My Brothers' Keeper

The wind whipped through the abandoned camp, the gaps in the barbed wire fences, the houses that evil built. My feet stepped cautiously along the cobblestone and dirt roads where evil tread. My eyes saw mounds of hair that evil sheared, piles of tattered shoes that evil stole, prisons where evil sneered, walls riddled with bullet holes where evil killed, ovens where evil burned. Evil was in the wind that blew through Auschwitz that day, chilling me to my core, taunting me, asking me, "Why did God forsake this place, these people who suffered and cried out for His help? Why did no one save them?"

I remembered words written by a young girl: "In spite of everything, I still believe people are basically good at heart," Anne Frank wrote from her attic prison. Did she change her mind when she reached this place? Evil made sure that the world will never know. I was different when I walked out of the ghost camp that October evening. I had seen and felt what could not be conveyed in a classroom history lesson. I wondered how God could possibly let something so terrible happen to so many innocent people. It was easier to trust in God's mercy and love before, but now that I had seen and tasted real human suffering for myself, how could I believe? A faint hope rose in me--at least I could rest in the confidence that we would never allow something like this to go on today. And then as quickly as hope rose, it disappeared: it is going on today. It began in 1973 and continues today--50 million innocent human lives destroyed. A force greater than the gusty Poland wind suddenly moved in my heart--the cry of God, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." (Gen. 4:10) The voice of our brothers' blood calls to us from the ground, from the dumpsters where they are carelessly tossed, from the jars that line the walls of an abortionist's office, from the execution rooms, from the battlefields, from a grocery store in Arizona.

There is blood everywhere. And we wonder, who is going to clean this mess up? In the film The Passion of the Christ, the Mother of Christ gets on her hands and knees to clean up her own Son's blood after His scourging. After His death, she holds his bloodied, bruised, broken, body and looks at us with haunting eyes as if to say, "See how much He loves you?" More than we can know. He actually did that for us, to cleanse us with His Mercy. He showed us what it means to be His brothers' keeper by showing mercy, by loving everyone, and by giving up His life so that we may live. He did this for us and said, "Now do this for others."

That said, the freezing march through Washington D.C. on Monday morning will quite literally be a walk in the park compared to His struggle up to Calvary under the crushing weight of our sins. But it is a step along the Way. With renewed hope and trust in God's mercy, I will march with fellow pro-lifers up to the steps of the Supreme Court building and I will PRAY to God that people wake up and realize that this is LIFE we are talking about, our brothers and sisters. Whether or not you are able to join the thousands marching through D.C. this weekend, I ask you to at least take a moment to pray with us for the souls of our brothers and sisters who will never see the light of day, the Abels of our time. Let us be the voice of our brothers' blood crying out from the ground--the voice of truth.

You will not silence my message;

you will not mock my God;

and you WILL stop killing my generation.

(Pro-life Youth pledge, Rock for Life)

The Power of the Pen

When I was in junior high, I took part in a writing competition called Power of the Pen. We would be given writing prompts and have forty minutes to construct and compose a narrative. I loved the rush of thoughts that formed in my mind when I read the prompt, the way they tumbled into place in my mind for a few minutes, then sped down to my hand. Before I knew it, words were flowing out of my pen as it scribbled across the page. I learned a great deal about myself as a writer in those competitions. The first year, I wrote mostly really depressing stories (I think I was under the impression that killing off a character made a story good). The second year, however, I began to write stories born out of my beliefs (usually dealing with pro-life themes). These stories tended to receive much higher marks, not because the judges agreed with me, but because I was doing what I was created to do: allowing God to channel His love and light through my pen. When we order our talents to their original intention of giving God glory, they accomplish a much greater good than when we try to use them for our own glory.

