 Episode 1: Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics - An in depth study
"“A kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace…” (Preface, Liturgy of Christ the King) Reflection: Jesus is Lord, not only of individuals, but of nations and the entire universe. All history finds its fulfillment in him. The Dominion of Christ over all creation is shown in the fact that he has conquered death. That is why his followers are pro-life. They bear witness to his kingdom, and look forward to his Second Coming. Prayer: Lord Jesus, continue to extend your victory over death through the work of your disciples. Featured Products: - Study Guide to Living the Gospel of Life - The United States bishops have issued clear teaching regarding the duties of voters and public officials in their document Living the Gospel of Life. Fr. Frank Pavone has written a detailed study guide on this document, complete with discussion questions. You will learn not only what the Church says about citizenship, but what our Founders said as well.
- Voting With A Clear Conscience - Fr. Frank has also summarized ten practical conclusions about voting in his booklet Voting with a Clear Conscience. Through both of these resources, Fr. Frank helps you answer those who disagree with you about voting pro-life. He also helps you know how you can make your one vote count, and influence thousands of other votes as well.
Action Item: Is this what you mean? Priests for Life has launched this special project which aims to:
1) Reveal the nature of the abortion procedure to the public, and
2) Challenge public officials, candidates, and others who support the legality of abortion to admit what abortion is. Ask Fr. Frank: What are clergy and lay people allowed to do in parishes to promote pro-life political responsibility?
- Michelle from South Carolina
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Episode 2: Pro-Life Freedom Ride update (www.prolifefreedomrides.com)
"Not even murderers are deprived of their dignity as persons.” (The Gospel of Life, 9) Reflection: If we ask, "How can we eliminate capital punishment?" The answer is, "Eliminate abortion." As long as we throw away the innocent, it is quite hard to convince people not to throw away the guilty. Prayer: Lord, may we protect the innocent, and may we not fail to recognize the dignity even of the guilty. Guest: Dr. Alveda King, Priests for Life Director of African American Outreach Featured Product: Priests for Life Calendar 2011 - We all know how fast time goes by, and how important it is to make note of special days that can strengthen us in our pro-life commitment. Now you can have a pro-life calendar that Priests for Life has produced. As you plan and look ahead, this calendar helps you keep the pro-life movement front and center in your mind. Unlike any other wall calendar, it marks for you the days that have special significance to our movement, including saints who have a special pro-life message. The calendar contains extra pages of pro-life information and inspiration, as well as prayers to accompany your daily planning. Keep the pro-life message always in view with the Priests for Life calendar! Action Item: MAAFA 21 - What does abortion have to do with racism? What does genocide have to do with Planned Parenthood? What are the connections between the eugenics movement and the abortion industry? Now, Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics, with the assistance of many leaders including Dr. Alveda King from Priests for Life, have put together the most persuasive evidence that where the eugenics movement failed to eradicate the Black community in the past, they are now finding success through the abortion industry. The video documentary Maafa 21 is opening the eyes and minds of people to the racist nature of abortion. It is moving the Black community to action against abortion, as they realize why they carry more than the average share of abortions. Ask Fr. Frank: How can I encourage my priest to preach on abortion? - Kellyanne from Tennessee
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Episode 3: Part 1 with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna and Chancellor, International Theological Institute
”There is one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, himself a man” (1 Tim 2:5).. Reflection: Jesus is humanity’s only mediator with God precisely because he is both Divine and human, and his humanity comes from Mary. All her importance flows from her Son, and our worship of the Son naturally leads to honoring his mother. Marian devotion teaches us something about our pro-life commitment. Mother and child belong together. To hurt one is to hurt the other; to love one is to love the other. Prayer: Mary, thank you for being the mother of Jesus, who now shares our humanity. Teach us to honor every mother and child. Featured Products: Novena Prayer Cards. The Lord said, “Without Me, You can do nothing.” Prayer is the foundation of all we do in the pro-life movement, and Priests for Life is calling upon every believer to pray every day that abortion may end. That is why we want to make sure you have our full set of pro-life prayer cards.These cards have pro-life prayers that correspond to different seasons of the year, like Advent and Lent, and to special novenas, like our Pentecost novena or the one leading up to the Roe v. Wade commemoration. These cards are a perfect resource for your prayer book, your adoration chapel, or your prayer vigil at the abortion mill. We will also provide each of these for entire parish congregations free of charge. Action Items: Election Action Center Part 1. Ask Fr. Frank: Why don’t our bishops excommunicate pro-abortion Catholic politicians? - Mark from California
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Episode 4: Cardinal Christoph Schönborn Part 2
“You saw me in the womb…” (Ps 139:15). Reflection: Some people think that embryos are too small to be persons with rights. But from the perspective of our faith, we can ask a similar question about the Eucharist. The smallest particle is the Body of Christ. Is the host too small to be worshipped and adored as our Lord and God? Prayer: Lord, help us to realize that value does not depend on size. May our Eucharistic faith lead us to serve the most vulnerable Featured Product: Concert for Life CD by Fr. Denis Wilde - The pro-life message should be conveyed not only by words, but by music and the arts. That is why our Associate Director at Priests for Life, Fr. Denis Wilde, uses his musical talents to convey the pro-life message as he travels the nation and presents pro-life concerts. Now you can enjoy the pro-life message and music of Fr. Denis on this CD that presents his Concert for Life. This can also be a gift for music lovers who want to learn more about pro-life, or for pro-life activists who want to find more ways to convey the message. It can also be a stepping stone to inviting Fr. Denis to your community to present his concert in person! Action Item: Election Action Center Part 2 Ask Fr. Frank: Why can’t all of the pro-life groups join together into one organization? - Debra from Minnesota
