous Heart of Jesus! The more the imitation of

The Visitation, Luke 1:39-56 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice saying, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Prayer for the Unborn in Danger of Abortion Prayer for the unborn baby by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to our Lady of Guadalupe Intercessor for the Unborn Jesus Mary and Joseph; I love you very much, I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted; who is in danger of abortion - Amen Say this prayer each day for one year and a child in danger of abortion will be saved.

St. Athanasius Thought of the Day Devils take great delight in fullness, and drunkeness, and bodily comfort. Fasting possesses great power and it works glorious things. To fast is to banquet with angels. -- St. Athanasius.

There is a tremendous article written by Deal Hudson entitled "12 Claims Every Catholic Should Be Able to Answer." He discusses answering questions like: “There’s no such thing as absolute truth. What’s true for you may not be true for me,” “Christianity is no better than any other faith. All religions lead to God,” and “The Old and New Testaments contradict one another in numerous places. If an omnipotent God inspired the Bible, He would never have allowed these errors,” among others .

Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: "Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven." When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemed to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: "Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul." -- St. R

The End and the Beginning -Pope John Paul II - The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy In this sequel to Witness to Hope , author George Weigel, examines the beginning of John Paul II priestly life in the last months of his pontificate. What emerges in his portrayal is the resoluteness and personal courage of Karol Wojtyla in the face of great adversity and physical suffering. It is revealed that the harassment and internment of Catholic priests during the Nazi and Communist regimes in Poland were not lost on the young Wojtyla. As he began his priestly formation we learn how Communist authorities spied on Wojtyla as a rising star in the Catholic Church. Weigel outlines the future pope’s intellectual pursuits, the development of his thought, and the genesis of his growth into a world class philosopher. What shines through in this biography is the humility and fortitude that Wojtyla exhibited throughout his life. The End and the Beginning – John Paul II is a must read fo

O Catholic Church, true mother of Christians, you are right in teaching that God should be adored with an entirely chaste and pure heart. You unite all brothers and sisters to one another in a bond of religion that is stronger and closer than ties of blood. -- St. Augustine

H/T to the American Papist for alerting me to this video. It encourages all citizens especailly Catholics to get involved in the political process and to vote their conscience on issues concerning life.

Our Lady Of The Holy Rosary Novena Prayer My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for this special favor which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: (Mention your request). I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God?s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul. I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, he

This is the traditional Catholic prayer to one's guardian angel. Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day/night be at my side to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Whether guardian angels attend each and every person is not consistently believed or upheld by the Church Fathers in Christian thought, and hence is not an "article of faith", although the concept is clearly seen in both the Old and New Testaments. According to St. Jerome the concept is in the "mind of the Church" and he stated that: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it." The first Christian theologian to outline a specific scheme for guardian angels was Honorius of Autun in the 12th century. He said that every soul was assigned a guardian angel the moment it was put into a body. Scholastic theologians augmented and ordered the taxonomy of angelic guardians. Thomas

More than 3,000 questions were submitted after the initiative was announced a month ago, of which seven were chosen and put to the 84-year-old pontiff. The Pope, speaking from his office in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, admitted there was no answer to why humans have to suffer as he responded to a question from a seven-year-old Japanese girl who was caught up in the tsunami. She asked why so many children had to suffer in natural calamities. "I ask myself the same question," the Pope said. "We don't have the answers, but we know that Jesus suffered as innocent children suffer."

