Fellowship of the Unashamed - Part 2

This is a great video presentation of the Mission Statement I wrote about in my last blog post. This video was too good to pass up and definitely worth sharing with others.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I found this mission statement on the blog of Catholic author and speaker Patrick Madrid back in September of 2011. I am posting it now because more relevant than ever in light of the open hostility of our society and government towards our faith.

God is calling every Catholic today to live up to the ideals in this mission statement and follow in the steps of the the saints and martyrs of our Church. This is how we defend our faith, protect our families, and fight against this culture of death.

MISSION STATEMENT: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED
(Author unknown)

I AM A PART of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God’s hands. I am finished and done with low living, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith. I lean on Christ’s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God’s grace.

My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I am a Catholic. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

Adapted from the original (author unknown) by Patrick Madrid

Obama Announces He Supports Gay Marriage

From CNN: Obama Announces He Supports Gay Marriage

Does the above story really surprise anyone? I don't believe that his position on gay marriage has "evolved" at all. The truth is he didn't have the backbone to take a stand on this issue until he was finally backed into a corner by remarks by Joe Biden and others in his cabinet. As far back as 1996, Obama was on record supporting gay marriage. More recently, Obama's repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and his push to end the Defense of Marriage Act made it very clear what he thought of traditional marriage. Also in 2009, Obama criticized supporters of traditional families as trying to "enshrine discrimination in the Constitution" and "holding on to  outworn arguments and old attitudes". Make no mistake about it, Obama holds very radical views on religious freedom, marriage, family, and even human life.

To put it bluntly, it is unconscionable for any Catholic to vote for Barack Obama. While there may be issues where he is in agreement with Catholic doctrine, absolutely nothing outweighs his stances on the intrinsic evils of abortion and gay marriage and his blatant attacks on religious freedoms. I cannot fathom any circumstances that would justify a Catholic voting for Obama. The problem here is that too many Catholics are not educated enough in their faith and don't fully understand the Church's teachings on these critical issues.

This is a crucial point in our nation's history. Never before has a sitting president been so opposed to the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage, family, and human life. With the upcoming election, we have the opportunity to right this ship and get our nation off of the deadly course it's on right now. This isn't about being a "progressive catholic" or "liberal catholic" or "conservative catholic" or a "traditional catholic". This is about being a Catholic first and foremost and standing shoulder to shoulder with our Bishops and priests as well as our brothers and sisters from other denominations to defend our faith and families.

I strongly encourage you to read "Our First Most Cherished Liberty" by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is a powerful document that details the current threat to our religious freedoms by the the recent HHS mandate, gay marriage laws, and even illegal immigration laws. It is very important that we as Catholics educate ourselves and share these truths with as many people as possible. Our Church and our faith are under attack and we can't afford to be complacent. To quote Roger Cardinal Mahoney in the above Bishop's statement, "this must be fought against with all the energies the Catholic community can muster."

Pro-Life Thoughts

I just wanted to share two articles that I wrote for my parish's new Pro-Life newsletter on the important topics of abortion and euthanasia.

40 Days for Life – The Power of Prayer

Since 2007 the National 40 days for Life campaign has brought thousands of people together in all 50 states to fast and pray for an end to abortion. These campaigns happen twice yearly, in the spring and fall, and the success stories are truly miraculous. The 2012 spring 40 Days for Life is now over; however, nationwide over 883 babies were spared from abortion! Praise God! Through the peaceful and prayerful presence of ordinary people in the 40 Days campaign, the hearts of so many men and women were converted resulting is over 800 precious lives saved. 

But the success doesn’t stop there. 21 abortion centers have shut down permanently because of local 40 Days for Life Campaigns. 61 abortion clinic workers also quit their jobs and turned away from this industry all because of the power of these prayers. The success of the 40 Days for Life depends on ordinary people making a commitment to pray and fast whether it’s for one hour or several hours, anything will help. Please pray for the continued success of the 40 Days for Life campaigns and consider joining the next campaign whether it’s signing up to pray with a group at a local clinic or just praying at home. Your prayers will make a difference.

Euthanasia – Our Prayers are Needed

Here in Rhode Island, many of us may be unaware of the growing push for the legalization of physician assisted suicide in several other states. In Massachusetts, euthanasia advocates are working towards a ballot question that have voters decide on its legalization in November. In New York, Vermont, Hawaii, and Montana, state legislatures are debating bills to decriminalize assisted suicide. These bills are being reviewed by legislative committees and no votes have been scheduled yet, but the pro-euthanasia lobbyists are pushing hard. In New Mexico, two doctors have filed a court challenge against the state’s laws prohibiting assisted suicides. If any of these are successful, they will join Oregon and Washington, were euthanasia has been legal for several years.

While it may appear that we don’t have much say as to what happens in other states, what we can do is pray. Like abortion, euthanasia is another affront to the dignity of all human life. From conception to the grave, all life is a precious gift from God and has meaning. All our prayers are needed so that the elected officials embrace a culture of life and work against these misguided bills. We also need to remain vigilant against any future attempt in our state to legalize assisted suicide. Please keep these states in your prayers as well as our own state and our nation during this election year.