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Episode 5: The International Silent No More Awareness Campaign expands to the Netherlands
“I will fear no evil, for You are at my side.” (Ps 23:4). Reflection: Some think Congress should never have intervened in the Terri Schiavo case. Either they are unaware of the details of the case, or of the purpose of government. Terri, although brain injured, did not have any terminal illness, was not on any form of life support, and did not require any medications to stay alive. Some did not believe her life was worth living. So what is the government supposed to do when some citizens try to kill another citizen? Prayer: Bless our leaders, Lord, with the courage to protect our lives. Guest: Irene Van der Wende, Silent No More Awareness Campaign Regional Coordinator for the Netherlands Featured Product: - Maafa 21 - What does abortion have to do with racism? What does genocide have to do with Planned Parenthood? What are the connections between the eugenics movement and the abortion industry? Now, Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics, with the assistance of many leaders including Dr. Alveda King from Priests for Life, have put together the most persuasive evidence that where the eugenics movement failed to eradicate the Black community in the past, they are now finding success through the abortion industry. The video documentary Maafa 21 is opening the eyes and minds of people to the racist nature of abortion. It is moving the Black community to action against abortion, as they realize why they carry more than the average share of abortions.
Additional Resources: Action Item: Activate the Clergy: Priests for Life has monthly Clergy Conference calls and provides a weekly email for clergy with pro-life liturgical resources. Sign up to receive these free pro-life liturgical resources at clergy@priestsforlife.org. Ask Fr. Frank: My friend is thinking about having an abortion. How can I help her to avoid that mistake? - Jenny from Rhode Island If you or someone you know is in a crisis pregnancy, see www.pregnancycenters.org or call 1-800-712-HELP (4357)
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Episode 6: Update on Missionaries of the Gospel of Life in Knoxville, TN and Pittsburgh, PA
“By his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every person” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). Reflection: God has joined all humanity to himself in Christ. There is only one human nature, shared by all human beings born and unborn, healthy and sick, rich and poor, wanted and unwanted. Every one of these human beings is joined to God through the Incarnation, which means our humanity has a sacred value even greater than it received just by being created. Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking upon yourself our human nature, and for uniting our human family in yourself. Featured Products: Fr. Pavone’s Homily CD’s Vol. 1-10 - Those who have heard Fr. Frank preach know how inspiring and enlightening his homilies are, to people of all denominations. Now, you can have your own copies of some of the best homilies he has delivered on EWTN. Ask for our collection of Fr. Frank’s homilies. You can choose among them or order the entire set. If you have ordered them in the past, you can check with us to see what new ones have come out since then. Fr. Frank teaches the faith clearly from Scripture, and also roots our pro-life activity in that faith. Along with your personal listening, these can make a great addition to any Bible study or adult faith group, and make a great gift for priests or deacons who want to nourish their own preaching Action Item: Become a Regional Coordinator for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. Ask Fr. Frank: When neither of the major party candidates running for office is fully pro-life, is it OK for me to vote third party? - Alyssa from Vermont
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Episode 7: Conceived in Rape
“The Holy Father speaks of the protection of life as the fundamental realization and respect for human rights. Without that realization, without that respect for the right to life, no other discussion of human rights can continue." (Cardinal Renato Martino, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace) Reflection: Talk is cheap, and often it’s worse than that. The very thing which we support in speech, we sometimes destroy by our actions. So it is with those who fail to protect the unborn. That failure contradicts everything else they say about human rights. Prayer: Father, fill all nations with respect for life, the foundation of all rights. Guest: Rebecca Kiessling Featured Products: Abortion Loss & Unresolved Grief 8 DVD set plus course guide - Priests for Life oversees the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion, Rachel’s Vineyard. Dr. Theresa and Kevin Burke, along with Fr. Frank Pavone, travel the world to give seminars to clergy and lay counselors on the reality of abortion trauma and healing. Now, those seminars are available to you in this set of eight DVDs titled Abortion Loss and Unresolved Grief. You will also receive a study guide for the DVDs. You will learn what kind of trauma abortion causes, how it impacts men and women, families, and abortionists. You will learn how to lead people to healing through the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat model. You will also learn how the local parish can be activated as a source of healing, and how the pro-life message can be preached with compassion. Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault - order at www.afterabortion.org/Victims . Action Item: Help us get the Embryoscopy DVD (The Biology of Pre-Natal Development), into every school, pregnancy center and parish in the country. Ask Fr. Frank: Does Priests for Life have an outreach to students? - Stephanie from Nevada
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Episode 8: Teen was drugged and raped, became pregnant and chose life!
“Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet” (Heb 12:12-13). Reflection: A woman wrote to Priests for Life, “Up until I visited this site I had been pro-choice. … After seeing the images on your site, there was no decision to be made. I figured that whatever hardships having a baby at this time would bring me would be far easier than living with the guilt if I was to get an abortion. The pictures had such a powerful effect on me. They helped me to be strong.” Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the strength that comes from knowing the truth. Guest: Liz Carl Featured Products: Embryoscopy DVD - Now, you can have the most powerful video of the unborn child that exists. Obtained through a rarely used technique called embryoscopy, which places a camera up against the amniotic sac, this video footage has been incorporated into a 42-minute video called The Biology of Prenatal Development" now available from Priests for Life. The video has been endorsed by numerous medical experts, has received 11 video awards for its excellence, and has even been distributed by National Geographic! The video is intended for a non-professional audience of ages 12 and higher, and yet does not oversimplify its subject matter. It contains the best medical summary of the child’s development. Help us get this video to every Church, school, and pregnancy center! Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault - order at www.afterabortion.org/Victims . Action Item: Use social networking sites to spread the pro-life message and connect with Priests for Life on our social networking sites. Ask Fr. Frank: Is it morally acceptable for a Catholic to use vaccines? - Randy from Mississippi
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Episode 9: Interview Archbishop Fisichella, President Pontifical Academy for Life - Part 1
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be death” (Rev 21:4). Reflection: Men continue to suffer from the abortion of their children. Many of them repent of having shed the blood of the person God entrusted to their care, love, and protection. Others tried to protect their child, and were not allowed by the child’s mother or by the law to intervene to stop the abortion. Men in these circumstances need to know that they do not weep alone, and that healing is available. Prayer: Redeem, O Lord, the fathers whose hearts are torn by the abortion of their children. Featured Products: Women Do Regret Abortion/Men Regret Lost Fatherhood signs - One of the most powerful arguments against abortion is the experience of those who have abortions. They realize it was a false promise, a bad product. Now you can echo the experience of these men and women by using this sign from the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, “Women Do Regret Abortion”. On the back are the words “Men Regret Lost Fatherhood.” People in pro-life marches, rallies, and prayer vigils at abortion mills are now using these signs all across the country. The signs are lightweight, water resistant, durable, and easy to read from a distance. They show we are concerned not only for the baby, but for the mom and dad; and they provide the number and website for healing after abortion. Additional Resources: On Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life - Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, November 2002 Action Item: Visit local schools and hospitals to offer the information about pregnancy centers contained in the report “A Passion to Serve” Ask Fr. Frank: Do Rachel's Vineyard and Project Rachel work with each other? How? - Ashley from Utah
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Episode 10: Interview Archbisop Fisichella, President Pontifical Academy for Life - Part 2
The program of Jesus is “a heart which sees”. This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly.” (Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love) Reflection: One of the first things you can do to stop abortion is to be sure you know a phone number that people can call for alternatives to abortion and healing after abortion. The national hotline number 1-800-712-HELP connects people to both kinds of help nearest to where they live. Promote this number in any way you can! Prayer: Father, make me ready to point people to where they can find help, and courageous to speak up when they need it. Featured Product: You Can Save Someone’s Life Today (Newly Revised) - When people find out more about abortion, the normal reaction is to want to know what they can do to stop it. Now, Priests for Life has revised its brochure that answers that question. You Can Save Someone’s Life Today is a call to action, with specific references, websites, and phone numbers one can use to get the training and tools to fight abortion. It contains the basic facts about abortion that will make people want to fight it. It highlights Fr. Frank’s top recommendations for effective pro-life action. This brochure can also serve as a bulletin insert. If your pastor wants to place it in his parish bulletin, we will provide the necessary copies free of charge. You can save someone’s life! Start today with this brochure! Additional Resources: Action Items: Gather together a group to research the practices and weaknesses of local abortion mills…Search archives of local news, court records, etc. about the mill and about the abortionist. …Spread the dirt Ask Fr. Frank: I am a newly ordained priest, on fire for pro-life, but I keep hearing from other priests that I’m too focused on this issue. How should I respond to them? - Fr. Kevin from Louisiana