If we possessed every virtue, but lacked humility, those virtues would be without root and would not last. -- St. Vincent de Paul

While skeptics of 180 say they can't believe anyone would change his or her mind so quickly, Ray Comfort accepts and even understands their disbelief, stating that he could hardly believe it himself when he first viewed the footage in the editing room. Initially, 180 was not the film he meant to produce. At the time, Comfort was taping interviews for a DVD to go along with a book on Hitler and the holocaust. In the course of the interviews, one question led to another, and the discussion led to abortion. Comfort explains, "It began with two male university students completely changing their minds about abortion when we asked them this one question. We realized it wouldn't be convincing to have only males speaking on the subject, so we took to the streets, asking that one particular question, and found that six women changed their minds from pro-abortion to pro-life in a matter of seconds. It was amazing!" Comfort quickly recognized the film's potential to open

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love. O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, You know the pain of brokenness, You took our weaknesses upon Your shoulders and bore it to the wood of the cross. Hear our prayers for our brothers and sisters whose bodies fail them and whose minds are crippled by the ravages of disease. Implant a love for them deep within our hearts, that we, disfigured and disabled by our sin, may treasure and nuture the gifts of their lives. May we find You in their weakness, and console You in our care for them. For You are Lord, forever and ever. Amen

For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. - Saint Therese of Lisieux

Liam taking his afternoon nap. Liam scanning for mice. Liam on high.

Catholic Apologetics Guide 101 View more documents from Delali GADEL

Introduction To Theology Of The Body View more presentations from Robert543

Slavery in centuries past and abortions in this century were defended and promoted by the same arguments. Consider the case in the USA: In 1857, in the Dred Scott case, the US Supreme Court decided, by a 7 to 2 majority, that according to the US Constitution, black people were not legal persons. They were the property of the owner. He could buy, or sell, or even kill them. Abolitionists had objected. The ruling was outrageous, they said. It was immoral and discriminated against an entire class of living persons solely on the basis of skin color. But those who supported slavery argued that if those who had a moral objection to slavery, didn't have to own slaves. No one was forcing them to own slaves. But they also said: "Don't force your morality on the slave owner. He has the right to choose to own slaves if he wishes." In a very similar decision just over one hundred years later, in 1973, in the Roe vs Wade Decision, the US Supreme Court decided tha

God’s perfection is to exist. This doesn’t sound very impressive until we consider the opposite of existence. Something that exists is more perfect than the mere conceptualization of that thing. Before Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa he envisioned it in his mind. What resulted from his creative powers and artistry continues to fascinate, inspiring legions of impersonators, and bring joy to beholders. Had he not painted it his masterpiece would have disappeared along with his imagination. The Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre is superior in every way to the unrealized concept. As the perfection of all that is, God the Father’s knowledge of Himself is perfect. The perfect self-knowledge of the Father exists. It is God the Son. Since Jesus is the perfect self-knowledge of the Father, the Person of Christ has always existed. God the Father and God the Son have no beginning and no end, a truth acknowledged in the Nicene Creed: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the o

This is my top ten reasons to be Catholic list. There are of course many more reasons which you are free to add in the comments section. 1. the Eucharist 2. the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 3  the other sacraments - Baptism, Confession, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders,   Annointing of the Sick 4. the Communion of Saints 5. the Pope 6. the Magisterium 7. the Blessed Virgin Mary 8. Purgatory 9. Guardian Angels 10. Divine Mercy, the rosary, and other sacramentals

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;" (Isaiah 5:20)

In case you were wondering, here's the latest on the Fr. Pavone situation including a letter from the Vicar of clergy from the diocese of Amarillo.

Interesting take on abortion. I submit it for your consideration. H/T Discover Happiness

Christianity is a religion of the Word, not of a book. The Word is a Person - Jesus Christ. He is God’s "final word" on everything.

Catholic News Agency has all the details .

Have you ever wondered what a typical day is like for Pope Benedict XVI? Andrea Tornielli provides us with a basic run through his typical day , complete with what he generally eats for breakfast. H/T Servant and Steward

Contraception causes a lie with the body, a departure from the gift of self, damaging the intimacy of husband and wife. No method of contraception is 100% effective to date. Different forms of contraception can invite selfish behaviour into the marital act and opens the door to greater infidelity. The real problem behind women's oppression is the failure of men to treat them with dignity and respect. In this light, contraception is a sure way to keep women in chains. Contraception interrupts, sterilizes and works against conception whereas NFP respects the body as God designed it and works with this plan. NFP is a method that is highly reliable, medically safe and inexpensive. The discovery of understanding how the body works is a marvellous act of self-discovery. NFP treats fertility not as something to be suppressed of manipulated, but as a normal bodily function. NFP encourages a shared responsibility for fertility. This normally leads to a deeper level of care and respect in a

