Two groups that work hard at defending life in Traverse City and northern Michigan, Grand Traverse Area Right to Life and RESPECT LIFE - The Catholic Pro-Life movement in the Diocese of Gaylord, have events planned for Sunday, January 22nd the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

I received the email below with information about the events and with some disappointing news as well. A local funeral home received "angry calls" and now won't be participating in the event. Let this be a reminder that abortion and the need to protect life isn't just happenening somewhere else, but also right in our own backyard!

Defending life is important and prayers are needed to continue to have the strength to protect the unborn.

To mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, GTARTL has planned a memorial procession and service for Sunday, January 22.

http://record-eagle.com/friday/x897043835/Groups-mark-Roe-Wade-anniversary

It appears that the article above has created quite a stir from the “other side”. Funeral home fielded several angry calls yesterday from people threatening to pull business, slander their name, and finally have protestors along the route to throw eggs at the hearse and those involved. As a result, they have pulled their services from our memorial.

I feel that this is the time to stand strong, bold and mourn the lives of 54 million that are not here! God calls us to speak for the weak.

I ask all of you for prayers for peace and safety for this memorial and help getting the word out!

Line Up:
12:45-1:25 at St. Francis Church - 1025 S. Union, Traverse City
Procession:
Leaving promptly at 1:30
St. Francis 1025 S. Union, Traverse City to Oakwood Catholic Cemetery, 1325 E. 8th Street
Brief Service:
2:15-2:30 - At Tomb for the Unborn

REMINDER: The Respect Life presentation on The Theology of the Body beginning at 3:00 at Immaculate Conception Church, 205 N. Division. A light food reception will follow.

http://www.respectlifegaylord.com/2012/01/6th-annual-respect-life-presentation-sunday-january-22-2012/

Here is a great prayer I found at Catholic Online...

To Protect Life

Loving God, I thank you for the gift of life you gave and continue to give to me and to all of us.
Merciful God, I ask your pardon and forgiveness for my own failure and the failure of all people to respect and foster all forms of life in our universe.

Gracious God, I pray that with your grace, I and all people will reverence, protect, and promote all life and that we will be especially sensitive to the life of the unborn, the abused, neglected, disabled, and the elderly. I pray, too, that all who make decisions about life in any form will do so with wisdom, love, and courage.

Living God, I praise and glorify you as Father, Source of all life, as Son, Savior of our lives, and as Spirit, Sanctifier of our lives.

Amen.

Sister Mary Margaret Johanning, S.S.N.D.
Nihil Obstat: Joseph F. Martino Imprimatur: Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua Archbishop of Philadelphia, June 1994

Remember to pray for the unborn, but also the people defending and protecting life, in today's world they need it!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us!

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Last year marked the first time in over 20 years I went deer hunting. It was my nephews first year of hunting and one of them needed an adult to sit with them. It was alot of fun. We saw a few deer, but none we could shoot at.

This year, I decided to take it a step further and actually get a license and sit out near them. I haven't shot a gun in over 20 years but with my past hunting experiences that won't be a problem. Once again, alot of fun, the boys were very excited, and it was a beautiful morning.

I didn't see any deer today, but it sure was a great time to pray! I don't know how many rosaries I was able to say in the 4 hours I was out there, but what an amazing experience! This year I made a list of intentions for my "hunting prayers" and it really helped me get the most out of my time in the woods.

Thanks be to God for nephews, deer, family, and the great outdoors! Maybe I'll actually see some deer and take aim this year, but if not, I'll know it's not time wasted!

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I love it when I learn something new about the Catholic Faith. I received an email from The Catholic Company advertising a book called A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies and it mentioned "only six litanies approved for use during public prayer". Naturally, I tried my best to name all six. I wasn't successful. Don't keep reading if you want to give it a try.

Here's the approved litanies for public prayer...

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Litaniae de Sacratissimo Corde Iesu

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus - Litaniae Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Litaniae pretiosissimi Sanguinis Domini Nostri Iesu Christi

Litany of the Saints - Litaniae Sanctorum

Litany of Loreto ("Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary") - Litaniae Lauretanae

Litany of St. Joseph - Litaniae Sancti Ioseph

To view or download all the litanies, you can visit The 6 Litanies Approved for Public Recitation at fish eaters.

I also posted the Litany of St. Joseph last March.

Don't forget that the month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so it's a great time to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Photo from catholicseeking.blogspot.com

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One of my favorite things about being Catholic is the Fatima Message and Our Lady of Fatima. I didn't know much about it until a few years ago when my sister-in-law started a Fatima Family Apostolate group and we started reading books written by Father Fox and joining other families in trying to live a life of holiness.

Our Lady of Fatima teaches us to receive and adore the Blessed Trinity and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Our Lady also stressed the importance of the Rosary and how we need to pray it every day (especially as a family) along with living a life of sacrifice and penance.

In learning more about adoration and what it means to "adore the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar" I've found alot of my strength comes from time spent with Our Lord.

So today, try to spend some time adoring Our Lord and to hang out with some friends or family and say a rosary, you'll be glad you did! Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us!

Litany of Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for our dear country.
Our Lady of Fatima, sanctify our clergy.
Our Lady of Fatima, make our Catholics more fervent.
Our Lady of Fatima, guide and inspire those who govern us.
Our Lady of Fatima, cure the sick who confide in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, console the sorrowful who trust in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who invoke your aid.
Our Lady of Fatima, deliver us from all dangers.
Our Lady of Fatima, help us to resist temptation.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us all that we lovingly ask of thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who are dear to us.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring back to the right road our erring brothers.
Our Lady of Fatima, give us back our ancient fervor.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain peace for the world.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Let Us Pray:
O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and our Lady of Fatima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Picture found on the web at Our Lady of Fatima Parish

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I don't know how I missed having a link to Real Men Pray The Rosary already, but I have one now! I stumbled upon this site one day and it made me think about the Rosary and what it means as a Catholic Father and Husband to pray it. The Rosary is a powerful weapon (at a recent talk a priest described it as having a machine gun at your side) to help us on our journey to sainthood. I've gone through phases where I pray it consistently and also when I've struggled with saying it, but Real Men Pray The Rosary helps and gives us some useful tools in our modern internet age to help!

RMPTR uses the web and particularly social media to help spread their message and mission...

TO SHARE WITH ALL CHRISTIANS, ESPECIALLY MEN, ON THE SPIRITUAL & EMOTIONAL BENEFITS OF PRAYING THE ROSARY

I particularly find RMPTR's Facebook page useful as they post the mysteries and meditations daily and also from time-to-time gather members a Virtual Rosary where we join together to pray online.

You can also find great RMPTR gear to help support the mission (I need one of those t-shirts!) and spread the good word!

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I've been fortunate the last 2 1/2 weeks to have adjusted my schedule to be able to stop by my parish every day, mostly on the way to work in the morning. Some days it's only for 5 minutes, some longer. Some days it's during daily mass and others during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Some days I get to stay for communion, others I just hear the homily, or some I'm completely by myself (well except for Jesus of course).

What I've really noticed is the ability to keep Jesus in my mind longer throughout the day. I've been able to stay on task better and not get as distracted. I realize these are graces given by God, but nonetheless I'm pretty sure they are directly related to me paying a visit each day.

Now I know it's not possible for everyone to do this, but I just want to say, if you work in the world and face society on a daily basis then give it a shot, it might just be the extra strength you need!

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