All of this stuff going on with Pope and the Vatican being so misrepresented in the media has really sparked a fire in me. For months I have been trying to figure out how best to use my writing to give glory to God. I wrote a letter to our local paper's editor about the misrepresentation of the Church in its recent articles (Here's a great article that appeared the next day.). As soon as I sent the e-mail, I felt a deeper sense of purpose and a greater love for the Church and the people in it. I didn't care if it was published or ignored. I realized that this came from knowing that I had given a piece of myself, I had shared my voice through my pen to defend the Truth from attack (as much as I could in the allowed 200 words, anyway). By writing the words that God has written on my heart, I have found a way to give myself in love--this is the real power of the pen.

It's love, not politics.

This rare occasion of my even mentioning politics is in light of the Pope's recent comments about condoms. I was more than a little confused when I read in media reports that the Pope said "condom use can be justified in some cases," especially when I learned that this "justification" was made in the case of male prostitutes. Desiring to learn the truth behind these reports, I sought the Pope's exact words and immediately understood when I read:

" There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality."

To interpret this quote as saying that "condom use can be justified" would first require one to assume that male prostitution is justified. Anyone who had even the slightest understanding of the Church's teachings would recognize that prostitution is never justified. And yet, the media's irresponsible misreporting of this statement caused the people of the world to wonder with bated breath, "Did hell freeze over? Is the Church finally changing her position to conform with society?" Alas, the flames continue to lick at our feet.

In a shocking turn of events, the media wrongly presented not only one man's words, but also the entire foundation of faith upon which the Catholic Church was built. Let me just let all the moral relativists out there in on a little secret: TRUTH EXISTS AND IT NEVER CHANGES.

What Pope Benedict stated actually has nothing to do with justifying condom use. His comment merely commends (the mindset, NOT the means) that the the use of condoms by male prostitutes suggests a positive attempt to protect the dignity of human life by preventing the spread of AIDS, but it is not the best way. THIS JUST IN: Not having sex with strangers also helps prevent the spread of AIDS.

I admit that I find it humorous when the media makes such a huge deal about the Pope's statements. If they disagree so strongly with what he says, why don't they just ignore him...? They seem to forget that the Church is NOT a political machine that seeks to destroy our Western society's "values." Rather, it is a universal body founded in truth and love, seeking the transformation of human hearts in order to bring about peace and allow each individual to live life to the fullest with his or her dignity intact.

There is so much I would like to say about all this, but I want to keep this a simple clarification and friendly reminder to the world that the Church stands for love and truth, not a flip-flopping political agenda. For those who are with me, I encourage you to take a stand and join me in support of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, our fearless leader, the German Shepherd.

You Are More

Tenth Avenue North - You Are More from Provident Label Group on Vimeo.

This is a great song by a great group and I had to share it here.

I attended the Tenth Avenue North concert back in September and wrote a little bit about it, but since then I have been listening to both their albums, Over and Underneath and The Light Meets the Dark, constantly. Their songs contain so much truth, beauty, freedom and love in their powerful lyrics. Many of the songs are prayers in themselves! I especially love that the songs encourage listeners to be honest, honest with themselves and with God. They offer clear reminders that we have already been saved by God's love, and that nothing can satisfy us except God's love. As in "By Your Side," the singer sings from God's perspective: "Why are you looking for love?/Why are you still searching, as if I'm not enough?" He is love. He is enough. This song, "You Are More," reminds us that God's love has made us a new creation. His love for us has already defeated the sin and lies that haunt us. He is the light that meets the darkness of our souls. It is up to us to keep our eyes on His light, to tune out the distractions of the world, and to let Him lead us to love.

Perhaps the most beautiful song ever (and the number one song in my iTunes library), "Beloved," reads like a love letter from Christ:

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need.

Give me your life

The lust and the lies

And the past you're afraid I might see

You've been running away from me.

You're my beloved lover

I'm yours

Death shall not part us.

You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery.

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need.

I'm the giver of life
I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be
Come running home to me.

You've been a mistress, my wife
Chasing lovers that won't satisfy
Won't you let me make you my bride
You will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life.

What greater love is there?