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Episode 11: Fr. Frank preaches inside the U.S. Capitol
“Lord, by now there will be a stench, for he has been dead for four days.” (Jn 11:39) Reflection: Jesus was about to raise Lazarus, but Martha was worried about the stench. We too fear the stench. Politicians fear who will vote against them; businesses fear who will stop supporting them. “Surely, there will be a stench.” And that becomes the excuse not to act – even when we know that Jesus has authority over death. Prayer: Lord, free us from our fears and calculations, and make us bold as we battle the culture of death. Featured Products: Hispanics Resources and Entrevista 3:00 AM by Fr. Victor Salomón - Many people ask for pro-life resources in Spanish, and for years, Priests for Life has been responding to that need, as the Spanish-speaking community becomes more and more essential in the effort to end abortion. These brochures bring home the basic facts about abortion, the connections between our Catholic Faith and the pro-life movement, and why ending abortion is so essential to making progress in all efforts for social justice. Our Priest-Associate, Fr. Victor Salomón, has also written a book in Spanish to help us to respond to the call of God as the People of Life. Use these resources to reach those who need materials in Spanish, and offer them to parishes with Spanish-speaking congregations. Action Item: Find out if local doctors do abortions and make it public. Ask Fr. Frank: How can I help promote Natural Family Planning to married couples in my parish? - Deacon Harry from New York
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Episode 12: Nurses for Life
“I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you.” (1 Sam 12:1) Reflection: When politicians neglect the unborn, they are not representing all the people. Representing the people starts with protecting them. Yes, an elected official has to represent all the people. That means that we cannot draw artificial lines that say that some people aren't really people after all. Prayer: Lord, give us leaders who will indeed represent and protect all the people. Guest: Nancy Valko, RN, Missouri Nurses for Life and the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses Featured Products: Pro-Life Reflections for Everyday book and Ending Abortion Not Just Fighting It book- Two books you will want to add to any pro-life library are Fr. Frank’s books “Ending Abortion, Not Just Fighting It,” and “Pro-life Reflections for Every Day.” “Ending Abortion” is a series of 500-word essays, and “Pro-life Reflections” contains a one-minute pro-life devotional for each day of the year. In both of these books, you will take away bite-size nuggets of insight as to how pro-life activism is related to various teachings of the Church, Scripture passages, and liturgical seasons and feasts. You will gain insight into how the Gospel shapes pro-life strategies and tactics, and will be more convinced than ever that we will win! Additional Resources: The Will to Live Action Item: Study and commit to the pro-life spirituality of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Ask Fr. Frank: How can I get more involved in the pro-life movement? - Marco from Arizona
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Episode 13: Malpractice inside the Abortion Industry
“Some scribes who were Pharisees noticed that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors, and they asked his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” (Mk 2:16) Reflection: Jesus broke down the false barriers that people set up among themselves, and instead acknowledged the equal human dignity of every individual, despite what common opinion might say. He moved toward those who needed his help, rather than rejecting them because of who they were.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, give us the mind of Christ, that we may never cast off any human person or group of people, but rather be vehicles of your care for them. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you conquered the power of death. May we seek freedom from its power only in you! Amen! Featured Products: What’s So Bad About Abortion brochure, Silent No More Awareness Campaign brochure and Rachel’s Vineyard brochure.
Many people think abortion might solve their problems, until they hear from those who had abortions, who tell of the many new problems abortion caused. These are the voices of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. You can hear and spread their voices with three special brochures. One tells you the damage abortion does to women, complete with scientific references. Another tells you about Campaign itself, and how you can help. The third is about Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion. It will tell you where you and others can find healing and peace from the suffering of abortion. All of these brochures are excellent tools to give someone who has had an abortion or wants to help others to heal. Additional Resources: Lime 5 book Action Items: Promote participation in our national webcasts, by which you will hook up live with national pro-life leaders. Encourage the clergy to participate in our monthly "Mobilizing the Clergy for Life" webcasts. Ask Fr. Frank: Is it possible to overturn Roe vs. Wade? - Melanie from North Dakota
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