O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here— the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001. We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness. Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Our hearts a

Contraception is not considered wrong by the Church because of its artificial nature. After all, there is nothing morally illicit about paracetamol or vitamins. The purpose of medicine is to help the body work in the correct way. Contraception does not help the body to function properly: It does exactly the opposite. Some methods of contraception, such as the oral contraceptive pill, are also an abortifacient. This means that they can cause early induced abortion at the beginning of a pregnancy. The God given purpose of sex is babies and bonding. Contraception divides these purposes in two.

Sexual intercourse is so marvellous, beautiful and sacred that it is worth saving this incredible gift for the purpose that it was intended: for babies and bonding within marriage. For those who will be married one day, it’s captivating to know your future spouse is somewhere out there. What would you want that person to be doing? Would you want them to be waiting to give you themselves and their love? To embrace purity and save sex until marriage enhances the ultimate “yes” to sex when married. If it was not possible to say “no,” how valuable would our “yes” be worth? Purity can bring self-respect, shows your respect to others and also brings a clear conscience. It enhances your chances of experiencing romance without regret, avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies. The decision to wait means not being haunted by past sexual relationships when you are physically intimate with your spouse. The decision to live a pure life strongly reduces the chances of ex

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ King. Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before you. We are yours, and yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with you, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known you; many, too, despising your precepts, have rejected you. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to your Sacred Heart. Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned you; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back t

Do you often deal with anxiety? Are you consumed with worry? You can learn to manage these emotions by understanding what the Bible says about them. In his book, Truth Seeker-Straight Talk from the Bible, Warren Mueller studies the keys in God’s Word to overcoming your struggles with anxiety and worry. Anxiety (Worry) All of one’s lives are full of many concerns stemming from the absence of certainty and control over our future. While we can never be completely free from worry, the Bible shows us how to minimize worry and anxiety in our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 says don not worry about anything, but with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving make your requests known to God and then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Believers are commanded to pray about life’s worries. These prayers are to be more than requests for favorable answers. They are to include thanksgiving and praise along with the needs. Praying in this way reminds us of the many blessin

Here's the NOM blog with all the info: Here are their Facebook and Twitter pages: Here's the scoop: NOM gets a $1 donation for every like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, or text message signup. Step 1. Like NOM on Facebook! and earn NOM $1. Step 2. Follow NOM on Twitter! Step 3. Sign up for NOM's SMS Text Alerts, becoming a part of our instant action army! Just text "1M1W" to 96362. Step 4.Tell your friends! By sharing this email with just 10 friends, you can help raise up to $30 to protect marriage across the nation. H/T Mark Shea

Inspiring video. Check it out.

There is an excellent radio station streeming online at http://www.avemariaradio.net/ for faithful Catholics and seeking Christians. I highly recommend this site and the programing it offers. Listen today and support it financally if you can.

How does one live the gospel of life in the hussel and bussel of everyday life? Was it easier for Mary and Joseph who had Christ in their midst? I think if we contemplate the life of the Holy Family we find that the answer is no. They had their own crosses and sufferings as much because of Jesus. As with the Holy Family, we suffer difficulties and challenges of all types. The first thing to remember is that suffering redounds to our eternal good. Just as Christ's passion and death produced a weight of incomparable glory for all humanity. We can unite our suffering with Christ's on the cross, as members of his body here on earth. Thus, even our sufferings and misfortune can advance the Kingdom of God and give glory to his name. But as we all know, life is more than suffering. Living the gospel of life means keeping God first and foremost. We must never forget that in body and mind we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Everyone we interact with is a child of God as are we. In ever

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life: Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life. Pope John Paul II Encyclical Letter "The Gospel of Life" Given in Rome, on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1995.