The Icon and the Battle Axe

Here is the image taken when Sen. Hilary Clinton visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe..she wore red and immediately the words, "The Woman and the scarlet woman" came to mind...

A few weeks ago I posted my thoughts, titled Two Women about Sen. Hilary Clinton visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe...on the very same day she received the highest award Planned Parenthood had to offer - The Margaret Sanger Award.

I feel sad. For Hilary Clinton, that is. I feel sad also for those those she sways by her clever PR exercise. How many Catholics who are not really informed about this lady's political history and what she was about to receive later that day, saw this as a positive visit?

Today I read an insightful response to that day, called The Icon and the Battle-Axe, written by Joseph P Duggan, please stop by and read if you have time, it is not long article. I'll quote a powerful statement from his writings:

"Imagine an American Secretary of State one morning praying at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall and the next evening accepting a eugenics award named for Dr. Josef Mengele. That is an apt analogy to the repugnant juxtaposition of gestures by Hillary Clinton during and following her brief visit to Mexico.."

What an accurate analogy, why can't the world see this obvious incongruity here?

Good Catholic blogs...

And BOY wasn't this relevant in the US elections just past?

HT catholic mom of 10 revisited

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..

In my musings over the US elections, the pro-life movement and more, I’ve mentioned on two occasions now, the movie Amazing Grace. (Natural Bridge and Praying for the elections in a beautiful place) I’ve sort of got MYSELF going on it now, I would really like to sit down again and watch it!!

Have you seen it before? If not, I do recommend it. I think there are very strong parallels between the two movements - the way they were perceived in their time and the people who fought for their convictions.

Well anyway, here is something to whet your appetite...

Natural Bridge

Here we are at the Natural Bridge in the Gold Coast hinterland. This is simply gorgeous part of the world. The beaches at the Gold Coast are one of the world's best and then half an hour's drive away you enter this lush world of rainforests and spectacular views and scenery.

I mentioned previously that I thought it fortunate that we had alot of overcast and even on-and- off rainy periods. This was a holiday where we all needed to relax and renew badly and I just didn't think day after day of hot weather, traking wet sand into units were going to do it.

So on all the cloudy days we went into the hinterland for bushwalking and we had a simply lovely time. We were still praying for the US elections as we travelled and since it is easy to pray as a family in the car, we were happy to do some slow motoring around the range.

We didn't receive the news of the elections until Wed afternoon because of the time difference. The last full day of our holidays was Thurs and that was the one, hot day we had, where we swam at the beach all day. So when I think of the hinterland I think of many prayers and anticipation...and sadly, disappointment.

I'm Australian as most people would know but I've always been very interested in American politics. I suppose I was aware how much we are influenced by the States and how a good or bad political outcome, does in turn, effect us - it effects the whole world.

I can even say I remember where I was and/or how I reacted to the previous two US elections where the presidency changed hands.

When Clinton was elected in the early 90's, I cried and cried. I bawled. I thought, "what will come of the world?". I knew he was not pro-life and sadly his notorious vetos on partial birth ban proved that, among many other things.

When George W Bush was elected, we were at friend's place, way out in the country, fairly isolated. We all looked at the TV and we were excited and had feelings of anticipation... Here was a pro-life president elected on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Then each year when I watched the March for Life rally in January, I'd listen to all the new and good pro-life legislature he had been responsible for - I'd listen to his recorded speech to the pro-life people...

Now this time, I'll always remember this beautiful Australian landmark with the 2008 US election results. Strangly enough I didn't cry or react with emotional passion as I had in the early 90's. Maybe because I don't remember actually praying for the elections back then, I may have said a few prayers but I can't remember.

For us personally, I think the intensity of prayer by us all, took away the intensity of emotion on the other side. Though maybe if I were actually a US citizen, it might have been different.. Not that I wasn't deeply disappointed, for in fact I was experiencing an even greater disappointment than the early 90's election. Because I knew that while all elections mattered, nothing to date counted quite like this one.

Maybe the emotions were tempered with the fact I knew we had done our best (well, we can ALWAYS do better, particularly me, but we had tried to respond to the promptings of grace as much as we could.)

Or maybe we were in the wash of peace and serenity FROM all those prayers to Our Lady, you see, we didn't watch the coverage on the screen (Australian channels started the coverage from late in the morning) as would do with the Australian elections. I knew I couldn't handle that, I just had to pray with faith and not hear the bias from the media.. So we were separated from the worldly take on it all, just left to our prayers only and beautiful, natural surroundings.

Or maybe I'm just numb? Though I don't think so, I AM feeling and thinking and pondering about it all...

For whatever reason, it is not time. It is sad I know. I'm sad because it looks like the 40th anniversary of Roe vs Wade in the future will come and go with this still standing.

I remember watching the March for Life two years ago and a priest was being interviewed, he said something interesting. He said that if the 40th anniversary were to pass in the future without it being overturned, he believed there would be serious times ahead.

40 years. It's a biblical figure. Trial and testing. 40 years of anti-life legislature. The sanctioning of taking life for no reason at all, enshrined in law.

It all seems surreal in a way. Why does the world allow this to happen everywhere throughout the world? Even 50 years ago this sort of thing was unthinkable in most people's mind. Why are pro-life people viewed as fanatics?

Once again though, I think of the movie Amazing Grace and see how the abolitionists were viewed..pretty much the same...fanatics. Yet we ALL cheer them on! Everyone does! No one sits there thinking, "I hope that pompous, selfish lot of politicians on the other side wins the day." Didn't we all cheer when the tickets to Exeter were waved over the top of the lounge chair?"

BUT, see HOW they won...they had to trick the senate into passing a law that would indirectly close down the trade of human lives, they had to cut off the 'money source', no wonder they say that money is the root of all evil.