Take Love With You

I recently watched the American classic You Can't Take It With You, winner of Best Picture at the 1939 Oscars. It was a charming film about a girl who feared her future in-laws (a famously wealthy banker and his wife) meeting her quirky middle-class family. The film was enjoyable, but it also carried a strong message concerning materialism, family, and living life to the fullest. At one point, the girl's grandfather says to the banker of his money: "You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends." In today's society there is this tendency toward a consumerist mentality like Mr. Kirby's. We have all become so comfortable in the things that we can't take with us.

Even in the Church, there is a mentality of being "backseat Catholics." We attend Mass, follow the rules, and no one gets hurt. I once heard a priest relate this mentality to having a crush on someone. When a girl has a crush on a guy, she anxiously anticipates the next time she will see him again. When she does see him, her face lights up, her heart beats wildly, and her admiration is evident in her smile. Yet so often when we approach the altar to receive the One True Love in communion, we look--and probably are--bored. Where is the passion? Where is the love that will lead souls to God? We become comfortable in the routine, and fail to comprehend the Truth: that we are receiving into ourselves His Precious Blood and most Sacred Heart. The Host transforms us into living tabernacles.

As is written in I Believe in Love (a book based on the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux), "from the tabernacles of the world come forth rays of divine light, parts of the sun of love, which touch and enlighten souls. Be a praying and loving host, and you will send forth rays like the Host, and God will give you all those who 'voyage' with you, your neighbors, all those whom you love and whose salvation you ardently desire." When we believe in His saving power with humble trust and confidence, we become beacons of love that leads others home. Yes, love is the one thing we can take with us, and with it, we bring souls.

The Return of Love: An Easter Challenge

He is risen! Alleluia!

When Jesus carried all of our heartache and all of our pain up Calvary, it died with Him. Now when we go to open up that corner of our hearts, it is empty! He has rolled away the stone, melting the winter of the heart into springtime, and He wants to make a new creation in us.

Easter is the perfect time for a renewal of the spirit. If a ball dropping in New York City in the middle of winter (when all you want to do is sleep and eat all the things you promised yourself you wouldn't eat anymore) isn't enough incentive for you to make resolutions, try Easter! Everything is fresh, new, clean. "He was pierced for our transgressions, and by His wounds we are healed." His wounds have healed you, His blood has purified you and made you clean. Now Christ has risen from the grave to bring you into glory with Him.

This Easter season, I challenge you to make new resolutions: weed the garden in your heart. Pull out the things in your life that are leading you to sin, or keeping you from loving as you should. Whether it be an inappropriate TV show that you're hooked on, the music you love that has a great beat but explicit lyrics, or just a bad habit that you can't seem to stop, take out the impurities that keep you from Him. It will be difficult, especially when society is trying to convince you there's nothing wrong with it. But with Him, all things are possible--He will give you the graces you need! All you have to do is choose Him, choose love! Weed your garden so that the seeds God has planted will have plenty of room to bloom.

I mean seriously, He really didn't want to go through all that suffering. He knelt in the garden of Gethsemane (sweating blood!) and begged the Father to take the task from Him. But He knew it was the only way to save us. So He did it: because He loves us. All He wants is for us to return His love, but He calls us each to love in different ways. How is He calling you to love?

He is calling me to love (if you couldn't guess by the examples) by asking me to detach myself from some of my favorite TV shows (I hadn't even realized how many I watched!) and some of the music I listen to. I realized that they do not in any way glorify Him, and actually make a mockery of the things He holds sacred (sex, love, etc.). They all tell lies, denying His Truth--no matter how much I might want to break down and dance! These have been difficult to give up, but He pulls me through, giving me the grace (and even the desire!) to keep my eyes on heaven. Whenever I begin to fall away from Him, I see an image of the Eucharist--His Bleeding Heart. It helps me in my resolve to be a victim of love. Then, rather than channel vulgar sitcom jokes and song lyrics through me, He can channel His Love! What joy!

May the joy of the risen Christ fill your heart, and may your Easter be filled with peace and blessings!