This has been like a 'dear diary' tonight, I'm just in a very reflective mood and truly wonder what the future holds for us all.

I do wonder but I have peace also, for I believe in the power of prayer. I remind myself 'that the gates of hell will not prevail.' My Faith will always stand strong as a beacon to the world. I pray that my own faith will also stand strong, for my family, for their future. Bubby is now calling for me.

"The Dream is Not Yet Fulfilled"

Niece of Martin Luther King Jr.: "The Dream" Is Not Yet Fulfilled

Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said today that, while the election of an African-American president is a milestone for America, because abortion continues Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equal rights for all has not yet been fulfilled.

"The election of an African American president sends a powerful and historic message that what was previously unthinkable can become reality," said Dr. King. "The battle for equal rights has reached a major milestone, but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of full equality remains just a dream as long as unborn children continue to be treated no better than property."

"President-elect Obama has promised actions that will only increase the number of abortions. Pro-lifers, in turn, must promise to redouble our efforts to resist anti-life proposals, speak up for the babies, and, above all, pray," added Dr. King.

"We must pray with persistence and love that, in God's time, what is now deemed unthinkable will become reality - that all our brothers in sisters, from conception to natural death, will be protected in law and welcomed in society. The elections are over. The pro-life battle begins anew."

HT

Praying for the elections in a beautiful place...

During the US election week we were fortunate to get away for a week long holiday, to the Gold Coast. We decided to travel to Marian Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland on our Tuesday (Melbourne Cup day in Aus) to make a day long pilgrimage to pray for the US elections that were to be decided the next day, Australian time.

My precious little girl...

We had been praying the memorare prayer and "Mary, conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee." as often as we could, to find a nice rhythm, we used our rosary beads, on each Our Father bead we offered a memorare, on the Hail Mary beads, the "Oh Mary, conceived without sin..."

Marian Valley has a magnificent outdoor Stations of the Cross which we followed and prayed along, it was the Stations of the Cross with a pro-life theme.

The day itself was overcast with a little rain and a little sunshine here and there. The valley itself was so beautiful. Here is the Jacaranda tree in full bloom.

We also decided to offer the 4 mysteries of the rosary after the stations of the cross, we would travel from shrine to shrine to do this.

Each scene is beautiful with a natural backdrop to each one.

Here are the children at the end of the stations of the cross, what a beautiful scene.

Just looking over at Padre Pio's shrine.

We had walked to the end of the valley until we reached the bushland, where we followed a track that took us to "Our Lady of the Southern Cross", at the base of a big tree in the middle of the rainforest.

Right next to this shrine is the entrance to the bush walk to the shrine of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.

Each shrine is different and beautiful, and this shrine is one of the valley's highlights.

As we gave out each decade in each mystery we would move to a different Marian shrine each time, here we are at Our Lady of Lourdes shrine.

Finally...to the beautiful shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, praying for the US elections.

A new shrine being built....what a beautiful statue.

Our Lady of Fatima shrine nestled in this corner of the valley..so lush and beautiful.

A closer shot...

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for Australia, pray for the U.S!

Along the stations of the cross track, looking down at the Resurrection scene in the distance.

Looking back up at the stations of the cross track.

Such peaceful, natural scenes...a place of peace and serenity.

Slowly making our way back to the outdoors church.

As we came out of the rainforest, it had started to rain!

Looking into the church.

This beautiful valley, dedicated to Our Lady...

New shrines being built at present.

The children love this place, it is full of nature and signs of their faith, what a beautiful combinaton, what lovely childhood memories to create.

We had prayed and prayed this day and into the next waiting to hear the news, of course it was profoundly disappointing and my 13 year old wondered what had become of all those prayers?

These are the probing questions that children must ask. We ask them ourselves, quite often. Why? Only God knows why. But I do know that those prayers were not wasted, they are never wasted.

I remined my children that Mother Teresa had once said that it was important to be faithful, not successful.

Of course we want success but we rest trustfully in the fact that these prayers would help in someway, probably in many unknown ways. We will find out when in the next life and see the mysterious tapestry of life is turned over to reveal the beauty of grace and faith, the gentleness of being pro-life.

Something profound has come out of this time, I'll never be the same again. The beauty and peace of continual prayer is flowing over me. The desire to defend life with more vigour and passion is burning in my breast. I know that the prayers for life in the political arena needs to go beyond a short period of time. I know I must pray now and always for the future needs of the next election - at home and in the States.

Adoration Chapel...

History points out that we are not witnessing anything new in this ignoring of such a fundmental issue in the election just past...have you ever seen Amazing Grace? I think of the pro-life movement when I see this struggle against slavery and slave ships. Take heart though, this is unthinkable to us today. If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it.

On the topic of slavery, I believe it to be an enormous shame and scandal that a man (the new President elect) who has the rights he ought to have thanks to those in the past who fought for them, can then turn around and deny a new group of people their right to life. He made history because others shaped history for God's good and yet he turns around and denies the unborn an even deeper, more fundamental right. I cannot help but to think of the parable of the ungrateful servant. Matthew 18: 23-35.

People placed sanctions upon South Africa for apartheid. They basically said, 'we will not support you, while you hold that one thing in place.' One thing. A single issue. An important issue.

The world agreed this was the way to deal with a country that abused one basic right, nevermind they may have had other comendable attributes in their policies. And this is my point. If everyone treated anti-life parties in such a way, they would HAVE to change their policies. Carl Anderson the Supreme Knight of Columbus said that if all Catholics alone did just that, they would be forced to change. I mean, what other single issue holds greater gravity than the legal sanctioning of taking thousands of innocent lives every day???

We must continue to defend God's littlest ones, His precious children in utero, we must defend them against their oppressors, because Jesus said,

"What you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto Me."